Fat Burning Workout

So many of you asked for it and now you’re going to get it. A fat burning workout so advanced that it will get you to drop your waist size or at least 5 lbs of fat in only 21 days.

This workout requires that you have had at least 2 months of prior training that has been relatively consistent (at least 3 times a week). If this isn’t the case for you then you can take this workout and water it down for the first session or two and then ramp it up to it’s full potential.

Since this is a workout that is specific to fat burning this is not intended for those of you who want to pack on muscle. Instead it is for those of you who want to get more muscle tone and maybe even some curved definition in your abs and waist.

It is a full body workout which trains all the muscles in your body with a focus on your core. Attempt this workout at 3-4 days a week. We’re going to aim 12-14 reps and 3 sets per exercise unless otherwise noted.

Get some good sleep the night before because this is literally going to kick your ass no matter how advanced you are…

Let’s go!

The Fat Burning Workout

7 minute warm-up session on the treadmill or elliptical trainer & aim for getting up to 7.0 mph for treadmill or 10.mph on elliptical
Plank with Bosu Ball – nice and steady tight core and hold for 20 seconds {view image }
Mountain Climbers – bring knees right up to your abs & aim for 30 seconds on each set {view image }
Push-ups on Bosu Ball – keep your core tight and butt down {view image }
Woodchopper with medicine ball – remember abs tight and keep a natural curve in your back & 7 reps each side makes one set {view image }
Single leg deadlift – 7 reps each side for one set {view image }
Triceps plate squat- come down so your knees have a 90 degree bend, then weight up and over your head while keeping elbows near ears {view image }
Lunge and ab twist with medicine ball or dumbbell – hold medicine ball in front of you, take a lunge with one foot and twist to one side then repeat on other side {view image }
10 minute high intensity interval training on treadmill or elliptical trainer – this is it the final and most important component which will burn through fat so go for 30 second spurts of intense sprinting mixed with 30 seconds of jogging as much as you can in 10 minutes.

Recommended Fat Burning Supplements
Probably the most intensive supplement package I have come across which is made for women and men individually. They include pretty much everything you will ever need to burn that fat and accelerate some serious fat loss. Highest rated, fastest results with these packages. Check it out:

• Women’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo
• Men’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo

The Fat Burning Workout: Conclusion

No more excuses or questioning what plan to do for this fat burning workout is guaranteed to get you pretty damn ripped in just 21 days. The fine print should read that you need to be smart and stick to natural unprocessed foods focusing on as much veggies, fruit, lean meats, beans and whole grains as you can for at least 5.5 days out of 7 days. For the remaining 1.5 days you can relax a little and have a few of your favorite foods.

Make a promise now and leave a comment below so you can stay accountable for this fat burning workout. Before and after pictures anyone?

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Abdominal Workout Advanced

We all want them, 6 pack abs which are curved out like someone took a chisel and chipped away until they were all smooth and ripped. Probably one of the most difficult challenges anyone can attain and we already know that diet is such a big part of it, perhaps the biggest.

So what do we do to combat this problem? Well we can go at it with the mentality of pushing ourselves with ab crunch after back-breaking ab crunch right?

I have a better idea. Let’s kick our abs into gear with a far superior abdominal workout advanced beyond our expectations!

This will be a good exercise on seeing the strength of your core as a whole, let’s get right into it.

Remember we want high reps to get a good burn so go for 3 sets of the following exercises with 12-14 repetitions:

Ab Twists (view image)
Turkish Getup with Kettlebell or Dumbbell (view image)
Plank with Bosu Ball (view image)
Mountain Climbers with hands on Bosu Ball (view image)
Hanging Knee Tucks with Twist (view image)
Ab Rollout with Stability Ball (view image)

This workout plan should be done a minimum of once a week and a maximum of three times a week. Best to couple this with a high intensity interval training session lasting for at least 10 minutes following the abdominal workout. Just make sure to have a whey protein smoothie or a banana at around 60 minutes before this workout session so you have tons of energy to push through. Speaking of supplements…

Recommended Supplements to Boost Your Abdominal Workout

Want to boost your abdominal workout results? These are probably some of the most effective supplements you can include in your diet plan:

Whey Protein for Lean Muscle Production (Try: Cellucor IsoPro Ultra Lean)
Thermogenic Fat Burner (Try: Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock)
Appetite Suppression (Try: BSN Atrophex)
Omega 3′s for Fat Metabolism (Try: Now Omega 3)
Sports Drink for Motivation & Maximum Force (Try: USPlabs Jacked)

Have any questions or feedback about this advanced abdominal workout? Please leave a comment below:

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What To Look For In A Personal Trainer

The other day I had someone ask me about what to look for in personal trainer and health coach and I thought it was a great question that seems to not get asked enough. The problem is that many gyms hire their own personal trainers who get paid close to minimum wage and generally don’t have the skills and techniques that really make a good personal trainer.

You may be one of those people who was willing to spend your good money on hiring a trainer but then felt that the cost was much more than it was worth and you could have trained yourself better by just reading up on the exercises.

This is a pretty unfortunate situation and I think like with anything you need to be pretty smart about who you chose to help you with making the right advances with your training regimen and overall health.

Now many of you may think that you can’t afford a personal trainer yet you are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on eating out each month and then feeling extremely down on yourself for not being the healthiest you can be. Take this seriously because this can lead to a negative downward spiral of your self-confidence and self-worth. Cut your spending in another avenue so you can budget for a good personal trainer who will help you look rocking in the next set of clothes you buy, this feeling you will see is absolutely priceless.

With that said, perhaps it may be easier to talk about what to look for in a personal trainer by going into what you should avoid instead! I’ll make it easy for you and put this into bullet points…

• The personal trainer doesn’t look that fit themselves! You would think this is an obvious one but I see it time and time again. It’s almost like the blind leading the blind. How can you take the advice seriously when the trainer doesn’t really follow their own rules, eventually you will begin to ignore what they have to say, so save your money and skip these trainers!
• The personal trainer doesn’t ask for continuous feedback. You’re not paying someone to treat you poorly, again eventually you will being to resent that person and it will become a huge dread for you to see them again and you may even go as far as avoiding going to the gym all together. A good trainer always asks for feedback to make sure you understand everything.
• Your trainer pushes you so hard that you are sore for days and days afterwards. It’s ok to be sore the next day or two, but if your trainer pushed you so hard that it takes a week to recover then you know this person is not qualified to know how hard to push you.
• The trainer isn’t giving you feedback about your posture. This is ultra important because even with a mirror it’s hard sometimes to know how your posture is, and your trainer should be giving you great conversation about this matter. Without this info you are risking injury
• Focus is barely brought to your core when you are training with weights or even during your cardio. Having a tight core is essential to making sure you get the most of your workouts.
• The trainer is not keeping track of your progress. Again, the only way you will really push through and gain great results is by tracking your exercises, their reps and sets.
• They are yawning or looking bored during your workout. This should obviously be pretty offensive because you are paying them for complete attention and motivation to your workout. A great personal trainer will always be giving you positive encouragement and getting you pumped to push harder at each session.
• Always challenging you and switching up your exercises to keep your energy and motivation high. Personally I can think of over a thousand different exercises I could throw at my clients in any given session and many of them don’t even use weights! You know you have found an experienced trainer when they are able to make you laugh because the challenge is so great each time you workout with them.

Conclusion: What To Look For In A Personal Trainer

I honestly feel like I’ve given you quite a great list of things to keep in mind when looking for a high quality personal trainer and health coach. Now I’m currently in the process of creating a membership section which I can offer affordable online training to many more of you than I would be able to do here in Vancouver. My idea is to offer you a 12 week program where we attack a fitness and diet program and each week you will get the chance to ask me your specific questions via a live online video session. For those of you who want more, you’ll also get access to numerous fitness plans, exercise how-to instructions, a huge database of healthy meal and snack recipes, and much more. This is all stuff people pay several hundred dollars each month to get from their personal trainers, but I’m going to offer a package which will be affordable to all of you, that is my promise!

I’m just in the process of developing this new membership section, but if you want more information on what will be included and be first inline to get some special bonuses please make sure to sign up here – Online Personal Trainer.

If you have any questions or other ideas of what to look for in a personal trainer please leave a comment below…

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Workout Schedule for Weight Loss

It doesn’t matter where you are in your training level, if you are wanting to lose some weight in the next few weeks then it’s a great idea to have a workout schedule at your finger tips which you can quickly follow.

Of course, when we’re talking about weight loss we want to make sure that our focus is actually not on the scale but on what we have to do to reduce our overall body fat right?

Most of us are ok with putting on some extra weight if it’s lean muscle and we should always be conscious of this fact when talking about weight loss. Especially if this lean muscle is going to help us burn more calories, which the science has proven to do so.

Well I’m going to give you a few different workout schedules to make it even easier for you to fit in to your hectic work and family life. Let’s go…

Workout Schedule for Weight Loss #1: Focus on overall fat loss + lean muscle

Monday: Biceps & Back resistance training
Tuesday: Day off, or Yoga/Pilates
Wednesday: Cardio & Abs/core workout
Thursday: Light Jog or 35 minute brisk walk
Friday: Triceps and Chest resistance training
Saturday: Day off, or 35 minute brisk walk
Sunday: Legs & Shoulders resistance training

Workout Schedule for Weight Loss #2: Focus on fat loss + ab definition

Monday: Total body workout
Tuesday: Day off, or Yoga/Pilates
Wednesday: Cardio & Abs/core workout
Thursday: Total body workout
Friday: Day off
Saturday: Cardio & Abs/core workout
Sunday: 20 minute High intensity interval training

Workout Schedule for Weight Loss #3: Focus on fat loss + serious muscle gain

Monday: Arms & Back resistance training
Tuesday: Day off, or Yoga/Pilates
Wednesday: Legs & Shoulders resistance training
Thursday: Light Jog or 35 minute brisk walk
Friday: Abs/Core and Chest resistance training
Saturday: 20 minute high intensity interval training
Sunday: Day off

Recommended Supplements for Rapid Fat Loss

If you’re in a real hurry and want to get results as soon as possible then you may want to include these supplements:

Thermogenic Fat Burner (Try: Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock)
Appetite Suppression (Try: BSN Atrophex)
Whey Protein for Lean Muscle Production (Try: Cellucor IsoPro Ultra Lean)
Omega 3′s for Fat Oxidation (Try: Now Omega 3)
Energy Drink for Motivation & Maximum Force (Try: USPlabs Jacked)

Conclusion: Workout Schedule for Weight Loss

There you have it, 3 different workout schedules which are guaranteed to give you some awesome results in just a matter of 4-5 weeks. Your main objective will be to remain consistent and don’t let anything get in your way. If something does then jump right back on it as soon as possible and remember your end goal, won’t it all be worth it if you get there?

For ideas on the different exercises and specific workouts checkout the workouts and training section of this website, there is a database of over 100 articles in this category.

Have any questions or feedback about this Workout Schedule for Weight Loss? Please leave a comment below…

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Ultimate Upper Body & Abs Workout

I wanted to create an ultimate upper body & abs workout which you can do in under 45 minutes and will give you fantastic muscle definition and build your endurance at the same time.

What you’ll find with this workout is that the exercises tax multiple muscles at the same time, particularly your chest, shoulders, triceps and biceps. Coupling this with ab and core exercises will kick your but since they will basically stack on this workout for a pyramid of results.

Now this isn’t going to be an easy beginner workout, so I’d recommend either going into the workouts and training section of this site to find an appropriate workout that works for you, or alternatively doing fewer reps and sets of this workout until you reach the full routine.

Ultimate Upper Body & Abs Workout Directions

With regards to reps, sets and rest period we’re going to focus more on the higher reps and lower weights methodology which again is stacked with short rest periods between exercises and sets. In fact, we want to go about 30 seconds for rest to really get you burning those excess calories as fast as possible.

So with all these exercises go for 3 sets of 12-14 reps. Even though it may seem relatively easy at the beginning you’ll find that with the short rest periods you’ll get pretty winded and will challenge your endurance levels.

Ready? Set…go!

Ultimate Upper Body & Abs Workout

Plank on Stability Ball (view image)
Pushups with Hands Close Together (view image)
Stability Ball Pull In (view image)
Barbell Bench Press on Decline Bench (view image)
Ab Rollout on Stability Ball (view image)
Dumbbell Flyes (view image)
Arnold Press (view image)
Dips on Bench (view image)

Supplements to Increase Upper Body Strength and Define Abs

You may want to take this workout to the next level and if you have a limited time that you’re reaching your goal then some of these supplements have the best research and testimonials to back them up:

Carb and Fat Inhibitor: (Try BSN Cheaters Relief)
Energy Booster: (Try Labrada Charge Ephedra Free)
Fat Burner: (Try Cellucor WS1 Extreme)
Lean Protein Powder: (Try BSN Lean Dessert Protein Shake)
Stress & Fatigue Fighter: (Try Goliath Labs Thermoloid)

Have any questions or feedback on this Ultimate Upper Body & Abs Workout? Please leave a comment below…

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Build Lean Muscle Fast

Whether you are skinny and want to add some muscle weight or you have some excess weight which you need to turn into muscle for this beach season, the goal of this article is to get you at least 5lbs of pure lean muscle in 21 days.

Let’s break it down so what may seem like an objective that is far to reach, is made much easier by doing it in the fewest steps possible. In fact, we’re only going to look at 3 simple steps!

Don’t you think this makes it a no-brainer? Let’s do this with some serious conviction…

Step 1 to Build Lean Muscle Fast: Meal Planning

This is the most important step in this whole program, and you may find it surprising that it is even more important than the exercise alone.

More than 90% of the time we strip with our plan by being in a rush and making rash choices, or having our stomach out-power our brain in choosing what we put in our mouth!

Let’s be proactive with this approach and completely nip it in the bud. Let’s say you are like most of us in the work force and have a Monday to Friday job, in this case you may want to try doing your meal planning on the Sunday.

Sit down for a few minutes and plan out some healthy recipes. Then get in the grocery store that same day to get all the ingredients so you’re all ready to go.

For ideas on meal plans check out the healthy recipes section of this website and I will continue to add more to this section very soon. Alternatively you can also check out this link to healthy recipe books at Amazon.com.

One tip to add here! When you’re planning your meals make it at least a little unique with different variations of your favorite foods (especially fruit & veggies), herbs and spices. This will make it less of a chore, and something you can continue to look forward to which is so important in staying on track with this.

Step 2 to Build Lean Muscle Fast: Upping the Reps

This is it, we’re going to hit the weights with high repetitions of all our exercises, and remember to watch our form and keep our core tight. our objective here is to specifically aim for that burning feeling in our muscles.

By hitting high reps we’re talking about 12-14 repetitions. The weight will still be significant enough where the last couple reps are a real challenge.

Remember when focusing on building lean muscle fast remember to keep your rest periods between sets short, about 30-60 seconds. This will elevate your heart rate and get you sweating calories even after you stop working out. Also, if you’re working out with a partner, that person should be doing a set while you’re take your rest period and vice-versa. Keep the chatter to the end of your workout.

Step 3 to Build Lean Muscle Fast: High Intensity Interval Training

Stripping fat is done best with at least one or two days of high intensity interval training each week. These should be so intense that your body feels like it needs at least one week to recover. If you want a full run down on what this is check out my article on high intensity interval training.

You will find the best cardio to be running on a treadmill as it is definitely one of the most challenging and it saves your knees from running on pavement. For a killer routine check out Ultimate Treadmill Workout.

One thing to keep in mind here, remember that you’re in control because the previous two steps have given you a highly successful road map to success with building lean muscle fast. Just whatever you do, don’t let laziness push you around!

Build Lean Muscle Fast: Cheat Method

These 3 steps are golden and will work, but many of you are pretty curious about trying supplements that can help. If you choose your supplements wisely you can make it work for you with no side effects. Here are some of the best ideas…

Whey Protein for lean muscle production – Cellucor Iso-Pro Whey Protein
Energy Drink Mix for high intensity – SuperPump 250
Glutamine for muscle recovery and growth – Higher Power Glutamine
Vitamin B Complex for energy metabolism – Optimum Stress B Complex

Build Lean Muscle Fast: Conclusion

Ok, you’ve got it all now, put these steps together and be patient but consistent. Within 3 weeks you need to make sure this intensity is high enough to get you sweating buckets and revving up your metabolism. A goal of 5lbs of pure lean muscle within 21 days is a great one to reach and now it’s time to just put it into play.

Have any questions or feedback on how to Build Lean Muscle Fast? Please leave a comment below…

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Fast Abs Workout

I can’t count how many times I walk into a gym and see people doing hundreds of ab crunches hoping that these exercises will get their abs to jump out. Not only is this a waste of their time but they have it all wrong.

In order to get killer abs you need a smart workout that is not only intense but also challenges every muscle in your body. Then we need to factor in a healthy diet rich of protein and fruits/veggies, high quality sleep and the time and motivation to keep it all on track.

Sound overwhelming? Let’s take a couple steps back and give you a fast abs workout which will tax all your muscles and give you results in the shortest mount of time…

Fast Abs Workout Routine

This ones going to be a different challenge as you will be engaged in 4 groups of super-sets. If you’re not too familiar with super-sets, the idea is to do two exercises back to back before you have a rest. The great thing about the super-set is that it will give you a really intense burn and have you shred through the fat that covers your mid-section and anywhere else you’re storing that junk!

Instructions:
You’re going to do each group 3 times, and you want to aim for 12 repetitions of each exercise (the number of repetitions is high to focus this workout on defining and toning). After you do one group of exercises take 60 seconds to rest and then repeat.

Group 1:

Ab Rollout with wheel or on stability ball (view image)
Plank on stability ball (view image)

Group 2:

Dumbbell step ups (view image)
Reverse lunge with dumbbells (view image)

Group 3:

Chin-ups underhand grip – as many as you can (view image)
Cable crossovers (view image)

Group 4:

Deadlift with dumbbells (view image)
Shoulder press with dumbbells (view image)

Supplements for Fast Abs

You may want to take this workout to the next level and if you are aiming to get fast abs then some of these supplements have the best research and testimonials to back them up:

Carb and Fat Inhibitor: (Try BSN Cheaters Relief)
Energy Booster: (Try Labrada Charge Ephedra Free)
Fat Burner: (Try Cellucor WS1 Extreme)
Lean Protein Powder: (Try BSN Lean Dessert Protein Shake)
Stress & Fatigue Fighter: (Try Goliath Labs Thermoloid)

Fast Abs Workout: Conclusion

You’ve got a killer fast abs workout here and you can do this two to three times a week especially when you’re short on time. If you want to stack it with a cardio routine try adding my Ultimate Treadmill Workout either right after this or on a day between this workout.

Stay determined and keep pushing through harder at each session so you can begin to turn heads next time you’re at the beach and get that goal you have always wanted to achieve. Remember diet is another part of this equation so I will be providing a blueprint for both you women and men to follow, stay tuned this website!

Have any questions or comments about the fast abs workout? Please leave a comment below…

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Weight Training Log

You may be training pretty hard at the gym or your home gym and still finding that the results are pretty lack luster. This is a pretty normal phenomenon and can be not only extremely frustrating but could lead to your motivation going down the tube.

What’s one of the most simple strategies you can implement to turn your workout routine upside down? It doesn’t matter whether your male or female, keeping a weight training log is absolutely essential in providing long term success with your goals.

Let’s look at this a little deeper so you can really see the value!

Benefits of Keeping a Weight Training Log

Although you may think that you can keep a good memory of all the weights you have used before, keeping a weight training log is something I can guarantee will make you see your workouts in a completely different light. It’s especially important if you are a beginner and trying to find out what weigh to use, plus how many repetitions, and how many sets you should be doing. With a weight training log you can make notes if something was too easy or too hard and then alter your workout the next session to really capitalize on this information.

Now you can keep track of how much you are progressing and how much you are improving week after week. This kind of reminder works wonders on your psyche, and we all know how much one’s psyche can affect progress and success (just look at any of the strategies that professional athletes are using today!).

As you reference your log you begin to build confidence and see what is the cause of your results stagnating and being less than desirable.

Finally you may also get some pretty good insight of anything causing you to get injured so you know what to avoid next time around.

With all this in mind you will keep your motivation pretty high if you look at your weight training log the night before and plan what’s to come. This kind of technique is for superstars and you should give it full attention particularly if you want to make it to the next level with your weight training goals.

Ok, ok, I think you get the point. But I want to make it even easier for you so I’ve created a pretty cool weight training log you can download and print out. To be honest, I wish I had this several years ago!

A couple final notes. You can find a number of different workouts by going to the Workouts and Training section of this site. Also you should remember to switch up your workout at least once every 6 weeks so you don’t plateau and/or get bored with your workout.

Have any questions or feedback about this Weight Training Log? Please leave comments below:

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Leg Workouts Amplified

If you’re one to ignore working out your legs with weights because you think that your cardio is enough then you are not alone! But the question you should be asking is if that is a mistake?

In this article we’ll look at how important your leg workout can be and take a look at a sample of the most effective leg workout you can do in as quick as 30 minutes. The goal will be to increase muscle mass to the thighs and calves and at the same time reducing the fat and getting some very nice tone!

There’s nothing as sexy as lean muscular and toned legs for both men and women right?

Secrets of the Ultimate Leg Workouts

Ok, so before we even get into the leg workout many think that cardio and everyday activity is enough for keeping the legs lean and muscular. While this is true in part, the real secret here is that researchers have found that those who use weights to strengthen their legs also kick start their muscle producing hormones which are released throughout the body. What does this mean?

Well firstly, it means that if you workout your legs you also will notice that your upper body will respond better to weight training. Does this give you so more motivation to make sure you also get a lower body workout in more regularly? It really should, because it means easier results and this is what we all want right?

Well let’s take this a little further. Scientists have also found that working your leg muscles with free weights works your muscles harder than machines even including the Smith Machine. The problem is that machines stabilize the barbell and this results in your leg muscles working less hard and also requiring less activation of your core muscles.

Ok so we have these principles in mind and we’re now ready for a pretty awesome leg workout…

Leg Workout Amplified

For those of you wanting to tone up and define your thighs (quads, hamstrings) and calves then you will want to aim for 3-4 sets of 12-14 reps.

For those who want to build muscle first and gain some healthy size then you will want to aim for 2-3 sets of about 6-8 reps.

Stability Ball Squats (view image)
Barbell Side Split Squat (view image)
Backward Lunge (view image)
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise (view image)
Dumbbell Step Ups (view image)

Recommended Supplements:

Wondering which supplements are most effective in strengthening your legs? Then you will want to make sure you include:

NO2 for muscle pump (Try: BSN NO-Xplode)
Whey Protein for muscle production (Try: Cellucor IsoPro Ultra Lean)
Creatine Ethyl Ester for greater muscle energy (Try: Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester)
Glutamine for muscle recovery (Try: AllMax Nutrition Micronized Glutamine)

Have any questions or comments about Leg Workouts Amplified? Please leave a comment below…

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Core Workout Made Easy

We use our core muscles in almost every single movement and the core becomes particularly important if you are training with weights or participating in any sport or exercise. The core is our foundation. It is the one area we can strengthen most to allow us the ability to exert maximal force and acceleration (an in turn speed).

But what muscles make up our core anyway? The core is defined by the abs plus the mid and lower back muscles and even the upper part of the butt (gluteus maximus). So we want to make sure we include exercises which strengthen these muscles safely and efficiently in order to build a very strong core.

How else does a strong core help us? Well with a solid foundation all our movements become more effective and efficient meaning we can build strength in all our muscles even quicker. This in turn allows us to see greater progress when we’re working out in the gym, and in turn our body turns into a fat burning machine!

You like where this is going? Good, let’s get into a quick core workout to make it easy for you to start seeing results…

Core Workout

Since we want to get into a workout that challenges us particularly in one of our weakest areas, that being the lower back, we want to make sure our body is nicely warmed up. Try a 8 minute warm-up on the treadmill, elliptical or bike to get your heart rate up and breaking a light sweat. Got it? Good, now with the core exercises…

3 sets x 12 reps | Ab crunches on stability ball (view image)
3 sets x 10 reps | Stability ball pull-in (view image)
3 sets x 10 reps | Mountain Climbers (view image)
3 sets x 10 reps | Hanging leg raises (view image)
3 sets x 10 reps | Stiff leg deadlifts (view image)
3 sets x 10 reps | Stability ball back extensions (view image)
3 sets x 30 seconds | Stability ball plank (view image)
3 sets x 20 seconds | Side planks (both sides is one set) (view image)

Killer Supplements to Burn Belly Fat & Show Your Core

• USPlabs OxyElite Pro
• Nutrex Lipo 6 Black
• Goliath Labs Thermoloid
• MAN Vaporize
• BSN Cheaters Relief

Core Workout Made Easy Conclusion

Now you have a pretty killer core workout, and doing this will give you easy results in no time! If all of this at once is too much just start out with fewer of these exercises and build up. Remember one important thing! Do all these movements with a slow and steady pace and if you can watch your form in the mirror then even better. Your back should always have a natural curve, your abs should be tight, and your shoulder blades should be pulled back to provide with most stability and safety of your spine.

Give this a try and please leave a comment below if you have any questions or have feedback on this routine!

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Faster Results with Higher Intensity

Beach season is around the corner and it’s time to really dig deep and push yourself to the next level. But the question may be, what’s the best way to get to the next level, and how do I get there as fast as possible?

Well there is a risky way or a smart way to do this. Some may think we can just jump to an advanced resistance training workout, or an advanced cardio class to accelerate our results. But is this the smart way?

Jumping two steps forward may actually take you four steps back. The problem with jumping ahead to a workout that is too advanced for you is that it makes you highly susceptible to injury. I know, I know, this seems like it will really be a test of your patience right?!

Think of it this way. By moving up your level of intensity gradually you allow your joints and tendons the time to strengthen and prepare for greater intensities ahead. This is a pretty serious and common problem. Many rush this part and push their body beyond the safe level and that’s why back, knee and shoulder injuries affect over 70% of people who workout. These kind of injuries can not only set you back several weeks but can also become life-long issues if not dealt with properly.

So how do you know what is the right intensity for you? There are a couple guidelines to go by.

Firstly, if you’re a beginner or getting back into the swing of things then pushing yourself to the max is not a great idea. Instead, it’s important to go a little shy of this to allow your body to physically adapt and strengthen. Give your body at least 3-4 weeks for the adaptation phase to whatever exercise you are doing. If weight training is the focus here then say your max rep count is 10. The 9th and 10th rep should be pretty difficult but not impossible.

On the other hand, what if you’re in the intermediate to advanced level (having worked out for at least 2-3 months consecutively)? In this scenario, you want to keep doing your best at outdoing your previous workout. If you’re aiming for 10 reps, then the 10th one should be almost impossible to complete.

Regardless of your level there is one more factor which can indicate how intense you should be working out. This is the soreness rule (where we’re referring to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). For most people, 24-48 hours after their workout they are quite sore, but by 72 hours their affected body part has healed and is ready for high intensity workouts again. If you notice that after 72 hours you are still too sore you know that you have over-stepped your intensity level.

One thing to keep in mind with all of this is that increasing intensity does not necessarily mean just increasing the weight, or the duration of the exercise. Intensity can also be implemented by adding in variations to each exercise. For instance, if you always do bicep curls with dumbbells while you’re standing up, trying them on an incline bench or even doing them while balancing on a bosu ball can be a great challenge! This variation is what gives you the real edge!

For the best results, also remember to switch up your routine every 6-8 weeks. Your body has the incredible ability to adapt to any stress you place on it, and your regular workout routine will become quite stale after about 6 weeks. Get faster results by switching it up and you’ll also keep it more interesting which will help fuel your motivation. (Hint: You can go to the workouts and training section of this website to look for a variety of training plans for both women and men, and I’m adding more all the time!).

Supplements to Increase Your Intensity

No matter how much I tell my clients that patience and strict diet is key, many still want to try supplements to help them increase their intensity and give them a little faster results. Remember my point above about taking things a step at a time but here are the top selling and most reputable supplements when it comes to increasing workout intensity:

• Beast Sports Nutrition 2Shredded
• Super Charge Xtreme
• Thermoloid
• USPlabs OxyELITE Pro

Have any questions about getting faster results with higher intensity? Please leave a comment below…

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D.O.M.S. – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

In case you have ever asked the question, “why do we get sore muscles” then you probably have heard of D.O.M.S. DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness and is the dull pain we get in our muscles after exercising.

Usually DOMS comes into play within 24-72 hours and you feel a very stiff feeling in the affected muscle plus pain that can sometimes be very debilitating.

So with this in mind what can we do to reduce the pain we get from DOMS?

DOMS – Prevention

Since DOMS is occurring because of damage to our muscle tissue, we want to make sure that we provide our muscles with adequate vitamins and minerals from a healthy balanced diet. But can we get a little more specific here?

Well our muscles are mostly composed of protein and water, and the fuel for our muscles include carbohydrates plus electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, so knowing this is a good start! In other words, it is really important to have lots of protein in our diet, hopefully from lean meats such as fish, chicken, beef as well as beans and legumes.

Of course, I would also advise with supplementing with whey protein powder because whey is easily digested and provides all the essential amino acids our muscle require to recover and grow. One of my favorite protein powders today is Gaspari Nutrition’s Myofusion – the chocolate milk flavour is absolutely killer (here is the link – Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion)!

Now if we’re looking pre-workout a protein meal about 2hours before exercising is best to allow time for digestion. Post-workout, having protein and carbohydrates, such a fruit smoothie protein drink would be best within 30 minutes after stopping exercising as this is when researchers have found our muscles have maximum absorbing ability. If you want more info on these topics please read my articles: Pre Workout Energy Foods & Post Workout Nutrition.

Further methods of preventing DOMS includes a good warm up before doing any intensive exercise. The warm-up should be adequate enough if you have a light sweat going, so get on a treadmill for at least 5 minutes especially if you are doing any weight training exercise. It is also recommended that you relax your muscles at the end of your workout by including some active stretching holding positions for at least 30 seconds.

DOMS – Treatment

So what do you do when you are trying to deal with sore muscles? Well one of the best and most trusted natural supplements is Glutamine which is an amino acid that is focused on protein metabolism, in other words allowing our dietary protein to be processed and used to repair our damaged muscle tissues. The brand that I recommend the most is ALLmax Nutrition’s Glutamine since it is extremely affordable and has no additives (here is the link – ALLmax Nutrition’s Glutamine)!

Further to that, increasing blood flow to the muscles is a great idea so that nutrients can be sent to the damaged area and waste products can be removed. Heat is great for this as is massage therapy and even Yoga. If you want to include another natural supplement to help with this, Creatine is the most respected which almost all competitive athletes include in their dietary regimen. Creatine causes some water retention in the in muscles, and the more water there is there the more successful our muscles are in recovering. This creatine complex is one of the hottest products in the market because it is quick to absorb by our muscles – Beast Sports Nutrition CREATure.

DOMS – Conclusion

This article should be a great reference point for you anytime you get delayed onset muscle soreness! Remember you need a good diet plan with smart pre and post workout nutrition and if sore muscles is especially a problem for you the aforementioned supplements (Whey Protein, Glutamine & Creatine) are all natural, highly researched and widely used. Some rest and relaxation is also of course a good idea especially if your training has been particularly intense, remember to have at least one day off from the gym a week!

Have any questions or feedback about D.O.M.S. – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? Please leave a comment below…

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30 Minute Workout Plan

A lot of times lately you’ve probably been quite busy trying to manage work, family and social life so throwing in a workout may seem next to impossible. Well, we’re always trying to eliminate excuses and keep our motivation high so how about we look at a killer 30 minute total body workout which will activate all your muscles and have you burning fat for hours after your workout?

Best of all all you need for this workout is a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells (here is a link for some very affordable ones – Kettlebells with free shipping) and a stability ball (here is a link for one under $10 – Stability Ball).

Remember you want to go high intensity and have little rest between the sets to really get your heart rate up and get you sweating. Ready for this? Let’s go…

30 Minute Workout Plan

We always need a good warm up to get your joints and ligaments ready for the intensity ahead so start off with 5 minutes of jumping rope or doing jumping jacks (alternatively you can do a quick 5 minute jog!).

Ok now with the exercises. We’re going to do a circuit training routine which means 5 exercises one after each other with very little rest between exercises.

Exercise #1: 12 push-ups. You can add any variety to this, hand close together, hands far apart, hands on a swiss ball or even on a stability ball. ( view photo here )

Exercise #2: 15 crunches on a stability ball. Remember to prevent placing strain on your neck by keeping distance between neck and chin the same throughout the movement. ( view photo here )

Exercise #3: 10 reps deadlift with kettlebells (or dumbbells). Keep a natural arch in your back and feet shoulder width apart, lower slowly and use your hips to raise back up. ( view photo here )

Exercise #4: 10 reps squat and press. Start standing and holding kettlebells on your sides. Squat down until thighs are parallel to ground, then raise up and press the kettlebells up. Keep your core tight. ( view photo here )

Exercise #5: 10 reps dumbbell/kettlebell curls. Let’s tone those arms a little more with some dumbbell curls, bringing the weights up nice and slowly while keeping your elbows in. ( view photo here )

That is one set. Rest 30-60 seconds and complete two more sets.

30 Minute Workout Plan: Conclusion

Now you have a killer 30 minute workout which targets your arms, lower back, legs, chest and abs all in one session. Save this workout and definitely print it out so you can refer to it when time is short! Get your sweat going and feel free to add variations such as doing them in different order or adding in ab crunches between exercises to really get your core stronger.

Have any questions or feedback about this 30 minute Workout Plan? Please leave a comment below…

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Post Injury Training

There is no doubt that there is a good chance you will experience sports or exercise related injuries at some time in your career.

The harder you work out and the more you push yourself, the more likely you are to get an injury. Even with the best warm-ups and preparation, injuries still happen.

What is sometimes more frustrating than an injury, though, is deciding when it is time to come back and start training again. Most people don’t like being out of action for very long, but if you come back too soon, you risk getting injured again or even making it worse.

The main thing you should do is listen to your doctor. More often then not, they have probably seen thousands of injuries just like yours, and they know how long it takes to heal. Too many people don’t trust their doctor, and think they can magically heal faster than everyone else. The truth is, your doctor probably knows best, and if you don’t listen to them, you will probably get hurt again.

But, you still have to go with how you feel. It is not a good idea to start training hard again right after an injury, but it may be a good idea to rehab it with some light exercises or stretching. As long as you don’t push too hard, you should not do any more damage and you should be able to help the healing process.

No matter what you do, don’t be one of those people who start training too soon after an injury. Taking another week off is so much better than rushing back and aggravating an injury or turning it into something that will be with you for a while.

And remember, anytime after injury: RICE – rest, ice, compress and elevate!

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Ashton Kutcher Workout

You’ve probably noticed Ashton Kutcher has been working out a lot and now he is featured in a movie called “Killers” where he plays a James Bond type of character kicking lots of ass.

He has been training hard for this role and not much has been revealed about his workouts and exercise plan but as a health coach and trainer I am going to devise you a pretty intense workout which has a bit of a twist.

The objective of this workout is to shed the excess fat you may have gained over the winter months and really get you toned up and beach-ready for this summer.

Let’s jump right in…

Ashton Kutcher Workout Routine

Because this is a toning up and defining workout we are going to go quick and steady with the aim of hitting 12 repetitions and 3 sets.

The twist with this workout is that instead of the usual cardio routine with a treadmill we are going to include swimming laps. Hopefully you have a swimming pool nearby, if not let’s keep the twist and include a cardio routine that involves jumping rope, more details ahead…

Monday Workout: Chest and Triceps
Bench Press ( refer to photo here )
Dips ( refer to photo here )
Cable Crossovers ( refer to photo here )
Seated Triceps Press ( refer to photo here )
Incline Bench Press ( refer to photo here )
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension ( refer to photo here )

Tuesday Workout: Cardio
10 laps Front Crawl
10 laps Breast Stroke
10 laps Back Crawl
10 laps Side Stroke
10 laps Back Stroke

We’ve got 50 laps here and the goal is to try and do them as continuous as possible, but obviously when you start with this routine you may find it a little challenging at first.

No swimming pool? Try a 30 minute session of jumping rope and doing as many variations as possible. Great idea to include double jumps and cross-overs with your arms to really get a wicked burn.

Wednesday Rest Day:

This is your rest day. Your goal here is to eat plenty of veggies/fruit and whey protein powder to help replenish your muscles. I’d recommend a lean whey protein powder which has less than 5grams of carbohydrates per serving such as: Cellucor IsoPro Ultra Lean.

Thursday Workout: Back & Biceps
Barbell Curls ( refer to photo here )
Lat Pulldowns ( refer to photo here )
Cable Hammer Curls ( refer to photo here )
Chin Ups ( refer to photo here )
Dumbbell Curls ( refer to photo here )
One Arm Dumbbell Rows ( refer to photo here )

Friday Workout: Shoulders & Legs
Seated Military Press ( refer to photo here )
Barbell Squats ( refer to photo here )
Dumbbell Lateral Raise ( refer to photo here )
Leg Press ( refer to photo here )
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise ( refer to photo here )
Seated Leg Curls ( refer to photo here )

Saturday Workout: Cardio
Repeat Tuesday’s Cardio Workout

Sunday: Rest Day

Another rest day here, this is a great day to have your cheat day where you relax a little with your diet. Really enjoy what you eat and don’t go overboard or you’ll kill your results.

Supplements to Get Lean like Ashton Kutcher:

• Whey Protein for lean muscle development (Try this: Optimum Natural Pro Complex Protein)
• Thermogenic fat burner for definition (Try this: Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock)
• Glutamine for immunity and muscle recovery (Try this: Higher Power Glutamine AKG)
• NO for energy and performance igniter (Try this: BSN NO-Xplode NT)

Ashton Kutcher Workout: Conclusion

This is a pretty intense workout and if you’re starting out you should build up to this by beginning with fewer exercises and more rest days. Once you’ve got on route with the entire plan expect to see some pretty quick results within 4-6 weeks. Remember diet is a key component to getting lean so focus on lots of whey protein powder and you may want to check out the numerous healthy men’s recipes for breakfast/lunch/dinner in this article – Workout Plan for Men – Surprise Update.

Have any questions or feedback about the Ashton Kutcher workout routine? Please leave a comment below…

Disclaimer: This workout routine is in no way associated or endorsed by Ashton Kutcher. It is only a simulated routine that is developed to provide similar results.

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Increase Muscle Size – 3 Essentials You Must Know

There’s a lot of misinformation out there on how to increase muscle size and add definition. Questions like how heavy should you lift, how many reps should you be doing and what to eat to help you with muscle mass are very common and this article aims to give you some great insight into 3 of the best tips on this topic.

Before we get into this if you are trying to lose weight but you’re noticing that working out is doing the reverse the reason is quite simple…

Muscle weighs more than fat and if you’re putting on more muscle than you are losing fat then you will see the scale tip in the different direction in which you are hoping. The best advice I have on this matter, is forget the weight. Instead focus on how good you feel after your workouts, and always think about how you can improve it the next time. This one important tip is what give bodybuilders the edge they need to out-compete their rivals, and you can definitely use it to your advantage.

Let’s get into the 3 essentials you must know about increasing muscle size!

Increase Muscle Size Fact #1: Strength Does Not Equal Size

This is definitely one misconception, muscle strength does not directly correlate with muscle size. You’ll probably notice the most when playing sports! Some of the strongest men and women out there do not have the biggest muscles. The physics supports this fact because what matters most is functional strength with the right proportions of body size to give those individuals the greatest force and speed.

In fact, when training for strength the periodization training which is done with Olympic level athletes is quite different. Generally they are going for 3-4 reps and have sometimes up to 10 minutes rest between sets. So what if you want to train just for muscle size?

Increase Muscle Size Fact #2: Damage & Repair Must Occur for Growth

Bodybuilders have known it for years that muscle growth occurs when muscles are completely exhausted by repetitions of weight lifting. The optimal number of repetitions to reach muscle size growth is about 6-8 reps. Rest should be about a minute between sets where the optimal number of sets is usually 3.

The main factor to point out here is intensity. You should be completely exhausted by the 6th or 7th rep, absolutely impossible to push out another rep. And this re-iterates of having a workout buddy to help you push through this when your focus is muscle size. What’s happening here physiologically is that your muscles are having small mico-tears from your training and your body signals your brain to release hormones which help to repair the tears, and this is where growth occurs.

So with all this muscle tearing going on, what can we do to accelerate the growth?

Increase Muscle Size Fact #3: Pre and Post Workout Supplementation is a Huge Bonus

I must admit that my biggest challenge when I first started training was my confusion on nutrition. Should I eat more all the time? What about throwing muscle definition out the window when doing this? Several years later and a ton of research later I know better now.

When training for muscle size you definitely do want to be eating a lot more than usual. This should be one stage of your training, one which you can follow up with toning up and defining by cutting calories. But even with that said supplementing with the big 4 (as bodybuilders call it) is highly recommended throughout your training.

Creatine and NO before workouts will give you the biggest pumps and engorge your muscles with blood which will provide water and nutrients to all these tissues. This is brilliant because with these nutrients comes greater energy and the ability to push you to the next level. Without a doubt two of the most successful products in the market are SuperPump 250 and BSN NO Xplode.

After your workouts you definitely want to provide your body with BCAA’s (branch chained amino acids) and Glutamine. BCAA’s increase your nitrogen balance which prevents the catabolic state (also known as muscle break-down stage) which occurs after training hard. I’m really liking Scivation Xtend flavours for BCAA’s, their watermelon one is pretty awesome especially if you add some fresh berries to it.

Glutamine is known as the immunity and repair amino acid because it plays a vital role in protein synthesis (aka muscle size). Glutamine like Creatine are of the most extensively studied supplements for muscle growth in bodybuilding, endurance and other sports. Because they are naturally occurring in our bodies anyway there are no side-effects, these just help us accelerate our muscle growth results by making sure we have the optimal amount in our system. I like Higher Power Glutamine AKG because it’s very affordable and mixes really well. Definitely smart to include this in a post-workout protein shake.

Increase Muscle Size – Conclusion

Now you know 3 very important essential facts when it comes to your efforts to increase muscle size. Remember to focus on the intensity and make sure you are eating tons of healthy foods with the 4 big supplements to take you to the next level.

Have any feedback or questions on this article on Muscle Size? Please leave a comment below…

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Arm Workouts – 3 Killer Workouts

Summer time is approaching and one of the sexiest body parts on both men and women is definitely toned arms. Something about the bicep and tricep muscles that really show through a t-shirt or tank-top and definitely turns heads when you’re outside at the beach or just carrying some groceries!

This article is strictly about 3 killer arm workouts which will get you those arms that you’ve always wanted and who knows, maybe they’ll also help you excel in any sport you take part in!

Remember when it comes to reps and sets there are two main categories you should aim to vary in your workout routine:

High reps with lighter weights is great for toning and bring out definition in those muscles. High reps range in the 12-14 area. In this category 3-4 sets is a great number to hit with little rest between sets, generally less than 60 seconds.

Lower reps with heavier weights is great for adding muscle size and strength. Lower reps range in the 6-10 area. In this category 2-3 sets is a great number to hit with a good rest between sets, generally about 60 seconds.

Ready for these workouts?

Killer Arm Workout 1:

Barbell Curls (view image)
Close Grip Bench Press (view image)
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls (view image)
Triceps Rope Push Downs (view image)
Rope Cable Hammer Curls (view image)
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extensions (view image)

Killer Arm Workout 2:

Barbell Curls Lying Against Incline Bench (view image)
Bench Dips (view image)
Cable Curls (view image)
One Arm Triceps Extension (view image)
Lying Cable Curl (view image)
Dumbbell Skull Crushers (view image)

Killer Arm Workout 3:

Wide Grip Barbell Curls (view image)
EZ Bar Triceps Extension (view image)
Cross Body Hammer Curls (view image)
Reverse Grip Triceps Push Down (view image)
Preacher Curls (view image)
Triceps Press Seated (view image)

Recommended Supplements:

• Whey Protein for muscle development (Try this: Optimum Natural Pro Complex Protein)
• Creatine for volumizing and strength gains (Try this: Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump250)
• Glutamine for immunity and muscle recovery (Try this: Higher Power Glutamine AKG)
• NO for energy and performance igniter (Try this: BSN NO-Xplode NT)

Arm Workouts – Conclusion

Remember to watch your form and keep your abs tight when performing any of these exercises to get the most out of them. Keep adding variety to these workouts by changing their order, alternating focus on toning weeks and strength weeks and also having at least 2-3 days between these arm-specific workouts to give them enough time to recover.

Have any questions or feedback about these 3 killer arm workouts? Please leave a comment below…

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The Ultimate Ab Exercise

Recently I was studying periodization training for Olympic-level athletes and came across some research which talked about the most important ab exercise for activating all the muscles in the core, and it was a little surprising on what I found.

If you’ve read the articles on this site you probably know by now that doing countless ab exercises doesn’t lead to ripped abs but instead it’s much more about the diet (you may want to revisit the article 6-Pack Abs Checklist).

Nevertheless, building a strong core should be the foundation for anyone wanting to improve their health because our core muscles (upper, lower abs and lower back) come into play in almost everything we do. Without a strong core you are compromising the integrity of your spinal column and will most likely end up with lower back problems when you age.

So with that said what is the ultimate ab exercise?

Ultimate Ab Exercise: Side Plank

The Side Plank is without a doubt the most powerful ab exercise because it allows you to carve your midsection without over-stressing your spinal column. This is why you will see this exercise regularly performed in most Yoga and Pilates classes.

When comparing with other ab exercises which usually strain your neck and lower back, the side plank keeps you in check with your posture and alignment. In turn, this leads to fewer injuries while at the same time greatly increasing your core strength.

You will notice the benefits most with improvement in your posture and the ability to activate your ab and lower back muscles anytime you are training in the gym, outside playing or just lifting grocery bags. If you consciously think about how this ultimate ab exercise helped you with these movements your mind-body connection will give you even greater results (this is why Olympic-level athletes are always thinking about the movements in their head before performing them).

There is one catch though….making sure you have the proper form when performing the side plank.

Doing this exercise wrong can cause unnecessary strain and reduce the effectiveness of this exercise. I would advise doing the side plank in front of a mirror for at least the first few weeks so you can see where your head is in alignment to your body.

• Step 1: Lie on your right side and prop your body weight onto your right forearm.
• Step 2: Raise your hips until you see a straight line through your body from your ankles to shoulders.
• Step 3: Tighten your abs and keep alignment for a goal of 30 seconds.
• Step 4: Increase difficulty by raising your left arm straight in the air, and/or raising your left leg up.
• Step 5: Switch to your left side and hold for another 30 seconds. This is one set.
• Step 6: Repeat this set 2 more times with 30 seconds rest between sets.

The Ultimate Ab Exercise: Conclusion

Remember alignment is key with the side plank. Watch your form in the mirror and keep focus on holding a tight core. You can also switch it up by resting your forearm on a bench so your body faces diagonally downwards. In the long-term you will see great improvement with your posture and your core strength which will further allow you to excel in your overall training.

What are your thoughts about this Ultimate Ab Exercise? Have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below…

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Fitness Plan for Women – Surprise Update

I couldn’t run a surprise update for the men’s workout plans and not do the same for you ladies now could I? After all I have to say the feedback and positive support you have all provided has been so encouraging it has kept me going with this time-intensive health blog.

Now with that said, I hope you have had the ability to stay on track and follow the numerous articles I have released for the fitness plan, healthy diet recipes and overview of the top 10 workout supplements for women. If not, or if you got side-tracked, it’s not to late to bring focus back to this.

Stick with me here and I promise you not only great results, but an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment which will shine light on every aspect of your daily life.

I also have a special surprise which I will give you after this quick recap…

Fitness Plan for Women: Phase 1 – In this introductory session we went over all the essentials you need to succeed in your fat-loss efforts.

Fitness Plan for Women: Phase 2 Abs & Arms – In this session you got your first 2 days of your workout routine. The first day focusing on your abs, core and your arms, and second day being a rest day with some light aerobic activity.

Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Thighs and Butt – In this session you got Day 3 & 4 of your workout routine. Day 3 focusing on toning your thighs and butt. Day 4 being another rest day with some light cardio.

Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Back & Shoulders – You guessed it, days 5 & 6 of your workout. Day 5′s focus was working on your posture by strengthening your back and shoulders and day 6 was another rest and recovery day.

Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Cardio – In this session we went through a pretty intense interval cardio workout so you could really start reducing the belly fat and toning the legs further.

Healthy Diet Plan for Women Phase 3: Breakfast Ideas – In the next phase we looked at creating a killer diet plan to meet all your dietary needs, starting with 7 yummy and quick breakfast ideas.

Healthy Diet Plan for Women: Lunch – Another 7 recipes just for lunch with low carb and high fiber recipes including wraps and tasty salads.

Healthy Diet Plan for Women: Dinner – Dinner time! 4 hearty and easy to make dinner recipes you won’t get tired of. Leftovers? Great for lunch the next day!

Top 10 Workout Supplements for Women – Supplementing your diet with vitamins, protein, omega 3′s and fat burners will definitely yield you the best fat loss results and this article got huge buzz on Twitter!

There you go the first phase we looked at getting you started, the 2nd phase gave you a fitness plan to follow, the 3rd phase went into healthy meal plans and finally we did an overview of the top 10 workout supplements to make sure you get all your essentials when you put your body through the rigors of exercising. This is a fantastic start to really get you on our way with your health goals, and much more is to come in the following weeks, but first my surprise…

Surprise Update

Your response to these articles has been nothing but AMAZING! Lots of great feedback and some of you had more specific questions about your training and diet and I thought it was time to start a very unique online personal training membership section for you women.

My idea is to offer you a 12 week program where we attack a fitness and diet program and each week you will get the chance to ask me your specific questions via a live online video session. For those of you who want more, you’ll also get access to numerous fitness plans, exercise how-to instructions, a huge database of healthy meal and snack recipes, and much more. This is all stuff people pay several hundred dollars each month to get from their personal trainers, but I’m going to offer a package which will be affordable to all of you, that is my promise!

The cool thing about this is that you have direct access to asking me your specific questions and you will get to hear what other pitfalls other women encounter that you may not have thought of and get to benefit from that too. I honestly think that will be a pretty cool futuristic experience you’ll have with me on the web (and don’t worry I will make it technically a no-brainer so you can click a few buttons and away we go!).

I’m just in the process of developing this new membership section, but if you want more information on what will be included and be first inline to get some special bonuses please make sure to sign up here – Online Personal Trainer.

Any ideas or feedback on what you would like for me to include in the new Online Personal Trainer section please leave a comment below…

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Workout Plan for Men – Surprise Update

Hopefully you have had a chance to build a strong core and foundation by following the Workout Plan for Men series. In this article we’ll do a quick recap and then I want to divulge a Special Surprise for you guys who really want to take your training to the next level by having direct coaching access from me.

First, let’s look at everything you have been given thus far…

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 1 – In this session we went over all the essentials you need to succeed in your fat-loss muscle building efforts.

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Abs & Arms – In this session you got your first 2 days of your workout routine. The first day focusing on your abs, lower back and your arms, and second day being a rest day.

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Part 2 Chest & Back – In this session you got Day 3 & 4 of your workout routine. Day 3 focusing on building your chest and back muscles. Day 4 being another rest day with some light cardio.

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Legs & Shoulders – You guessed it, days 5 & 6 of your workout. Day 5′s focus was on building your legs and shoulders and day 6 was another rest and recovery day.

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2 Cardio – In this session we went through a pretty intense cardio workout so you could really start chipping away at that belly fat.

Healthy Diets for Men: Phase 3: Breakfast Ideas – No training program is complete without a smart diet plan which meets all your needs. Breakfast is the most important part of your diet and you got 8 killer quick and easy recipes.

Healthy Diets for Men: Lunch – 7 yummy quick to make lunch ideas to help you build muscle and not fall asleep at 2pm!

Healthy Diets for Men: Dinner – Another 5 great recipes for healthy dinner ideas to help you with muscle recovery and continued fat loss.

Top 10 Workout Supplements for Men – Supplementing your diet with vitamins, protein, creatine, glutamine and fat burners will definitely yield you the best results and this article got to be one of the most talked about health topics on Twitter!

There you go the first phase we looked at getting you started, the 2nd phase gave you a workout plan to follow, the 3rd phase went into healthy meal plans and finally we did an overview of the top 10 workout supplements. This is a fantastic start to really get you on our way with your training goals, and much more is to come, but first my surprise…

Surprise Update

Your response to these articles has been nothing but AMAZING! Lots of great feedback and some of you had more specific questions about your training and diet and I thought it was time to start a very unique online personal training membership section for you guys.

My idea is to offer you a 12 week program where we attack a training and diet program and each week you will get the chance to ask me your specific questions via a live online video session. For those of you who want more, you’ll also get access to numerous workout plans, exercise how-to instructions, a huge database of healthy meal and snack recipes, and much more. This is all stuff people pay several hundred dollars each month to get from their personal trainers, but I’m going to offer a package which will be affordable to all of you, that is my promise!

I’m just in the process of developing this new membership section, but if you want more information on what will be included and be first inline to get some special bonuses please make sure to sign up here – Online Personal Trainer.

Any ideas or feedback on what you would like for me to include in the new Online Personal Trainer section please leave a comment below…

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High Intensity Training: 3 Critical Factors

Problems with losing fat? Motivation lacking because you’re tired of the same boring routine? Well maybe it’s time to shake things up with some high intensity training. Don’t let the image for this article discourage you in any way either! It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female, beginner or advanced, the intensity of your training directly corresponds to the results you get.

I should note that if you are a complete beginner you may want to first get in the gym and train with resistance training for at least 3-4 weeks before you get into high intensity training. In the conditioning world we call this phase the preparatory phase as it will allow your muscles and joints to strengthen enough to handle your body weight which is a crucial part of intensity training.

With that said, don’t get overwhelmed with high intensity training either. If you’re doing this kind of training the right way your body will need at least one full day to completely recover from it, and most won’t even try it because they think that once a week isn’t enough to provide results. But the truth?

The truth is that even if you do high intensity training only once a week then it will catapult you to a new level and allow you snap out of the boring routine. Simple fact here is that you should never to high intensity training more than 3 times a week or you are really overtraining and not allowing your muscles to heal. Let’s look at 3 of the most critical factors when it comes to high intensity training.

High Intensity Training Critical Factor #1: Hydration

Probably the most important factor is hydration. You need to be drinking at least 2 full glasses of water an hour before you engage with high intensity training. Water is crucial here because you are going to be sweating up a storm with this training. By high intensity we mean that you are going full force and giving it everything you have. So if this involves running at maximum speed on a treadmill for you, you are going to notice some serious water loss through sweat.

Water will help drive nutrients to your muscles, it will help transport away the waste products of your muscles (including lactic acid build-up which causes cramping), it will help you push to the next level in ways that would never occur if you were dehydrated.

Thus, it’s also important to drink at least 2-3 full glasses of water after a high intensity training session. Gatorade is ok here because it helps balance your elctrolytes but just be aware of the calories it adds as well.

High Intensity Training Critical Factor #2: Pre-Workout Nutrition

Have you tried training hard and felt light-headed? This is simply because your body does not have the blood-sugar it needs to train hard. An hour to 30 minutes before your workout eating something like a banana, sweet potato, or even some watermelon will help boost the readily available energy you will need for this kind of training.

These foods are quick to digest so you won’t feel too full, but you may need to adjust the time of eating these beforehand as everyone varies. (Foods high in fat or protein will take longer to digest and why not recommended here).

High Intensity Training Critical Factor #3: Proper Running Shoes

Get shin splints, foot or leg cramps or even knee pain after doing high intensity training? I can’t stress enough how important your running shoes are when it comes to these factors. Having a great running shoe with lots of cushioning will drastically decrease the impact on your joints, bones and tendons and I wouldn’t even recommend high intensity training without high quality running shoes even if you are only running on a treadmill or doing bench-squats. It’s just such a big difference!

To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Nike shoes especially when it came to running. But I’m going to plug them here because a few years back I discovered their Vomero Series, and was blown away. These shoes almost feel like they give you an extra bounce, and running in these becomes way more fun and allow you to go way more intense! They’re on the expensive side but if you’ve heard of Zappos, they offer the most ridiculous prices on shoes and have a crazy free-shipping both-ways return policy and probably the best customer service available on the net. Here is a link to the Nike Vomero series for Men and Women: Nike Vomero for Men & Nike Vomero for Women.

High Intensity Training Conclusion:

It took me a good amount of time before I understood these three factors, but thanks to all the courses and training experience I’ve had on high intensity training, I’m able to share this wisdom with you and give you a major advantage over anyone else in your gym.

Just remember: water, pre-workout snack and great running shoes are going to boost your ability to succeed at high intensity training and that means better fat loss and a break away from your plateauing in your workouts. Aim for at least once a week where you are trying this and pushing yourself to the max and I know you’re going to be quite amazed with the changes you’ll see in the mirror.

Have any feedback or questions on the 3 critical factors of high intensity training? Please leave a comment below…

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Full Body vs Split

There are two main formats of workouts you can do when you go to the gym – a full body workout or a body part split. Some people swear by one form, and some swear by the other. But, what is best for you to reach your goal?

Most beginners opt for a full body workout. You can structure your workout like a circuit and hit all your muscle groups in one workout. This is also good if you can only be at the gym 1-3 times per week.

You can use compound exercises like squats, bench presses and deadlifts to hit multiple muscle groups at a time and make the most effective use of the time you have available.

On the other hand, more advanced weightlifters usually use body part splits. If you can be in the gym up to 5 or 6 days a week, you can work out arms on one day, legs on another, core the next and so on.

This way, you can get maximum stimulation from working out and give a muscle group 4 days to a week to recover before you hit them hard again. If you don’t have a lot of time to be in the gym per week though, you might not have the luxury of doing this.

Are full body workouts or splits better for you to achieve your goals? Well really this question depends on a few factors.

It will depend on how much time you can spend in the gym per week and at what level of development you are currently at and how your diet supports your exercise routine.

The most important thing is that you are working out all your muscle groups hard. Unless you are already built from solid muscle and have been working out for years, both styles of routines will help you progress to your goals.

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How Many Times Per Week Can You Do HIIT Training?

There is no mistaking the fact that high intensity interval training (aka HIIT) is one of the best ways to burn fat and build up your cardiovascular endurance. But, how many times per week can you complete a HIIT workout? How should you implement it into your current workout routine?

The one mistake most people make is they try to do too much too soon. They will go from doing almost no cardio training to doing three or four HIIT sessions a week. They don’t keep this up for very long, and end up quitting.

HIIT is very hard on your body, and if you do too much of it, you will definitely feel it and it will negatively effect other parts of your workout.

It is a better idea to start off with one or two HIIT workouts per week. Most people say that if you can do more than that, you are not working hard enough in the sessions you are doing.

The goal of HIIT is to give 110% effort for a short period of time and then stop. When you are done a HIIT workout, you should hardly be able to walk. If you still feel great and can continue with more cardio, you aren’t going at it intense enough. Of course, take caution to this statement. You should have your health totally checked out by your physician before thinking of doing high intensity training, and if you are a go then you should definitely work up your cardio at least 3 times a week for 2-3 months before attempting to do HIIT.

High intensity interval training is one of the hardest kinds of workouts you can do. Because of this, you can’t do it every day. Not only will you get very tired very quickly, you won’t have time to adequately recover your muscles and make the progress you want to. If you are going to integrate interval training into your workout regime, try and do it once or twice per week at full intensity. Any more and you are doing more damage than good!

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How Much Sleep Is Enough?

A lot of people train hard and eat right, but don’t see any results. They get frustrated and don’t know what they are doing wrong. But, if they look at their daily habits, there is probably one place where they can do better – they can get more sleep!

It is extremely difficult to fit in enough time to workout every day in our busy everyday lives. When you have a job and a life, getting one hour per day to workout can be quite difficult.

But, you also need to account to an increased amount of sleep to reach your full potential. 6 hours of sleep is enough for someone who is sedate, but if you work out hard, you are going to need more than that, research shows in the 7-8 hours to be exact.

If you don’t get enough, you will feel burnt out, you will not be able to give 100% in your workouts, and you will not achieve your full potential.

How much sleep is enough? There is not a concrete answer to this question, as everyone has different requirements. But, it is safe to say the more sleep you get, the better.

Remember, your body is most efficient at repairing itself while you are asleep, so the more you sleep, the more opportunity your body has to repair and build new muscle!

Try increasing your sleep to see what the optimal level of sleep is for you!

Conclusion: How Much Sleep Is Enough?

One of the main reasons you may not be making the gains you want to be is because you are not getting enough sleep.

It is difficult in our fast paced world to get an adequate amount of sleep every night, but if you really want to be the best you can be and reach your fitness related goals, you will need to reach for 7-8 hours sleep.

How many hours have you found to be optimal sleep for you? Please leave a comment below…

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Muscle Bulking Phase – Still Valid?

It used to be very common for bodybuilders to start bulking muscle in the fall, put on fat and muscle throughout the winter, and cut in the spring so they would be ready for the summers at the beach.

They used to do this year in and year out.

But, to put on substantial amounts of muscle, do you have to do a traditional bulk and put on some fat as well?

More and more people are turning to different diets like carb cycling and calorie cycling to stay lean year round while still building bulky muscle.

The overall goal of these diets is to use high calorie or high carb days to fuel intense workouts and build muscle, while using intermittent low calories days to cut fat.

Instead of spending a month bulking and a month cutting, you would spend one day bulking and one day cutting, over and over again. This prevents the accumulation of fat on your body and allows you to look good all year.

Some people still question whether these new techniques are as effective as traditional bulking. Some people like traditional bulking because they can eat pretty much anything they want.

Whatever group you fall into, you at least owe it to yourself to do some research on these new methods. You may like the unlimited eating that comes with heavy duty bulking, but something else may work better for you! You will never know if you don’t investigate every possibility…

So, should you ditch traditional bulk and cut cycles and try these new techniques, or should you stick to tried and true methods. In the end, it is up to you. But, ask yourself this – do you want to be walking around with extra fat during the fall and winter, or do you want to be ripped year round?

What is your experience with a muscle bulking phase? Have you found something that works for you?

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Workout Plan for Men Cardio Phase 2

Wow, we’ve covered Legs & Shoulders in Day 5 of this workout , (Chest & Back in Day 3, plus Arms & Core in Day 1 .

So in Phase 2 all that is left to complete is a moderately intense cardio session which is intended to get you to expand your lungs and improve your efficiency of taking in oxygen and supplying your muscles with this ability to push harder through all your workouts.

You should have had 2 glasses of water within an hour of your workout, cause you’re going to do a lot of sweating in this routine. Here we go…

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 7 Cardio Routine

• 2 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation, 3.5 mph
• 2 minutes jog at 5.5 mph
• 1 minute run at 7 mph
• 2 minutes jog at 5.5 mph
• 1 minute run at 7.5 mph
• 2 minutes jog at 5 mph
• 1 minute run at 7.5 mph
• 2 minutes jog at 5 mph

switch equipment to elliptical or bike machine

• 5 minutes at moderate intensity
• 2 minutes at high intensity (you should be really sweating here)
• 3 minutes at moderate intensity
• 2 minutes at high intensity
• 4 minute cool down at low intensity

Nice, now we have a 29 minute cardio session that incorporates some high intensity to really get your heart rate going and your metabolism burning through all those excess fat layer we don’t need. Stick with this entire plan you now have all 7 days laid out for you and over the next several weeks I will be adding tweaks and changing things up so stay tuned to the website.

For those of you who don’t have gym memberships you can apply this exact same routine outside jogging, biking, running up stairs, hiking, rollerblading, etc. And if it’s too cold or wet outside then hopefully you can set a place in your home where you can jump rope. Jumping rope is an awesome workout and has a steep learning curve but it definitely gives great results.

Now one thing has been missing all along with these workouts, have you noticed it? It’s a 5-10 minute stretching and flexibility training after your workout. I didn’t want to overwhelm people with too many instructions so for now just get a mat and stretch out your body with all the regular poses. I will do another article specifically focusing on stretches, but the main thing to consider is hold your stretches for about 30 seconds each to really get the most benefit of your muscles relaxing.

Next we are going to tackle your diet plan and go over the most beneficial supplements in the market. To read the first article in your diet series go here – Healthy Diets for Men

Have any questions come up with the cardio plan of your Phase 2 workout today? Please leave me a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Cardio Phase 2 Part 4

Today completes the final 7th day of your fitness plan routine of Phase 2 (want to read from the first phase again? go here – Fitness Plan Women Phase 1) and we’re going to focus on a fat busting cardio routine made for strong and determined women! In other words, put your excuses aside and just focus on doing the best you can here, people aren’t looking at you as much as you may think!

This tends to be the psychology of any new to mid level athlete – the fear of being embarrassed by doing something wrong or just not looking good doing it. So be aware of the times when this comes through your head and hear me saying “It’s all good, keep your focus and everything will fall into place.” Think inspired thoughts and your level of performance will begin to push to a completely different level, I have no doubt in that!

Ok, now let’s get to the cardio workout…

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 7 Cardio Routine

• 2 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation, 3.5 mph
• 4 minutes jog at 5 mph
• 1 minute run at 6 mph
• 3 minutes jog at 5 mph
• 1 minute run at 6.5 mph
• 2 minutes jog at 5 mph
• 1 minute run at 7 mph

switch equipment to elliptical or bike machine

• 5 minutes at moderate intensity
• 2 minutes at high intensity (you should be really sweating here)
• 3 minutes at moderate intensity
• 4 minute cool down at low intensity

This is a 28 minute cardio workout but because it brings in some relatively high intense levels your metabolic rate is going to shoot though the roof and you will be burning calories for an extended time after you stop with your cardio.

For those of you who don’t have gym memberships you can apply this exact same routine outside jogging, biking, hiking, rollerblading, etc. And if it’s too cold or wet outside then hopefully you can set a place in your home where you can jump rope. Jumping rope is an awesome workout and has a steep learning curve but it definitely gives great results.

Now one thing has been missing all along with these workouts, have you noticed it? It’s a 5-10 minute stretching and flexibility training after your workout. I didn’t want to overwhelm people with too many instructions so for now just get a mat and stretch out your body with all the regular poses. I will do another article specifically focusing on stretches, but the main thing to consider is hold your stretches for about 30 seconds each to really get the most benefit of your muscles relaxing.

Conclusion Fitness Plan Women: Cardio

Phase 2 of this fitness plan is now complete. You can go through the entire workout for the next 3-4 weeks but I will be updating the workout with different variations and modifications to advance it so stay tuned to the website. With that said Phase 3 we get into creating a super healthy and tasty meal plan and also go over supplements that should be part of your daily plan.

When you’re ready to start your diet plan go here – Healthy Diet Plan for Women: Phase 3.

Have any questions come up with the cardio plan today? Please leave me a comment below…

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Legs & Shoulders

This is the killer part of the workout plan for men, legs and shoulders. We’ve already worked out our arms & core in Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 as well as chest & back in Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Part 2 so let’s attack our shoulders and legs in this workout.

I like doing a split routine of Legs and Shoulders in one day because you can do one exercise with your legs and then allow them to recover for a bit while you are working out your shoulders in between. The only challenge here is that this is going intensive as most guys are the weakest in their shoulders and doing legs exercises manages to tax all our energy.

So before doing this routine, make sure you have had a very good healthy meal and lots of water beforehand. This will allow you to output the most force and conquer some very impressive results.

Let’s go!

Workout Plan for Men Legs & Shoulders: Day 5 Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. This warmup is really important because we want our heart pumping fast enough to take blood and all the nutrients to all parts of our body so make sure you do this. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps squats with dumbbells. Grab some fairly light dumbbells and stand shoulder width apart. Lower down so your thighs become completely parallel to the floor and then raise slowly with a 1-2 count. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps shoulder press with dumbbells. Sit upright on a bench and raise the dumbbells above you. Lower down slowly so elbows are 90 degrees and then raise back up. Give you abs tight and sucked in so your back is completely straight. (view image)
• 3 sets of 7 reps (each side) lunges with dumbbells. Grab some light dumbbells and stand shoulder width apart. Take one fairly large step forward with your right leg and come down so thigh is parallel to floor. Slowly lift leg back to starting position and repeat on other side. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps lateral shoulder raise with dumbbells. You’ll want extra light dumbbells for this exercise because it gets hard very fast. Stand facing a mirror with dumbbells on your sides. Then raise arms straight out to your sides bringing your arms parallel to floor. Slowly lower and repeat. No swinging motion here! (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps seated calf raises. This one is pretty easy, just make sure your knees are pointing straight forward and concentrate on feeling a flex when you push up with your feet. You should feel a pretty big burn by the 6th rep. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps seated rear deltoid raises with dumbbells. Grab some light dumbbells and sit down on a bench. Bend forward while keeping a natural arch in your back and bring the dumbbells directly beneath your thighs. Raise up like you are pulling apart a bow and bring your elbows to your head. Make sure to squeeze in the back between your shoulder blades and then lower. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 6.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph

You’ll notice this workout involves a lot of dumbbells. The reason I like starting out clients this way is because dumbbells will show you which side is weaker and allow you to strengthen and equalize your muscle structure. Getting rid of the imbalance is critical because muscle imbalances usually cause excess strain on one side of your body and leads to injuries.

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 6 Rest

You get a special rest day here on Day 6 because you are going to need all your energy for the intense cardio training we will be doing on Day 7. Focus on eating healthy carbs on this day so you can have a whole bunch of energy stored to blast away though your workout on Day 7. For your cardio routine go here – Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Cardio

Please leave me feedback for this workout routine. How does it feel after you’re done? Did you have any questions come up?

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Part 3

This is pretty awesome, are you women as pumped as all the other ladies who have been leaving comments on the previous parts of this fitness plan? Let’s keep the motivation high, you are going to pretty surprised by the results that you are going to get for the beach days this year so keep reminding yourself of that (and of course just looking and feeling your best each day is pretty damn rewarding in itself!).

In Day 1 of this routine (Fitness Plan for Women Phase 2) we worked your core, arms and even chest, in Day 3 we worked your thighs, butt and calves (Fitness Plan for Women Phase 2: Part 2) and today we’re going to work on getting you a sexy posture by strengthening your back and shoulders!

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 5 Workout Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph
• 3 sets of 12 reps cable rows. Pull from your back, and make sure to keep the movement slow and controlled. No swinging movement here. (view image)
• 3 sets of 8 reps front dumbbell raise each side. Grab some light dumbbells 2.5 or 5lbs and face a mirror with feet shoulder width apart. Raise one arm slowly and bring parallel to floor. Focus on tension being in shoulders. Lower and repeat with other side. (view image)
• 3 sets of 12 reps wide grip pulldowns. Bring the bar down to your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades back at the bottom of the movement. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps seated side lateral raise with dumbbells. Grab some light dumbbells 2.5 or 5lbs and sit upright on a bench. Raise the dummbells to your sides so arms are parallel with ground. Slowly lower and repeat. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps back extensions. Slow controlled movement and focus attention to lower back. No swinging! (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 5.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 6 Workout Routine

This is a special rest day where you can totally take it off because you’re going to need it for your cardio routine on Day 7. Make sure to have lots of healthy carbs on this day and don’t worry your diet plan is also coming soon which will be much more detailed. By healthy carbs I mean high fiber cereal, natural oatmeal, whole grain bread and fruit. Carbohydrates will help fuel you on your cardio day so it is very important.

When you’re ready for your cardio workout routine go here – Fitness Plan Women: Cardio Phase 2 Part 4.

Please leave me feedback for part 3 of this workout routine. How does it feel after you’re done? Did you have any questions come up?

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2 Part 2

We’re gaining some great momentum with this new workout plan for men and I’m getting a lot of feedback on Facebook and through this site about how motivating this is. If you’re seeing this article for the first time make sure to read Workout Plan for Men Phase 1 & Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2.

So last time we went over a workout to build your core and arms and today we are going to advance to the chest and back. Because so many of us sit down so much during the day what usually occurs is that our shoulders start rounding forward and to make the problem worst our chest muscles tend to be stronger than the mid-upper back muscles. The reason this is problematic is because it creates tension in our shoulders and leads to shoulder problems, but nevertheless we’re going to fix that problem with this workout plan so stick to it!

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 3 Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps dumbbell presses on bench. We’re going to start out light and add 5lbs for each set. Concentrate on form with fluid movement and keeping your hips and lower back on the bench at all times. Squeeze as the top and don’t lock your elbows. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps wide grip pulldowns. Bring the bar down to your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades back at the bottom of the movement. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps flyes with dumbbells. Pretend you are pulling apart the weights and control the movement with your chest. Squeeze at the top of the movement & repeat. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps cable rows. Pull from your lats, and make sure to keep the movement slow and controlled. Don’t swing back. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps decline bench press. Ok seriously, we want to start light with this exercise. 15-20lb weights on each side is a good start and just focus on the movement with bringing the barbell down so your elbows form a 90 degree angle. No movement in lower back or legs. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps back extensions. Slow controlled movement and focus attention to lower back. No swinging! (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 6.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 4 Workout Routine

Once again this will be your rest day! Include at least a 30 minute quick walk or light jog. Make sure to schedule this in and don’t make excuses as it will be critical to your long term success as it will keep your metabolism burning the fat at an accelerated pace.

Stay tuned for the diet plan but now you can also check out days 5 & 6 of your workout routine by going to – Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Leg & Shoulders.

Have any questions about this workout plan? Please leave a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Part 2

Looks like we’ve got some great momentum building up with more and more women taking part of this fitness plan and challenge to be toned up for early summer.

Now we’re going to look at the second part of the workout routine where our focus is going to be thighs, butt, and calves. The idea here is start building some strength and replace the fat and cellulite with muscle to give a smoother tone to your skin.

Other than an aesthetic benefit you’re going to start feeling stronger and more confident in your walk, especially when you wear high heels. Just a note since we’re talking about shoes, make sure you have some high quality athletic shoes which provide great support and a natural arch for your foot. It’s definitely worth the extra dollars to go to a running shoe store where they will look at your walk and measure the width of your feet so they can recommend the right shoe specifically for you. Great shoes means better results through better support for your spine!

Let’s get right into it, you should have already done Day 1 and Day 2 of Fitness Plan for Women Phase 2.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 3 Workout Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps lunges each leg with dumbbells. Back straight, lunge forward with one leg and come down so knee is 90 degrees with floor. Keep your abs tight and push back up. Repeat for 10 reps and then switch to other leg. Good idea to watch your form in the mirror with this exercise. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps squats with light dumbbells. Grab some light dumbbells 2.5 or 5lbs and face a mirror with feet shoulder width apart. Squat down so knees are 90 degrees with floor and keep your abs tight. Slowly push back up and feel the burn in your thighs and butt. (view image)
• 3 sets of 12 repetitions step ups on both sides. Get a step up board and hold some light dumbbells. Step up with one foot and then push the other knee up into the air. Do 12 repetitions and then switch to other leg. Look at image for better explanation -> (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps hip raises on mat. Lie flat on your back and bring your knees up while feet are still on floor. Now thrust your hips up into the air and hold for 2 seconds before lowering. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps standing calf raises. Find a step and stand on the edge with all your weight on the front part of your foot. Now raise by pushing down with your toes. Lower slowly and repeat. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 5.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 4 Workout Routine

Guess what? You get another rest day here, with your rest day including a 30 minute brisk walk. Make it to the grocery store and come back with some groceries to make it a little more challenging. If a grocery store is not anywhere near then try finding a hill to keep the challenge.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2 Conclusion

How do you like them apples now? I have to say I’m pretty happy with this new fitness plan! It has some great exercises for your thighs, calves, and butt and is going to build a super strong foundation for the more challenging phases in the following weeks ahead. Hopefully you have some other friends joining you in on this challenge, it’s going to be exciting to see the results you all get (remember to take a before photo if you haven’t done so yet!)

Your next workout includes exercises to strengthen your back and give you a sexy posture which really turns heads when you walk! Read the article here – Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Part 3.

Please leave me feedback for part 2 of this workout. How does it feel after you’re done? Did you have any questions come up?

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2

Hopefully you have already read Phase 1 and got a workout journal to write down your objectives in. Now I will be giving you Day 1 & Day 2 of the workout plan (for those who didn’t read the first day please go here – Workout Plan for Men Phase 1).

In this article the goal is to get you into a training regimen which will help you define your core and build strength in your biceps/triceps. It might not seem like it’s super intensive, but don’t fret, the idea here is to prep your body for what’s to come in the following weeks as it gets significantly more challenging. I will also be giving tips on how to modify the workout to match your level of fitness.

Let’s get started!

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 1 Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps ab crunches on stability ball. Make sure to keep the movement slow and controlled and don’t place any pressure on your neck. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps push ups. Keep your head in alignment with your upper body, most guys curve their neck with this exercise so pretend like you have a flat board on your back. (view image)
• 3 sets of plank – hold for 15 seconds. Again keep your neck in alignment with your back and focus on keeping your abs tight. For those wanting to make this a little more advanced, hold for 30 seconds. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps preacher curls with barbell. Aim for 10-15lb weights on each side and keep your abs tight. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps dips on bench. Keep your elbows in and focus on placing weight on your triceps alone. Squeeze at the top of the movement (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps bicep curls with dumbbells on each side. The key with this exercise is to keep your elbows in at your sides and don’t let them move much, you should be using 20-25lb dumbbells at this level. Also keep your shoulder blades back. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps seated triceps press with dumbbell. Aim for a 25lbs dumbbell and keep your elbows close to your head. Your elbow joint should be the fulcrum of the movement and keep a slight bend at the top. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 6.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 2 Workout Routine

This will be your rest day, but by rest I don’t mean sitting on your butt! Include at least a 30 minute quick walk. Make sure to schedule this in and don’t make excuses as it will be critical to your long term success as it will keep your metabolism burning the fat at an accelerated pace.

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2 Conclusion

Here we go, we have the first day of this workout routine where we are targeting your core, biceps and triceps muscles. This is a great intro to building a strong foundation and you can feel free to increase or reduce the weights with your weights to match your level. What you should be looking for is that the last few reps are very challenging.

The 2nd day is your rest day but you need to stay off your butt for at least 30 minutes. Be serious about this and don’t go to the gym so you can allow your muscles to recover and go stronger for the next workout day. The 3rd day is your chest and back, go here – Workout Plan for Men Phase 2 Part 2.

Diet plan is coming soon but in the meantime hydration should be something you’re always aware of. Have at least a glass or two of water an hour before working out. Water will allow your muscles to get all the nutrients they need for maximum function.

Have any questions about the first 2 days of this workout plan Phase 2? Please leave a comment below…

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 1

I asked the guys in Facebook if they wanted to have a workout plan starting right from scratch and have gotten a great response for this. If you haven’t yet and want to stay motivated with your workouts, make sure to join my fan page here – http://www.facebook.com/weightlossandtraining.

Nevertheless, you may have been exposed to numerous intense workout plans (like the hugh jackman workout) which just seem to be too much or too scattered all over the place, how about we take it back to basics and create a very comprehensive workout and diet plan just for men? (P.S. let the women in your life know that I have created a version for women too – Fitness Plan For Women).

The first phase of the workout plan for men that I’m going to provide is to give you all the essentials you need to succeed. It’s not going to be overwhelming since too often I look at guys compromising their form when exercising and injuring their shoulders which unfortunately lasts a life time.

The following article will include the first couple days of the workout plan which will be part of Phase 2. Phase 3 will include a pretty impressive diet plan that is strictly for increasing muscle mass and losing the beer gut (or as I like to call it – the carb gut!).

Here we go, this is a pretty special opportunity because I’m going to guide you along the way, and you can leave questions and feedback in each article for me to respond to – so I hope you really value what you’re getting here! This plan is made to be bullet proof so get psyched up cause here we go…

Workout Plan for Men Phase 1: Essentials

We all need to have a base point so we can measure our success. Take a shirtless photo of yourself now so you can look back on it in once we’re done this program to see how far you have come along. You can keep this completely private or you can send to me your before/after photos in a few months and I’m going to give out some pretty wicked prizes for those who succeed the most.

Please leave me some ideas for prizes by leaving a comment below!

I should point out that this isn’t like biggest loser style where your health is compromised in order to drop the most weight quickly, this is about your story and how far you have come along, so if you do anything please keep providing me with feedback so I can tweak everything as we go along. The more feedback I get from you guys the greater the results you guys will all get.

Second thing you should do is try and find a workout buddy who can join you in on this journey. Send them the link to this article and get them on board with you so you can motivate each other at the gym. You shouldn’t be dependent on someone else to keep you in on this but it can definitely help to have a little competition to see who does best!

Third thing you should do is grab a workout journal so you can record everything in one place. Then take a few minutes and write down your objectives at the beginning of this journal. Is it to add 2 inches off muscle to your chest/back? Is it to lose a couple inches of carb gut, or is it to add an inch of muscle to your biceps/triceps? Be specific and try and be as realistic as possible (i.e. 4 inches of muscle in your arms is most likely not going to happen in a few months, so be real!).

For those of you who want to order a workout log through the web here is a very cool one which I would recommend – Fitlosophy Fitbook

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 1: Let’s Rip Sh*t Up!

I’m not going to overwhelm you with anything else in this first phase. Your next step is to go to: Workout Plan for Men Phase 2 which will include the first 2 days of your workout routine for this week.

Have any questions on this Phase 1? Remember to let me know what you think some good prizes would be for the winners by leaving a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2

So yesterday you should have read Phase 1 and got a workout journal to write down your objectives in and today I will be giving you Day 1 & Day 2 of the fitness plan (for those who didn’t read the first day please go here – Fitness Plan Women Phase 1).

Today’s goal is to ease you into a workout which will help you start to tone up those love handles and the lower belly area. If it seems like it’s not intense enough, don’t worry the idea here is to prepare your body for what’s to come in the following weeks. I will also be giving tips on how to modify the workout to match your level of fitness.

Let’s get started!

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 1 Workout Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps ab crunches on stability ball. Make sure to keep the movement fluid and don’t put any pressure on your neck. (view image)
• 3 sets of 8-10 reps pushups with knees on ground. Keep your head in alignment with your upper body, most women tend to curve their neck with this exercise so pretend like you have a flat board on your back. (view image)
• 3 sets of plank – hold for 15 seconds. Again keep your neck in alignment with your back and focus on keeping your abs tight. For those wanting to make this a little more advanced, hold for 30 seconds. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps bicep curls with dumbbells. The key with this exercise is to keep your elbows in at your sides and don’t let them move much, you should be using 5 or 10lb dumbbells at this level. Also keep your shoulder blades back. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps overhead tricep extensions with dumbbell. Aim for 10 lbs dumbbell and keep your elbows close to your head. Your elbow joint should be the fulcrum of the movement and keep a slight bend at the top. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 5.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 2 Workout Routine

This will be your rest day, but by rest I don’t mean sitting on your butt! Include at least a 30 minute brisk walk anywhere you please. Make sure to schedule this in and don’t make excuses as it will be critical to your long term success.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2 Conclusion

There we go we have the first day where we are focusing on your arms and core including your abs. This is a great place to start and you can feel free to increase or reduce the weights with your dumbbells. What you should be aiming for is that the last few reps are quite challenging.

I haven’t designed the diet plan for you yet, that is coming in the next few articles, but in the meantime make sure to increase you water intake. Make sure to have at least one glass of water 1hr before you exercise as hydration is extremely important to the blood flow taking nutrients to your muscles. Also don’t exercise on an empty stomach as this will make you light-headed. Half a banana or an apple 30 minutes before exercising is a great idea.

Continue on to to the next day of your fitness plan by going to Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Part 2 where we focus on your thighs, butt and calves.

Have any questions about the first 2 days of this fitness plan Phase 2? Please leave a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 1

Many of the fitness and diet plans on this website are for a little more of the advanced level so I thought it was time to bring it back to basics and design a multi-phase fitness plan for women (also let the men in your life know that there will be a similar article specifically for them very shortly).

Now if you haven’t had a chance yet make sure to sign up to the 5 day course to quick weight loss as it has the most important fundamentals of getting on the right track.

The first phase of the fitness plan for women is to lay out all the essentials you will need to succeed. In the next article (Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2) I will include the actual workout plan and following that I will include the diet plan.

This plan will be designed in a way to build up gradually so that you don’t place too much pressure on your body at once. If you’re in it to be the most fit you have ever been for a special occasion a few months down the line (i.e. bikini season, wedding, holiday vacation) or you just want to start fresh then this is just for you.

Ready for this? If you stay on track and follow me here you are guaranteed success and you have my full support, so why not right?

Fitness Plan Women Phase 1: Essentials

First thing I want you to do is take a photo of yourself in your favorite bikini. You can keep this completely private or you can keep it and send me your before/after photos in a few months. Now your heart should be in this for your health but I want to include a 3 big prizes for those who succeed the most (leave a comment below for your suggestions on the prizes), and don’t worry this isn’t like biggest loser style where your health is compromised in order to drop the most weight quickly.

Second thing you should do is try and find a friend who can join you in on this journey. Send them the link to this article and get them on board with you so you can motivate each other at the gym.

If you like you can set a little competition to see which person will lose the most inches off their waist after 16 weeks, and trust me on this one, if you follow this plan you will lose a pretty impressive layer of belly fat!

Third part of fulfilling the essentials is to get a training journal for this fitness plan. And just take two minutes and write down your objectives. Is it to lose 2 inches off your waist? Is it to tone up your arms and prevent them from jiggling, or is it to reduce the cellulite in your thighs? Be specific and try and not to focus everything on losing weight because you will most likely turn some of that fat into muscle and you should know by now that muscle weighs more than fat.

For those of you who want to order a workout log through the web here is a very cool one which I would recommend – Fitlosophy Fitbook

Fitness Plan Women Phase 1: In it to Win It

I’m not going to overwhelm you with anything else in this first phase. Read the next article (Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2) where I give you the first couple days of your workout routine for this week, but if you can get a good 30 minute brisk walk today then you are off to a great start. It should be fast enough to give you a light sweat. Maybe make that walk to the store so you can get the fitness journal to write in or just to get you through the forest so you can get some fresh unpolluted air.

Have any questions on this Phase 1? Remember to let me know what you think some good prizes would be for the winners by leaving a comment below…

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Total Body Workout

For those who are short on time and want to get a total body workout in less than 60 minutes or for those who just want to add a little variation to their workout routine this plan is made for you.

A good intensive total body workout is great for jump starting your metabolism and boosting your muscle-building hormones in ways you might have never experienced. The end result is what we all want – less fat and more defined muscle.

For best results try this workout 3 days a week for 6 weeks or place it into your regular workout routine at least once a week.

Ready? Here we go…

Total Body Workout Routine

7 minute warm up session on Cardio Equipment of your choice (build up to a light sweat)

3 sets 12 reps Wide hand pushups ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Chin Ups ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Dumbbell shoulder press ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 12 reps Barbell squats ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 12 reps Dips Chest Version ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 12 reps Barbell biceps curls ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 30s Plank on stability ball ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Deadlifts ( refer to photo here )
3 sets Hanging leg raise ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 7 reps (each side) Dumbbell Lunges ( refer to photo here )

End with 10 minutes High Intensity Interval Training on the treadmill to really blast away the fat.

Conclusion Total Body Workout Routine:

Try this total body workout and remember the point here it to really boost your metabolism so don’t take longer than 30 seconds rest between sets and exercises. I’ve set the reps high in this routine in order to get a really good sweat going and to burn more fat, but if your goal is focusing more on muscle building then you can decrease the rep count to 8 and go heavier with the weights.

Have any questions about this routine or want to leave a progress report? Please leave a comment below…

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6 Pack Abs Myths Demystified

It’s time we take a close look at myths about how to get 6 pack abs and break these ideas by looking a little deeper at the physiology of our core muscles.

Unfortunately, when it comes to 6 pack abs there is a lot of flawed advice out there and if you’re doing crunches to the point where you pass out you may still not get those abs to really pop out.

So let’s break apart from this and expose some interesting facts…

6 Pack Abs Myth #1: Ab Crunches are The Best Exercise for Abs

This is definitely not the case. The way to make muscles stronger and bigger is by forcing them to resist motion or tension. Therefore all that doing crunches over and over again will do is contract the abs in one plane by bending your spine. Repeatedly bending these vertebrae in your back doesn’t force your abs to resist motion.

A better approach may be to think more about stabilizing movements like planks on a stability ball or stability board. Flexing your abs in this position while keeping perfect posture is very effective at burning calories and hitting your abs in a completely different way.

6 Pack Abs Myth #2: Rotational Exercises are Best for Building Obliques

Our oblique muscles surround and accentuate our abs all the while protecting them from damage when we rotate our body too quickly. Rotational exercises like Russian Twist may help build the oblique muscle but researchers are beginning to note that they can also harm your spine by putting too much force on our vertebrae.

A better approach may be to building foundational strength by implementing heavy compound exercises into our workouts. Some of these exercises would include squats and deadlifts as they activate the obliques to maintain proper posture.

We can take this to the next level by adding in unbalanced movements like the single leg deadlift with a dumbbell or single leg lunges. These kind of exercises will force our body to adjust to uneven stress while our spine is in neural position, and this further stabilizes our core and builds our obliques (as long as we make sure to maintain proper form).

6 Pack Abs Myth #3: Higher Reps Are Essential For Abs

Just doing more and more reps will not make your abs grow. The key is to keep adding variation especially with a focus on body-weight or stability exercises which will activate your entire core.

Try adding in a bosu ball or stability board when doing biceps curls and notice how much energy it will take you to keep everything stable…this is the kind of thing you are aiming for and the best part is that it will also excel you in any sport you take part in.

Supplements to Boost 6 Pack Abs

You may want to take this workout to the next level and if you have a limited time that you’re reaching your goal then some of these supplements have the best research and testimonials to back them up:

Carb and Fat Inhibitor: (Try BSN Cheaters Relief)
Energy Booster: (Try Labrada Charge Ephedra Free)
Fat Burner: (Try Cellucor WS1 Extreme)
Lean Protein Powder: (Try BSN Lean Dessert Protein Shake)
Stress & Fatigue Fighter: (Try Goliath Labs Thermoloid)

Conclusion on 6 Pack Abs Myths

Regardless of how much ab work you put into your training regimen, remember that a well planned diet and total body workout is essential to your success. Abs don’t start showing magically after you build them! They show when you’ve built all the muscles in your body and reduce the fat in your midsection!

Have any other abs myths you’d like to know the truth about? Please leave a comment below…

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Muscle Building Tips: The Key

When building muscle many of us experience times where things get a little dull and our results start fading. This is the dreaded plateau and almost everyone in the fitness industry is creating one product or another to shock your system so you can keep getting these results.

But what does the recent research indicate when trying to build muscle? Let’s take a close look at this killer tip…

Muscle Building Tips: Change the Number of Reps

Some recent research in Brazil took a look at varying repetitions for people who alternated upper and lower body training. They also looked at beginners vs advanced bodybuilders to see if they would find any difference. The results were pretty amazing.

For those who varied the number of repetitions they did every time they went to the gym, also saw the fastest and most impressive results in muscle gain.

In other words, they focused on doing just 6 repetitions in one workout, 10 repetitions in another workout and 14 reps as a last variation.

This is capitalizing on the variation principle for muscle building. The more variety we add and continue to shock our musculo-skeletal system, the quicker we see results with muscle gain and fat loss. Changing the weight load also recruits different muscle fibers and allows us to get a fuller more comprehensive strengthening of our muscles.

The surprising results with this variation is that it works for both beginner and experienced lifters alike. I’d also suggest this for anyone needing to shock their system and get a boost.

Muscle Building Tips: Conclusion

Take any workout from the Workouts and Training section of this site and apply this principle. If you’re doing a day of legs this week make sure to stick to just 6 repetitions. The following week do legs with 10 repetitions, and the following week after that do 14 repetitions. Also apply this to any other body part. Mix it up as much as possible and have fun challenging yourself.

Have any questions of have you applied this variation to your training? Please leave your feedback below…

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Muscle Memory

The question many people weight training ask is how does muscle memory work and how can we capitalize on this in our workouts? Well the answer may be a little more complicated than it seems but this article seeks to demystify the muscle memory phenomenon and provide you with strategies to make the most of your workouts even when you miss a few days or weeks.

What is Muscle Memory?

Physiologically speaking muscle memory is also known as nerromuscular facilitation whereby our muscles memorize movements and through space and time.

To clarify this point lets take a look at someone who has an ankle break and has a cast placed on their ankle. After not using the muscles in the foot and calves for several weeks the person loses ability to completely flex and extend the foot. Although this may seem like a major set back the muscles still remember how to do the movement and that person is able to walk again shortly thereafter.

Now let’s contrast this to learning an exercise for the first time, for example a biceps curl with a dumbbell. When we first learned how to do this our brain wants to do this exercise the easiest way we know how, by involving our shoulders and using our body to swing the weight up.

But we quickly learn from personal trainers (and health blogs such as this!) that we really need to keep our elbows tucked in to our sides and simply use the bicep muscle alone to flex and bring the weight up. After all, doing it this way without any swinging motion is the most effective way of building the biceps muscle.

How Can We Benefit From Muscle Memory?

This one simple point is the basis of all our training. The more we train and understand what exercises our body responds to best the better we can perform and utilize our muscle memory to gain maximum results from weight training. In other words, even if you take some time off or away from the gym, when you come back a few weeks later you can still have that benefits of remembering how to do that exercise and quickly get back on the train of muscle growth.

How Can We Suffer From Muscle Memory?

Of course with every positive is a negative so we can also suffer from muscle memory. By this I mean that our body rapidly adapts to exercises and the immediate results that we see when getting back in the gym eventually slow down…unless…we add variation. This is key, we have to remember to switch up our weight training routine at least once every 6 weeks otherwise we will plateau and lose motivation.

Professional athletes and trainers are very focused on this. Even if the exercise is as simple as bicep curls with a barbell, simply switching it up to dumbbells will be a significant variation to give us results again.

Conclusion

Remember, no matter what gets in your way of maintaining your training schedule it is never too late to go back. Consistency with variation is key, kind of ironic I know, but have fun with your workouts by trying out different routines all the time. Keep your muscles guessing and you will maximize the benefits you see with muscle strength, toning and fat loss.

Have any questions about muscle memory? Please leave a comment below…

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Killer Leg Workout

Have you done a leg workout so intensive that the next day you found it hard to walk? Well you may have found it funny or rewarding or you may have found it too painful to repeat but all the while your body started pumping hormones to help you increase muscle mass and recover some of your largest muscles.

The point here is not to push you so hard that you find it painful to walk, but to challenge you in a way that you can improve at each session in the gym and ultimately improving your performance in any sport.

Are you ready to start implementing a killer leg workout into your training routine? Here we go…..

Killer Leg Workout Warm Up

First things first. You need to get on a cardio machine of your choice and warm up your leg muscles for at least 7 minutes. Don’t go too hard but enough to get a light sweat going. The point here is to increase your heart rate and get blood flowing to all your muscles and have your joints lubricated for the intensity of this weight training routine.

Killer Leg Workout Day 1

1 set 12 reps Barbell Squats ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 8 reps (each leg) One Leg Barbell Squats ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Leg Press ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 8 reps (each leg) Dumbbell Step Ups ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Calf Raises ( refer to photo here )

Have at least 2 days rest before you do another leg workout session because it takes at least that amount of time for these large muscles to recover

Killer Leg Workout Day 2

3 set 8 reps (each leg) Dumbbell Lunges ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Stiff Legged Barbell Deadlift ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 8 reps (each leg) Barbell Side Split Squat ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Jump Squats ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 reps Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises ( refer to photo here )

Recommended Supplements for this Leg Workout:

Gaspari Nutrition’s SuperPump250
Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester
BN Syntha-6
Scivation Xtend

Have any questions about this workout? Try this workout and leave a comment below!

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Biceps Workout – Ultimate Plan

We use our biceps probably more than almost any other muscle as it comes into play when we open doors, flex our arms to use the keyboard, or lift bags in and out of our cars so I thought it was important to write up a quick workout that can really challenge our arms!

You’ll probably see some of the worst form in the gym when people do biceps exercises so let’s take a quick look at that first!

Biceps Workout Posture

First thing’s first! Don’t swing (sometimes)! Swinging is cheating your biceps and placing the force of the weight onto other muscles, however there is a time when bodybuilders do cheat and it’s ok.

Know when that is?

When you’re trying to get in one or two last reps. Now I don’t recommend swinging to any of my clients, but if you don’t have a spotter and are looking to really push your biceps to the next level then a cheat at the end of your set can be done. (I will point out a better variation style a little later!)

Watch your back. Remember to prevent yourself from hunching your back with biceps exercises where you are standing. Spot yourself in the mirror and make sure to have your feet shoulder width apart, a little bend at your knees and your shoulder blades pulled back. It’s incredible what kind of difference this makes to the results you get.

Biceps Workout Exercises

Get ready for this arms blast cause it’s going to give you such a big biceps pump you’re going to love the feeling after you complete this.

Now always remember to start up with a warm up on any piece of cardio equipment of your choice since you want your shoulder and elbow joints all warmed up to prevent injury.

3 sets 10 repetitions: chin-ups with underhand grip ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 repetitions: Cable Hammer Curls with Rope ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 10 repetitions: Biceps Curls facing Bench ( refer to photo here )
3 sets 8 repeitions (each side): Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curls ( refer to photo here )

Biceps Workout Variations

Remember before when I spoke about adding variation without doing cheats? Try this. For your last biceps exercise try a drop set which means starting ta your heaviest weight and actually dropping weights. Make it harder by having little rest between sets and you’re going to get a killer pump!

Recommended Supplements for this Biceps Workout:

SuperPump – Gaspari Nutrition’s SuperPump250
Creatine Monohydrate – Fusion Bodybuilding’s Purple-K
Whey Protein – Optimum 100% Whey Protein

Try this workout and leave a comment below? Does it give you a killer pump?

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What Kind of Exercises Should Athletes Focus On – Sport Specific or General Purpose?

When designing training programs for athletes, one of the many factors to consider is the split between sport specific exercises and standard weightlifting exercises. For example, should swimmers be doing dead lifts and squats? And should sprinters be doing bench presses?

The answer to this question varies from athlete to athlete and factors in their specific level of development.

More often than not, a specific area of an athlete’s body will be overdeveloped in proportion to other parts of their body. Sprinters and cyclists usually have larger lower bodies than upper bodies, and boxers usually have more developed upper bodies. So, to compensate for these lagging areas, traditional bodybuilding exercises should be incorporated to a certain degree.

Take a cyclist for example. Obviously, always training on their bike will develop their legs a lot. But, it is probably a good idea to throw in some upper body exercises like the bench press to balance things out. Now, the chest and upper body is not very important in cycling, but having some balance is important for stability.

The same thing goes for boxers. Their legs get a pretty good workout when they box, but it should be supplemented with some squats and dead lifts to help them with their explosiveness and lower body power.

It is important to make sure athletes are on a balanced training program. Depending on where there strengths are, this may include both sport specific and general bodybuilding style exercises. While it sounds counterintuitive that an exercise like a bench press would be able to help a cyclist, but it is true, and it does offer some improvements. Sometimes the things you think might be useless turn out to be the most effective!

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Are Bodyweight Exercises Enough To Build Muscle?

We have all heard it before – “I don’t want to lift heavy weights because I don’t want to get big, I just want to tone what muscle I have.” Usually, the person saying this is small, overweight, and doesn’t look like they have the willpower to achieve the physique they want.

But, hearing this again got me thinking…Is it possible to build a solid base of muscle just on bodyweight exercises, what most people would call “toning” exercises.

Well, the answer to his really depends on what you call a solid base of muscle. If you think Arnold’s Olympia winning physique was a nice “base” that you would want to build off of, well, this article is probably not for you. But, if you think celebrities like Brad Pitt in Fight Club and Snatch have nice base physiques, than the following advice applies.

There is no doubt that you won’t be able to build enough muscle to achieve a 300 pound bench press doing just pushups and dips, but it is possible to build a pretty good looking physique doing just these types of exercises.

The way people build muscle is by damaging the pre-existing muscles in their body, and when these muscles repair themselves, they get bigger and stronger. So, as long as you find a way to break down these muscle fibers, you will be building muscle.

But, there will come a point where bodyweight exercises alone will no longer yield noticeable muscle growth. You will need added resistance to continue significantly damaging your muscles.

If you are a relative newcomer to the weightlifting world, including multiple bodyweight exercises in your workout routine might not be a bad idea. But, as you progress, and your ideal physique gets bigger and sculpted, you will have to start including some heavy resistance to meet your goals.

What’s your perspective on bodyweight exercises? Have you pushed yourself to the limit with them and looking to now use resistance training?

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Abdominal Weight Loss Attack

This is it. It’s a time when you are probably wavering on your attack on losing weight from your abdominal area and motivation is dwindling. But don’t give up yet, I’m writing this article just for you to boost your motivation and create a workout like none other. This is as extreme as it gets and you are going to need gather all your strength and push through this one for at least 4 weeks.

One side note here before we get into the workout. One of the best tips I have here is gather up everything that is frustrating you these days. Everything that is making you angry, all your relationship, financial, work issues and bundle it up so you can take it out on the machines and weights at the gym. Got it? Good! Let’s go!

Abdominal Weight Loss Workout

We’re going to create an abdominal weight loss workout which combines my ultimate treadmill workout and other core exercises all into one day. Make sure you get enough nutrition an hour before this workout because it’s going to be intense….

5 minute treadmill warm-up: start with 5 minutes of warming up on the treadmill from 4.1mph to a steady 6.5mph

Abdominal exercise 1 – 50 crunches on stability ball. (view image)
Oblique exercise 1 – Woodchopper with medicine ball. (view image )
High Intensity Interval Training session – Interval 30 seconds each of 6.0mph and 8.5mph for 10 minutes
Abdominal exercise 2 – 30 balance board knee tucks. (view image)
Oblique exercise 2 – 2 sets side planks on each side. Remember to hold for 30 seconds on each side. (view image)
Moderate Intensity Elliptical Trainer – 5 minutes of elliptical trainer at moderate intensity (ie.level 5)
Abdominal Exercise 3 – 2 sets of 10 hanging leg raises (view image)
Lower back extensions – 2 sets of 10. (view image)
Bike Machine Cool Down – 5 minutes of moderate intensity on bike machine (ie.level 5)

I want to make it so that you never waiver with this workout so here’s another tip. Print this abdominal weight loss workout and review it on the morning that you will do this. This will keep it fresh in your mind and keep you on track.

Recommended Supplements
This is probably the most intensive supplement package I have come across which is made for men and women individually. They include pretty much everything you will ever need to burn that fat and accelerate abdominal weight loss attack. Check it out:

• Women’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo
• Men’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo

Conclusion: Abdominal Weight Loss Attack

Remember this is an extreme workout so if you can’t complete it or need to water it down the first several sessions feel free to do so and don’t get discouraged. The goal here is to have something to really achieve and if you can stick with this workout at least once or twice a week for 4-6 weeks you are going to see some fantastic results in your abdominal area, your core will be much stronger and you are going to feel amazing when you look at yourself in the mirror after doing this.

Have any questions, thoughts or feedback about this routine? Please leave a comment below…

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Lower Back Pain Exercises

We’ve all at some point had some pain in our lower back and we know how debilitating and scary it can be. The drug companies know this and have created many drugs to help us with this pain relief, but what about taking some of the best medicine money can’t buy! By this I mean, preventative education and strength training of the lower back.

The muscles which cause lower back pain include the Lats, Erector Spinae and the Glutes because they are all attached and cross over each other. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to strengthen these muscles and this article looks at the most effective exercise to do this.

Try including this routine into your back workout, and do 3 sets of each exercise for a total of 8-12 reps.

Stiff Leg Deadlift with Dumbbells: You can do this exercise with a barbell or dumbbells, but I prefer starting my with dumbbells because it allows you to get comfortable with the movement and focus more on keeping your core tight rather than trying to balance the barbell. Remember to keep a natural arch in your back! (view image)

Back Extensions: You need a hyperextension bench for this exercise but most quality gyms to possess them. When doing this exercise you can lower yourself with a smooth slow motion and then raise back up so your back is straight, try not to go over board and bend back further as this can cause unnecessary strain. To make this exercise a little more challenging you can also add a slight twist when coming back up. (view image)

Superman Exercise: This is such a great and simple exercise to do, I’m surprised I don’t see it more often in the gym. Just lie face down on a mat and bring your arms up like you are going to fly like Superman. Now slowly rise your arms, legs and chest off the floor and hold this for 2 seconds. To get the most out of this exercise focus on tightening your lower back muscles at the top of the movement. (view image)

Lower Back Pain Exercises: Taking it Further

If you have a day where you are focusing on strengthening your core this would be a great addition to that day. After all, it’s your entire core including your abs, obliques and lower back muscles which will give you the best foundation to build muscle on and prevent lower back pain. Some other articles which will help you in this area include: oblique exercises, exercise ball abdominal workout, 6 pack abs checklist, Tone Lower Abs Workout, and abdominal workout

Conclusion:

Are you ready to strengthen your lower back with the highly effective exercises pointed out in this article? Make sure you take it nice and slow and start with light weights. You may experience tightness the next day, if that’s the case remember to ice for 15 minutes at a time every couple hours and this would be an excellent time to see a registered massage therapist to help you get blood flowing and those muscle nourished so they can become strong and toned up.

Have any questions or comments about Lower Back Pain Exercises? Please leave a comment below…

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Pull-Ups: Exercise of the Week

Thought I’d introduce an exercise many people have a challenge with – pull-ups. Because you are having to lift your entire weight and use only your upper body to do this, most everyone is quite intimidated by this one exercise. There is no real way to cheat other than swinging, and you probably feel pretty embarrassed if all you’re doing is monkeying around trying to lift your body repetitively so let’s look at the right way to do this exercise and how we can build strength to make this a breeze.

Now one note, the pull-up is different than the chin-up because you are using an underhand grip rather than an overhand grip. Most likely you will find the underhanded pull-up is easier since your biceps can really come into play to push you up.

Let’s get into the details of this exercise…

Pull-Ups Instructions

• Jump up and grab the bar with an underhand grip.
• Your hands should be about shoulder width apart.
• Lift yourself up until your elbows hit your sides.
• Lower yourself slowly until arms are full extended.

Muscles used in Pull-ups:

Primary – Lats
Secondary – Forearm muscles (Brachialis and Brachioradialis), Shoulders (Posterior Deltoids), Traps (lower & middle), Chest (Pectoralis major and minor),
Stabilizers – Biceps, Triceps

Points to focus on:

• You should have at least a 2 second count on the way up and on the way down
• Your main point of focus should be on your lats muscles
• Make sure you are not swinging and using that momentum for lifting yourself up
• Keep elbows stationary
• Keep abs tight to bring balance
• Concentrate on moving shoulder blades back

Common Mistakes:

• Swinging
• Moving legs
• Going too fast

Recommended Exercise Routine:

3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Recommended Supplements with this Exercise:

SuperPump – Gaspari Nutrition’s SuperPump250
Creatine Monohydrate – Fusion Bodybuilding’s Purple-K
Whey Protein – Optimum 100% Whey Protein

Conclusion – Pull-Ups

This is a very tough exercise, but the key is to not give up. Even if you have to start at only doing 2 repetitions in a set just trying increasing the number of repetitions by one each week. Pull-ups are a fantastic exercise because the involve so many muscles and if you are trying to build strength in your arms and mid-back this is definitely one of the best exercises out there for this.

Have any questions or thoughts about this exercise? Please leave a comment below…

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Sean Faris Workout

If you haven’t heard of this guy you are going to hear of him a lot more real soon. Sean Faris was recently cover guy on Men’s Health and his role in the movie “Never Back Down” and appearance in the tv series “Vampire Diaries” is paving a whole new road for upcoming thriller and actions flicks.

Sean’s six pack abs are based on a very strong fundamental knowledge of what it takes to win in the gym and this article is going to highlight his most valuable experience. If you think he’s genetically blessed you might have a wake-up call once you see his determination and devotion to be in the best shape of his life.

Sean Faris Workout Advice:

Let’s look at some of the advice Sean gives from his experience with personal trainers and preparing for a role in movie with his shirt off…

• Start with 2 sets instead of 3
• Focus on using free weights only at first
• Aim for hitting a certain number of reps of one exercise to help push you to the next level
• Don’t go for heavy but for form
• Have fun outside the gym

Start with 2 sets instead of 3
I love his advice on starting small! Instead of doing 3 sets Sean has had success with starting at 2 sets of any exercise. I believe you too will find this makes quite a difference in the gym and not overwhelming your body with too much at once.

Focus on using free weights only at first
Free weight is a great way to start and even focus on as you become very advanced in your workouts. I use it with all my clients because free weights not only help balance the muscles in the left and right side of the body but also make you focus on tightening your core and amping up your time in the gym.

Aim for hitting a certain number of reps of one exercise
Great way to add variety and build up the strength of a weak muscle is by trying to hit a certain number of reps in one exercise no matter how many reps it takes.

Don’t go for heavy but for form
Time and time again we all see this in the gym…guys going too heavy and sacrificing form. The only thing is they are cheating themselves since proper form builds strength and muscle size quicker than cheating with heavier weights.

Have fun outside the gym
Doing the same routine time and time again gets boring after several weeks so adding variety every 4 weeks is essential and if you can add in different sports you are also going to keep things much more exciting. Challenge yourself with trying different sports and realize that everyone is a beginner at some time!

Ok, so taking all this advice into effect let’s start with a workout we can build on over time…

Sean Faris Workout Routine

Key here is to start out with 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions and keep adding either reps or weight each time. Therefore this is a basic workout that you must build on over time, but it’s most important that you improve your form and strength before advancing by only doing 3 exercises/day which involve the body’s most major muscle groups.

Day 1: Lower Body

2 sets 8-12 reps Barbell Squat ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Barbell Deadlift ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Barbell Lunge ( refer to photo here )

Day 3: Abs/Core

2 sets 8-12 reps Ab crunches on Stability ball ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Woodchopper with medicine ball ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Bosu Runners ( refer to photo here )

Day 5: Upper Body

2 sets 8-12 reps Dumbbell Arnold Presses ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Dumbbell Chest Presses ( refer to photo here )
2 sets 8-12 reps Chin Ups ( refer to photo here )

Days 2/6: Cardio
This is when you can be creative with your cardio session. Try 30 minutes running, high intensity interval training, kickboxing, jumping rope, biking, hiking or any other exercise which really accelerates your heart rate!

Disclaimer: This workout routine is in no way associated or endorsed by Sean Faris. It is only a simulated routine that is developed to provide similar results.

Supplements to Increase Your Strength and Give You Killer Abs like Sean Faris

You may want to take this workout to the next level and if you have a limited time that you’re reaching your goal then some of these supplements have the best research and testimonials to back them up:

Carb and Fat Inhibitor: (Try BSN Cheaters Relief)
Energy Booster: (Try Labrada Charge Ephedra Free)
Fat Burner: (Try Cellucor WS1 Extreme)
Lean Protein Powder: (Try BSN Lean Dessert Protein Shake)
Stress & Fatigue Fighter: (Try Goliath Labs Thermoloid)

Sean Faris Workout Conclusion:

As you’ll see above this is a good foundation for a workout plan which you can quickly accelerate and build up on. As Sean Faris recommends just keep pushing yourself in each day and after 4 weeks make sure to change it up completely. You can reference the workouts and training section of this site for more advanced workouts or other exercises you can add to this routine to target your weakest muscles.

Have any feedback/questions about this workout? Please leave a comment below:

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Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan Countdown

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and whether you’re single or not the best gift you can give yourself and the person you are trying to woo is the BEST version of you possible, right?

Hopefully you agree with this statement because having a healthy body means more self confidence, more awareness of your body, greater sensory perception and ultimately better sex! Can’t really go wrong on this front so let’s take a look at 4 week workout and diet plan you can implement right away to get into the best shape possible in such little time.

Week 1: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

In this week your biggest challenge is getting ready to take one major leap forward with your diet and workout plan. First things, first! This week you need to drink more water and less sugary drinks (including diet sodas which are linked with overeating problems). Another great alternative is green tea which is full of anti-oxidants, there are many flavors available today (mint, raspberry, peach, chai spiced, vanilla, pomegranate, etc) so you can’t say there isn’t one that strikes your fancy!

In this week you also need to cut out at least 4 days where no junk food is touched. And by junk food I mean pastries, ice cream, candy, chips and all chocolate except dark chocolate.

Your workout plan for this week includes one day of cardio that is at a higher intensity than your usual norm. So if you’re running for 30 minutes switch this up and include 5 sessions of 1 minute sprints and then 25 minutes of your normal running speed.

Week 2: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

Drinking more water and green tea? Good, in this week we add one more day of no junk food at all, so 5 days of staying away from your biggest enemies. Ready for the addition though? Try adding in 1 healthy fruit whey protein shake (view my article on whey protein concentrate vs isolate to see what is right for you) a day as a healthy snack.

Now you will add one day of circuit training with your weights. This means doing your exercises back to back with minimal rest between exercises (aim for less than 30 seconds rest). For ideas on workouts check out the workouts and training section of this site or the highly popular articles workouts for women & workouts for men.

Let’s keep things interesting and have you try a class of something you’ve never taken! Perhaps a cardio kickboxing class, yoga, pilates, spin class, or anything else that is outside your comfort level, have fun with this!

Week 3: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

More than half way there so you are really going to see results this week if you stick with the plan. We’re going to add one more day of absolutely no junk food – just say NO! Tip: anytime you feel a craving coming on have a whey protein smoothie or half a banana.

For your cardio sessions we are now going to do 2 days this week of high intensity interval training. You can aim to try and get to this killer Treadmill Workout Ultimate Routine which incorporates high intensity interval training.

We’re also going to add one more day with weights and you get bonus points if you do it circuit training style with less than 30 seconds rest between exercises. You should be aiming for 7-9 exercises in total followed by a 10 minute flexibility training session.

Week 4: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

Here we go this is judgment week! No junk food this week period! We’re going to stick to very lean meats (especially fish), lots of veggies, fruit, beans and whole grains for a total of 5 meals and 1 or 2 whey protein smoothies a day (remember to check out the healthy recipes section of this site). Resist temptation and at the end of this week you’re going to see the victory!

Training is going to include 3 days of training with weights, 2 days of high intensity interval training and at least one session of hot yoga so you can sweat out all the toxins and warm up your muscles to relax in ways they never have before.

Conclusion

It doesn’t have to be a Valentine’s day countdown to implement this 4 week workout and diet plan, you want to get results to a healthier and sexier you and really benefit from the rewards through all aspects of your life. Try this one out and see for yourself, I bet you will be quite happy with the results!

Have any questions or feedback about this plan? Leave a comment below…

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Abdominal Workout – Exercise Ball

Have you tried a full abdominal workout with just an exercise ball? If not then this workout will give you a push beyond your limits. It’s challenging and yet provides strengthening of your lower back so you aren’t straining in ways usual ab exercises do.

Before we get into the workout here are some things to think about with this workout:

Choosing the right size of exercise ball for you – you’ll have to experiment with the different sized balls and see what fits the curve of your back best. As you build strength with your core using these exercises you can then add variation by changing the size of the ball.

Keeping your chin to chest space constant – if you’re feeling strain in your neck it is usually because of two things. Firstly you may be placing your hands behind your head and pushing against your head during the movement. It’s ok to have your hands behind your head but better yet would be to just lightly touch with your fingertips and make sure you don’t push. The other way to reduce stress is to pretend you have a tennis ball between your chest and chin, keeping that distant constant.

Slow controlled movement – you’re going to get the most out of your ab workouts if you don’t go too fast. Focus on a slow controlled movement with tightening of the midsection and your entire core to activate all those abdominal muscles.

Sets and Reps – Aim for 3 sets and up to 14 reps for each exercise, but feel free to adjust this to make sure you get that burn. If you’re not getting a burn then you’re not getting a lot out of this workout.

Abdominal Workout with Exercise Ball:

Ab crunches on exercise ball (view image)
Ab exercise ball extensions (view image)
Exercise Ball Pull In (view image)
Abdominal crunches legs on exercise ball (view image)
Oblique crunches on exercise ball (view image)
Plank on exercise ball (view image)

Want to take this workout to the next level? It won’t be with more ab exercises, but rather some high intensity training between exercises. Try a 1 minute full on sprint (9.0 mph or higher) on the treadmill. Wow, this will blast definition like nothing else. Just remember to eat healthy to keep the results coming!

Try this workout and let me know what you think? Please leave a comment below:

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Treadmill Workout – Ultimate Routine

Let’s screw all theories regarding weight loss, weight training, toning and defining and let’s look at a very practical treadmill workout routine today. A word of warning – this workout is not for the beginner as it gets very intense very quickly and pushes you right to your limits. It’ll get your heart rate going and your metabolism super-charged allowing your body to burn through fat at an incredibly high rate.

One more thing…this routine actually includes a large portion of high intensity interval training and includes sprints but also periods where it’s more about strengthening and toning by using the gradation button of your treadmill to simulate hills.

Get ready? Get Set! Go…

Treadmill Workout

1 minute – pre-warm up with 3.8 mph and 1.5 elevation
4 minutes – warm up with 6.5 mph

————-Begin HIIT——————
1 minute – 7.0 mph (base speed for our interval training)
30 seconds – 8.5 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph
30 seconds – 9.0 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph
30 seconds – 9.5 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph
30 seconds – 10.0 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph
30 seconds – 10.5 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph (we’ve reached 10 minutes total)

————-Begin Climbing——————
1 minute – 6.0 mph increase elevation to 2.5
2 minutes – 3.8 mph increase elevation to 6.5
2 minutes – 6.0 mph decrease elevation to 2.5
5 minutes – 7.0 mph keep elevation

————-Cool Down——————
3 minutes – 3.8 mph with 1.5 elevation

Conclusion

There we go, this treadmill workout is just 23 minutes but it’s an ultimate routine because if gears you up to a full on sprint, then brings you down and really gets you sweating like mad with a climbing session that will tone your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes (butt!).

Feel free to add variation or use this plan as a goal to reach while you work on a similar but less intense routine until you can get your cardio up to this level. Give it a try and leave a comment below on your thoughts.

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