This site may not function properly in the version of Internet Explorer you are using. Please upgrade to the latest version. Or download the latest version of Firefox or Chrome. by Tim Henriques – 12/05/2011

If your goal is to be strong, you're going to have to spend time under the bar. Benches are cool and deadlifts are studly, but there's something special about squats. They're arguably the hardest, and I'm not ashamed to say, the scariest of the big three lifts.

But the experts are divided. Many love squats, seeing them as a cure-all for almost any physique or performance woe, while others say squats are overrated and lead to sore knees, bad backs, and waists as wide as barn doors.

I'm not hear to tell you who's right – although you're likely a pencil-necked geek if you believe the latter – but I will say this with absolute certainty: to get good at squats, you have to squat.

Sure you can get "strong" legs on the leg press or pushing the Prowler, but to demonstrate prowess in the barbell squat, you better spend some time doing just that. Otherwise, anything more than 400 pounds on your back will staple you to the platform no matter how many fat guys you can load on the leg press.

This routine is designed to increase your 1RM in the squat, and likely the deadlift as well. It's a two day-a-week routine. Each day should be spaced 2-4 days apart.

Anyone with a passing familiarity with weight training programming will notice this set up is somewhat similar to a Westside lower body program. Certainly, I'm not claiming to have invented this method – I'm just presenting a plan that's easy to follow and delivers results.

My team followed this to prepare for our last meet and average squat gains were 20-40 pounds in 12 weeks. One guy relatively new to squatting put 70 pounds on his max!

This routine is designed for the raw lifter (one not using a squat suit or knee wraps) at an intermediate to advanced level. The squatting form suggested can vary with the individual but is generally aligned with what's in Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

This is a 12-week routine, consisting of four different three-week long phases.There's one technique day per week, sometimes called a speed day, light day, or dynamic effort (DE) day.There's one heavy day per week, sometimes called a strength day, maximal effort (ME) day, or a bring-your-balls to the gym day.All squats should be performed explosively if possible.If necessary, an intermediate single can be performed after your main sets, before the high percentage set (i.e. 50% 12x2, 65%x1, 80%x1).No warm-up sets are included in this program. Warm-up as needed for all exercises.
Back squat to below parallel. The percentage is based off the 1RM. High percentage set 80% x 1.Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. Mountain climbers with bands wrapped around the ankle and attached to something sturdy. This works the hip flexors, and strong hip flexors help keep the knees healthy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Cluster squats are performed as follows: Perform one rep of a squat, rack it, rest about 30 seconds, perform another rep, repeat. The goal is to get at least 6 reps and hopefully 10 reps (stop at 10). Start with 87.5% of your 1RM and go up 10-20 pounds each workout. These are intense. See the video below for a reference. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week.
Back squat to below parallel. High percentage set 85% x 1. Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. Mountain climbers with bands wrapped around the ankle and attached to something sturdy.Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Romanian rack pull is a rack pull done Romanian style to ensure the shins are vertical and the bar is over the middle of the foot. Work up to a 1RM, no straps. Week 2 is from a height of approximately 14? bar to ground. See the video below for a demonstration. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week.
Back squat to below parallel. High percentage set 90% x 1. Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. Mountain climbers with bands wrapped around the ankle and attached to something sturdy.Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Using the same height box as on the technique days, work up to a 1RM. Sit softly on the box, no plopping. I?m fine with a slight lean back on the box and then a lean forward once the lifter is sitting down. See the video below for a demonstration. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week.
Low box is below parallel, likely 10-14" high for most lifters. 14" is pushing it. High percentage set 80% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. Cluster squats are performed as follows: Perform one rep of a squat, rack it, rest about 30 seconds, perform another rep, repeat. The goal is to get at least 6 reps and hopefully 10 reps (stop at 10). Go up 10-20 pounds each workout. These are intense. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. * w/straps

Low box is below parallel, likely 10-14" high for most lifters. 14" is pushing it. High percentage set 85% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. Romanian rack pull is a rack pull done Romanian style to ensure the shins are vertical and the bar is over the middle of the foot. Work up to a 1RM, no straps. Week 5 is from a height of approximately 11? (bar to ground) combined with light bands, double looped. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. * w/straps

Low box is below parallel, likely 10-14" high for most lifters. 14" is pushing it. High percentage set 90% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. * w/straps

Squat with light bands can be to a box or not, your preference. See the following video for a demonstration. The weight listed is not including the bands. High percentage set 80% x 1. Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. For the hip flexor with the sled, do one trip with a high knee and the other trip with a straight leg kick (sometimes called a Frankenstein walk). See the video below for a demonstration (the Frankenstein walk portion starts at the 30-45 second mark). Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Cluster squats are performed as follows: Perform one rep of a squat, rack it, rest about 30 seconds, perform another rep, repeat. The goal is to get at least 6 reps and hopefully 10 reps (stop at 10). Go up 10-20 pounds each workout. These are intense. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10-20 pounds per set every week for assistance work. Keep it moderate intensity and form should be strict.
Squat with light bands can be to a box or not, your preference. The weight listed is not including the bands. High percentage set 85% x 1. Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. For the hip flexor with the sled, do one trip with a high knee and the other trip with a straight leg kick. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Stand on something about 4? high and work up to a 1RM. If form/flexibility are an issue, work up to a 3-5RM on regular deadlifts. See the video below for reference. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10-20 pounds per set every week for assistance work. Keep it moderate intensity and form should be strict.
Squat with light bands can be to a box or not, your preference. The weight listed is not including the bands. High percentage set 90% x 1. Glute ham raise is total reps – use as many sets as necessary to get there. Try to decrease sets over time. For the hip flexor with the sled, do one trip with a high knee and the other trip with a straight leg kick. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. * as many sets as necessary

Low box squat w/reverse avg. bandsUsing the same height box as on the technique days, work up to a 1RM. Sit softly on the box, no plopping. I?m fine with a slight lean back on the box and then a lean forward once the lifter is sitting down. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10 pounds per set every week. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 10-20 pounds per set every week for assistance work. Keep it moderate intensity and form should be strict.
Back squat to below parallel. High percentage set 85% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. Cluster squats are performed as follows: Perform one rep of a squat, rack it, rest about 30 seconds, perform another rep, repeat. The goal is to get at least 6 reps and hopefully 10 reps (stop at 10). Go up 10-20 pounds each workout. These are intense. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. In this phase use ascending sets and go heavy.
Back squat to below parallel. High percentage set 90% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. Good mornings for maximum effortWork up to a 3RM or pick a reasonably heavy weight (heavier than assistance work sets) and rep that weight out for as many reps as possible. Go heavy and feel free to bend the knees a bit, arch the back, and keep the shins near vertical if possible. You?ll want to do this low bar style and you?ll probably bend forward about 60-80 degrees when working with max weight. The goal is safe form combined with good effort. You don?t need to be a form Nazi. See the video below for reference. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. In this phase use ascending sets and go heavy.
Back squat to below parallel. High percentage set 95% x 1. Use about a 6 count on the way down, pause at the bottom for a full count, then normal speed back up. Use ascending sets and try to increase each set by about 10 lbs a week or 5%. Performed Romanian style, and is used to build balance and symmetrical power. You don't have to go super heavy. Reverse hyper refers to straight weight each set. Go up about 10 pounds a week continually. You can either repeat the max exercise you did on week 3, 6, or 9 and try to increase your 1RM by 5-20 pounds, or you can rest. You could also plan this cycle to peak for a meet. Ascending sets are ideal. Go up about 20 pounds per set every week. In this phase use ascending sets and go heavy.

While this program is focused on the squat it also trains the deadlift. In my experience the good deadlifters (550+ pullers) shouldn't need much extra pulling, although the not-so-good deadlifters (400-500 lbs or so) might see some benefit from it, which is why I listed deadlifts as optional.

You can either perform the optional deadlifts as speed deads to work on form (4-6 sets of 1-3 reps at about 50-60% 1RM), or one good set of about 8 reps (pick a reasonably light weight, do that for 8, then go up 10-20 pounds each week and repeat for as long as possible).

You could also follow an alternating pattern of sorts. When the heavy exercise is deadlift-related, as in the second week of each phase, go light and do speed work – or just skip regular deadlifts all together. If the heavy exercise is squat-related (the first and third week of each phase), then perform the heavier deadlift set if necessary.

How about that, you lucky bastards – a 12-week lower body cycle all laid out for you, fresh, neat and pretty-like. You can combine this with whatever non-stupid upper body program you happen to be following, although starting the week with the technique day and finishing with the heavy day is ideal.

Remember that reading and dissecting workout programs is nice and all, but following them and busting your hump is where the real dividends pay off. If you have any questions about this program please post them in the Livespill. I'm confident there's a PR squat waiting for you at the end of this 12-week journey.

Tim Henriques is the Director of the National Personal Training Institute of VA. He's competed in strongman, arm wrestling, and powerlifting, where he holds the state record for the deadlift of 700 pounds at 198.

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Tags: Squat

Welcome newcomers! If you want to build muscle, lose fat, boost your performance and improve your health you're in the right place. To make sure you don't miss out on any new updates you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed and sign up for my newsletter list. Thanks for visiting!

What food you put in your body is probably the single most important decision you make every day. A lot of us have that down and always make very healthy choices. Or so we think…

Unfortunately, what’s a healthy choice for me may not be a healthy choice for you. Everyone reacts differently to certain foods. For the most part you can’t go wrong with lean protein, vegetables and berries. Those foods seem to be tolerated very well by the majority of people. Once you veer off that list it gets a little bit more complicated.

Foods like grains, eggs, nuts, certain fruits, legumes and dairy can all have negative effects on people’s digestive systems. When your digestion gets messed up so does everything else.

So what I suggest is that for a week or so you simply keep a food journal. Write down what you ate and then make note of how you felt during the 60-90 minutes following that meal. What you discover may surprise you.

I’ll use myself as an example.

I love sweet potatoes, but when I really cued in on everything I was eating and recorded it all with notes I realized that sweet potatoes make me feel a lot worse than white, red or Yukon gold potatoes.

Quinoa gives me an instant headache.

Oatmeal just makes me feel blah and I have no energy.

Nothing makes me feel better than red meat. I feel incredible after eating it and have zero digestion issues.

Eggs are one of my favorite foods yet if I eat them too much I get a similar (though nowhere near as severe) feeling that I get from eating oatmeal. One tip for egg lovers is to make sure you don’t eat them every day and to always change the way you cook them (hard boiled, fried, scrambled, etc.).

I love nuts and nut butters, but unfortunately I have adverse reactions to many of these. Some cause digestive issues, others cause my throat to get scratchy.

Same with apples. The only apple I can eat is a Pink Lady. If I eat other types of apples my throat gets itchy and slightly swollen and my stomach just doesn’t feel right.

Many of these reactions aren’t the end of the world so I continue to eat these foods (eggs, nuts and apples; never really quinoa or oats anymore) occasionally just because I enjoy them so much. You don’t have to give up every single pleasure in your life.

The point of this little exercise is to identify what causes adverse reactions in your body. If you eat something and it causes your nose to run, as do certain foods I eat, that means you’re not meant to eat that food. If a food doesn’t agree with you, sure you can deal with excess mucus production for a little while or a scratchy throat, but just imagine how much better you would feel if you eliminated all the foods you can’t tolerate. You’d be unstoppable because you’d be operating at 100% and firing on all cylinders.

You see, any time your body has to react to an outside stressor like that you’re taking vital energy away that could be used more efficiently elsewhere, like recovering from workouts, etc.

So take the time and do this for a week. Then cut out the foods that are causing you problems and note how much better you feel. Some may make such a big difference that you’ll vow to never eat them again. Others may be your favorites and even though they cause some minor problems you’ll allow yourself to have them for a treat on occasion.

It’s up to you but I think it’s very important to at least know what is causing you problems.

If you really wanna take it up a notch do a full blown elimination diet and get rid of all foods that are known to cause allergies or inflammation then gradually add them back in one at a time.

It’s a short time to sacrifice considering you’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you. And every one of those days could be a lot better if cut out the stuff that’s making you feel like crap.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is too simple to make a huge difference. This could be a lot more significant than changing your training split or improving your squat technique. Digestive health is crucially important to how you look, feel and perform.

Don’t ignore it.

Tags: Adverse Reactions, Digestion, Digestive Systems, Egg Lovers, Favorite Foods, Food Journal, Fruits Legumes, Grains, Healthy Choice, Healthy Choices, Lean Protein, Nut Butters, Oatmeal, Pink Lady, Red Meat, Stom, Sweet Potatoes, Types Of Apples, Whole Lot, Yukon Gold Potatoes

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Tags: Better, Perform, Simple, Whole

Throughout any given day we might find ourselves doing all sorts of different physical activities-each requiring different muscles and diverse combinations of skill sets. Cross-fitness was born out of this idea. It means to train across multiple disciplines that develop different skills such as strength, agility, speed and endurance. While modern cross-fitness was popularized by guys in the military and law enforcement, its roots can probably be traced way back to the days of the Spartans in ancient Greece.

It has even spawned its own "underground" fitness craze known as CrossFit. In 2002, a guy named Greg Glassman in Santa Cruz California built a website that he used to measure the efficiency of his workouts. From there, it just took off. Today CrossFit is used by law enforcement, public safety, and military personnel as well as thousands of competitive athletes, elite athletes, martial arts practitioners and lots more from around the globe.

Why has CrossFit become so popular?

One reason is that people are becoming more knowledgeable about overall fitness, realizing that a one-dimensional approach can be limiting. For example, just because a guy lifts weight and maybe looks really buff, it doesn't necessarily mean that he is really all that strong-big muscles aren't always powerful muscles. It also doesn't mean that he's particularly athletic and could compete in a competition that requires strength, agility or endurance.

Strongman competitions are an excellent illustration of what I'm talking about. These guys are not only big-they're also strong, agile and have endurance too. A typical competition might require them to toss kegs in the air, carry up to 300 lbs in each hand across a distance as fast as they can or they might even have to drag a semi-truck across a field. Qualifying and winning these competitions requires competitors to focus on developing multiple, diverse skill sets at the same time.

So what exactly does a CrossFit work-out entail? First off, there are a lot of different exercises from which to choose. A typical training session might blend power lifting, gymnastics and sprinting. Exercises are done using free weights, kettlebells, body weight exercises and more. The exercises are done hard and they're done fast with little or no rest in between sets.

Here is a very basic beginner's CrossFit routine:

A 400-meter Jog/run;

Deadlift;

Push-press; and

Squat

This is a five-day-a-week routine that can be completed in less than 30 minutes. On day one you jog/run and do deadlifts; the next day it's just the jog/run; day three is jog/run and push-press; day 4 is jog/run and day 5 is jog/run and squat. You improve your capacity by running faster and gradually increasing your weights each week. As you improve you can move up to more advanced routines that include more difficult and more complex exercises.

CrossFit can be done at they gym, in the park or at home-it doesn't require fancy high-tech equipment. In fact, the routine above only requires two pieces of equipment: an Olympic bar and some plates. Overall, CrossFit exercises are designed to easy-to-learn and able to be mastered by persons of any skill or competency level. Overall there are ten domains where CrossFit athletes strive for proficiency: stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, coordination, and accuracy.

And that's why CrossFit has long been a staple among military, law enforcement and public safety personnel. These people need to be prepared for anything. At any given time they might have to scale a wall, chase down, tackle and subdue a suspect or enemy, carry a person to safety, clear debris to rescue a trapped victim or find themselves in any other number of situations requiring a great deal of physical prowess and skill. So in order to do their jobs right, they need to use multi-disciplinary strategies-a one dimensional approach just won't do.

In the seven years since it was founded, CrossFit has come a long way.

Nowadays CrossFit trainers can even get certified. Currently, there are two levels of certification: Fundamentals and Virtuosity. The Fundamentals course focuses on methods, concepts and movements. Level II certification-Virtuosity-enables you to teach CrossFit to others. Training seminars are held year-round across the country and around the globe. Each certification costs about $1,000.

So if you're looking for something different, are interested in developing multiple skill sets, really want to get into all-around good shape and are sure that you're up to the challenge, you might want to give CrossFit a try.

Mike Westerdal is the author of "Dumbbell Exercises and Lifting Routines" To Help You Gain More Muscle, Lose Weight, or Just Get Yourself in Better Physical Shape... WITHOUT the Hassles, and Expenses of Health Clubs. Increase Your Muscle Size And Improve Your Physical Fitness In 90 Days - Guaranteed.

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Tags: Craze, CrossFit, Right

Welcome newcomers! If you want to build muscle, lose fat, boost your performance and improve your health you're in the right place. To make sure you don't miss out on any new updates you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed and sign up for my newsletter list. Thanks for visiting!

This post is for anyone who owns any of my programs (like the brand new Rampage 2.0)  just in case I didn’t include these notes anywhere in the workout notes or haven’t mentioned it somewhere in the past.

I write most of my programs with public gym goers in mind or those with limited amounts of stuff in their basement or garage gym. But if you have access to other stuff the training can be greatly enhanced.

With access to unlimited tools I would write many programs differently.

Here are some very important notes regarding all of my programs and changes you can feel free to make:

1) When I prescribe a deadlift you can and should always sub in the trap bar if you have one. High handles is my preferred option and deadlifts should never be close to failure. Smooth, clean reps are the way to stay injury free. The deadlift is the main exercise where submaximal training is of the utmost importance.

2) Because I assume that most people might not have the better option available to them I tend to write “rack deadlifts” out of habit when in reality I recommend pulling from rubber mats or blocks instead. That is a far safer option and much less stressful than pulling off pins (the same way that pressing off boards is safer and less stressful than pressing off pins). So if you have those use them.

Search some online fitness equipment stores and you should be able to find a place that sells small rubber mats. But a bunch of them or cut your own and stack the mats to do pulls from mid shin height to just above the knee. The difference between pulling off of these rubber blocks and pins will be instantly noticeable and you won’t believe how much better your back will feel.

As a side note for home gym owners, getting squat stands instead of a power rack with some rubber mats is a cheaper option and gives you everything you need. If you can get squat stands with a chin up bar you’re pretty much set.

3) If you have a climbing rope you can sub in rope climbs for chin ups. You could also sub in a modified rope climb where you start laying back on the floor for whatever type of rows are listed (See video below).

4) If you have wheelbarrow and train at home feel free to finish your workouts with some loaded wheelbarrow walks. These are basically the same as farmers walks and will build up the traps, grip and core along with total body functional strength and stability.

5) If you have a rope and a sled or prowler feel free to sub in some rope sled rows for whatever rows I have listed in the program. Rows with a two inch diameter rope will build up the forearms and biceps like almost nothing else.

6) If you have Fat Gripz you should use them on any press, curl or single leg lower body variation. Actually I should rephrase this. It shouldn’t be “if” you have Fat Gripz. You SHOULD have Fat Gripz.

A fat handle on the bar or dumbbell is infinitely safer for your elbows and shoulders and also eliminates the need for much direct grip or forearm work.

I personally would never recommend not training with a fat bar or fat handled dumbbells. It’s simply not worth the injury risk. Those skinny handles are an elbow injury in the making that will creep up on you sooner or later.

8] That said, if you own a fat bar it should be subbed in for all forms of straight bar pressing.

9) If you own a Swiss bar or football bar it can also be subbed in for all forms of pressing. Put the Fat Gripz on and you’ve got a winner. Pressing a straight bar is unnatural and stressful. Always opt for a bar with parallel or angled handles when available.

10) Muscle Gaining Secrets isn’t necessarily a sports performance program but you can definitely feel free to add three sets of five box jumps or med ball throws or power snatches from the hang before the workouts for explosive power development and to fire up the CNS before the main work.

11) If you have battling ropes feel free to use them for 5-10 minutes after any workout as a finisher.

12) If you have chains you can sub them in and use them for curls or even Dumbbell military presses, incline presses or flat presses. Simply attach cable handles to them and put the Fat Gripz over them.

13) Neck work can always be included at the end if it’s not prescribed. No one couldn’t benefit from having a stronger neck. Stick with 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps on the neck harness, front neck flexion and side neck flexion.

14) If you own a prowler or sled feel free to add it to the end of workouts for 5-15 minutes for conditioning.

***Shameless plug alert***

Finally, make sure you pick up my newest program, Rampage 2.0. It’s on sale today at an insanely low price but after that it’s going into the vault for good.

Grab it HERE.

Tags: Chin Up Bar, Climbing Rope, Deadlift, Failure, Fitness Equipment Stores, Garage Gym, Gym Goers, Gym Owners, Habit, Home Gym, Pins, Power Rack, Preferred Option, Public Gym, Rampage 2, Rubber Blocks, Rubber Mats, Trap Bar, Utmost Importance, Workout

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Tags: Important, Notes, Programming

If you have been looking to put on some serious mass, then this is the plan for you.

Week One:

Diet

Meals every two to three hours upon waking.

Meal One: (breakfast) Half cup of oatmeal and Supplement.
Meal Two: (mid-morning school snack) Whole grain peanut butter sandwich or whole grain turkey sandwich double meat or handful of nuts and apple or pear

Meal Three - (lunch) Two grilled chicken breasts or med. can of tuna with handful of green veggies or handful of salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing

Meal Four - (late afternoon snack probably post workout) Supplement
Meal Five - (dinner) One and a half handfuls of lean meat such as london broil, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, tuna steaks, or salmon with two handfuls of green veggies and med. sweet potato or handful of brown rice

Meal Six - (bedtime) Supplement

Helpful Tips:

* Drink only water and never miss meals.
* Try not to eat until full at each sitting.
* Pick Sat. or Sun. as a free or cheat day.

Buy groceries once a week and you buy the amount of whichever foods you decide you will use in a week - oatmeal, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, brown rice, green veggies or salads, med. sweet potatoes, oil/vinegar, sliced turkey, peanut butter, apples and pears, almonds unsalted.

Workouts

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs & Abs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets leg press 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets leg curls 8-10 reps
3 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
2 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders & Abs

5 min. warm-up
4 sets dumbbell shoulder presses 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dips on edge of bench 8-10 reps
4 sets rope pressdowns 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell alternate hammer curls
4 sets decline bench crunches
2 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets flat dumbbell bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets seated Hammer Strength low row 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip Hammer Strength high row 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Two:

Diet

Meals stay the same, but the workouts change as follows:

Workouts

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs & Abs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets walking dumbbell lunges 10-12 steps each leg
4 sets leg extensions with toes turned in 8-10 reps
4 sets leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
3 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike.

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets barbell shoulder presses to front 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dips on dip machine 8-10 reps
4 sets rope press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches
4 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline dumbbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets flat barbell bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets wide grip lat pull downs 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Three:

Diet

Meals stay the same, but the workouts change as follows:

Workout

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets barbell squats 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets seated leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
4 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets barbell shoulder presses behind the neck 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating front dumbbell raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell kickbacks 8-10 reps
4 sets straight bar press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating dumbbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches
4 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline barbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets incline dumbbell flyes 10-12 reps
4 sets Hammer Strength wide chest presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip (hands shoulder width) lat pull downs 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Four:

Diet

Add a Supplement at either meal two or three.

Workout

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets smith machine squats 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets lying leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets leg press calf raises 8-10 reps
4 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
2 sets inner/outer thigh machine 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg raises
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets dumbbell shoulder presses 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating front dumbbell raises
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell two arm overhead extension 8-10 reps
4 sets rope press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell hammer curls 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating dumbbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches w/ 25 pound plate
4 sets hanging leg raises w/10 pound dumbbell between feet
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline barbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets incline dumbbell flyes 10-12 reps
4 sets Hammer Strength wide chest presses 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip (hands shoulder width) lat pull downs 8-10 reps
4 sets machine pullovers 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

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Tags: Muscle, Putting