A Cutting Edge Success Plan:
"28 Days Till Your Wedding" Transformation Attack: Part 2
Last time we talked about getting ready for "The BIG Day," we spent 100% of our discussion on proper nutrition for a quick, healthy, and safe fat loss plan. Training without a proper nutritional approach will leave your results average at best.
But...the combination of EXERCISE + NUTRITION = RESULTS X 4!!!
Now, it's true that you can benefit from any sort of exercise. Just "benefits" is not the focus of this post. We are after MAXIMIZING RESULTS IN THE SHORTEST TIME! And that calls for a training program that produces such results.
First...you have to get this concept through your head:
It’s better to exercise more (burn) and eat more (feed) than to try to lose fat by eating less and exercising less.
(Of course, we’re assuming here that the additional exercise is done properly and the additional food comes from the right sources and at the right times of the day.)
What are some of the biggest benefits of this approach?
For one...you don't have to starve to see results. The amazing thing is with proper training and nutrition, even in energy balance (where calories in theoretically equal calories out), people see increases in sympathetic nervous system activity and metabolic rate. And these increases lead to increased lean muscle and decreased fat mass. Again, without starving!
Here’s an example.
Let's say our groom is eating 2400 calories a day and burning 2400 calories a day. He wouldn’t likely lose or gain any weight. He's in energy balance and that means his weight would remain stable.
Yet if we use the the proper training and nutrition principles that I'm talking about, we can boost the groom’s food intake to 3000 calories a day and boost his calorie burning to 3000 calories a day, the natural assumption is that our groom wouldn’t change. After all, the increased intake and expenditure would cancel each other out, right?
But research has shown that in such a situation there are increases in metabolic rate, losses of fat, and increases in lean muscle! The "scale" weight might not always change but body composition (body fat) certainly does. And that creates a much more desirable looking change than purely "losing weight."
Exercise more, build a better body.
Now...We’re not talking about simply eating larger amounts of food at the same activity level and expecting our metabolism to continue increase. That would just be a recipe for getting fat. We are talking about exercising more so that you can eat more and all the while improve metabolism, lean mass and body fat %.
At this point, you are probably thinking "Enough Jim! Just tell me what to do!!" There are essentially 3 steps to the training for our 28-Day Transformation. Increase calorie expenditure through specific exercise strategies that include a mix of:
1. Strength Training,
2. Interval Exercise,
and
3. Low Intensity Exercise/Cardio.
It's pretty much that simple!
Not everyone should do the exact same exercises, for the exact same reps, and for the exact same about of sets. But there are some general guidelines that I believe ALL of you (brides AND grooms) should adhere to:
- Strength Training Should Be Performed 3-4 Times a Week. The way you split your bodyparts up is purely up to you, your exercise history, and your goals. If going 3 days a week, you can go with full body workouts, and upper/lower body split, or a 3-way push/pull/leg day split.
- Utilize the Big, Compound Movements AND Bodyweight Movements. The bigger movements will have the most bang for the buck. And bodyweight movements are natural, more functional, and have a higher level of neuro-muscular activity. For every 1-2 compound exercise you use (i.e. - Squats, Lunges) , you may sprinkle in an isolation movement (i.e. Leg Curls). Perform anywhere between 2 and 4 work sets per exercise.
- Perfrom Anywhere Between 6 and 15 Reps Per Set. Again, this will be goal AND exercise dependent. But utilizing an array of heavier and lighter work loads will give you the greatest response.
- Utilize High Intensity Interval Bouts 2-3 Times a Week. These are shorter, more intense sessions of cardio. They can be a mixture of speed, strength, and continuous movement. Almost circuit like (common forms that are becoming very En Vogue to now are "Tabatas" and/or "Metabolic Finishers"). These can be anywhere from 5-15 minutes in session length and are commonly utilizing just bodyweight or a very light resistance as your only training tool. They can also be the more common form of interval cardio where you do a combination of sprinting and walking (or whatver higher and lower combination of cardio work you choose) with a 1:1 work/rest ratio for a total of 15-20 minutes. I recommend doing these at the end of your weight training workout (hence the name, Metabolic Finisher).
- Incorporate Some Lower-Intensity, Longer Duration Cardio Work 3-5 Times a Week. This this is the standard hopping on a piece of cardio, getting your heart rate up to an aerobic work zone, and holding it steady. I recommend you get AT LEAST 30 minutes of longer duration cardio in per session, with 40-60 minutes being a much more desired amount. Do these bouts of cardio either on your days off from weight training, a seperate time of day than your weight training, or after your weight training (but NOT on the same days that you include your High-Intensity Interval Bouts).
Like I said, a "cookie-cutter" routine won't work for everyone. There are always going to be some indiviuality that needs to be tweaked into a routine. So just giving you a program to follow is beyond the scope of this post. But I will leave you with an example. Here is workout I used with one of my bride "clients" to get her in the best shape of her life on her wedding day (utilizing full body workouts):
Mondays
1A) Squats x 8-10 reps
• No rest.
1B) Underhand Pulldowns x 8-12 reps
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
2A) Bench Press x 6-8 reps
• No rest.
2B) Stability Ball or Lying Machine Leg Curl x 20 reps (Stability Ball) or 8-12 reps (machine)
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
Interval Finisher
• Do each exercise for 50 seconds and take no more than 10 seconds to start next exercise
• Do 3 rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds.
3A) Burpees
3B) Kettlebell Goblet Squats
3C) Mountain Climbers
3D) Kettlebell Swings
Tuesdays - 40-60 minutes of lower intensity, longer duration cardio
Wednesdays.
1A) Trap Bar Deadlifts or Leg Presses x 6-8 reps
• No rest.
1B) Incline Dumbbell Press x 8-10 reps per side
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
2A) DB Row x 8-12 reps per side
• No rest.
2B) Stability Ball, Exercise Wheel, or Blast Strap Roll/Fall Out x 12-15 reps
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
Interval Finisher - Sprint/Jog (or walk) combination on Treadmill
• Warm-up for 5 minutes before going into an all out sprint/run
• SprintRun for 30 seconds then Jog (or Walk) for 1 minute
• Repeat for a total of 6 Rounds (9 Total Minutes not including warm-up)
Thursdays - 40-60 minutes lower intensity, longer duration cardio
Fridays
1A) Walking Lunges x 8 reps per leg
• No rest.
1B) Standing Alternate Dumbbell Presses x 8 reps per arm
• No rest.
1C) Stability Ball Jackknife Plank x 15 reps
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
2A) Dumbbell or Barbell Romanian/Stiffleg Deadlifts x 10 reps
• No rest.
2B) Pull-up (on assisted machine) x as many reps as possible
• No rest.
2C) Pallof Press x 30 seconds per side
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times.
Interval Finisher - Jumping Rope
• Jump for 1 minute and rest for 1 minute
• Do 5 rounds.
Saturdays - 40 to 60 minutes of lower intensity, longer duration cardio
Sundays - RELAX!
There you have it. Combine the information here with that of Part 1 and in 28 days you will have a great new body to say "I Do" in.
Now...if you excuse me, I'm getting married in 7 hours from typing this. I have lots to do!!!
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James Cipriani
Cutting Edge Personal Training
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