Sunday, May 31, 2009

New Motivation for getting my 6 pack

As I stated in my last post, I was blessed with the birth of my son last Monday. Honestly, it was quite a surreal experience and I will never forget it!





Even though I had my share of hospital food and take-out while my wife and son were in the hospital I still manged to lose my 2 pounds this week and am down to 190lbs! I even managed to get 3 workouts in this week!


There will be some changes with my goals going forward though.

Getting 7 hours of continuous sleep will be impossible for the next few months.

I think getting to the gym 6 days a week will also be very hard too!

So I have come up with a plan to try and stick to my long-term goal of 6 pack abs.

First I am going to try and get to bed a lot earlier ( I already blew that one tonight, lol) so I can get some more sleep. I am also going to schedule a nap for myself during the weekends.

Since I will not be able to get to the gym as much as I wanted, I plan to hit the heavy bag a lot more and pick more workouts from the Turbulence Training 6 Month Body Weight Manual or the many other TT Body Weight Workouts for my off-day workouts.

Surprisingly my eating has been very clean since we left the hospital. The new grandparents have been cooking for us, but knowing that I am trying to reach my goal, they have been cooking some very healthy and delicious meals!

Once I am a couple more weeks into the competition I will re-evaluate my weight and measurements. If I feel I have not progressed I may start doing Eat Stop Eat two times a week instead of one.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Get a 6 pack with a CHEAP TT Membership!

It's been a long time since I've posted, but I have 2 announcements, both of which are great!

1. My wife gave birth to our first child on Monday night! Jeffrey was born at 6:26pm, weighed 8.4lbs and was 21.5 inches long! I'll post more on my little bundle of joy later tonight, but both Jeffrey and Mommy are doing great!!

2. Craig from Turbulence Training is offering a great deal that ends tonight at midnight!! Remember I've used Turbulence Training to lose 25lbs so far this year.

Today is your last day to get a free 3-month TT membership...
...and you can get it when you take the Turbulence Training trial offer.
A $59.85 value for only $4.95...

Click here to get started:

=> Turbulence Training

Helping you transform your body this summer,

Mike

PS - This offer expires on TONIGHT at midnight (sorry for the short notice, the baby has been my #1 priority lately).

Click here so you don't miss out:
=> Turbulence Training

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Knowledge = 6 Pack Abs?

In order to achieve the goal of 6 pack abs you need to know what you are doing with your eating habits and your exercise program. If you mess up either one of those, then you most likely won't get lean and won't see your 6 pack.


That is why I think knowledge is a key part of getting 6 pack abs. With the internet there are plenty of useful places to look.


I know exactly what you are thinking:


1. "Mike, how am I supposed to find something that works and isn't a scam?"


2. "Mike most of the sites on the internet want me to pay for an ebook!"


To find information that isn't a scam is actually pretty easy. Find sites that are written by well established trainers. If you find a blog, see how many followers there are and see if the trainer posts success stories.


A lot of the sites out there do want you to buy their ebooks. So how did I get around this? Most of those sites offer FREE email news letters. In these news letters the trainers usually give away some free tips. If you read and collect these newsletters you can obtain a lot of FREE information!


Now not all sites will work for you, that's why I will subscribe to the newsletters to see if the trainers basic techniques work. After all, you are the only person with your body and you need to find out what works for you.


For example look at the bodyweight workout I got off of Workoutmuse.com. I plan to do this for my next off-day workout:


Do 3-5 Circuits and take 1-2 minutes rest between circuits:


1. Burpees - 40 sec on, 20 sec off

2. Jump Squats -- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

3. Mountain Climbers- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

4. Rolling Pushups- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

5. Burpees- 40 sec on, 20 sec off


I did this with Craig's newsletter and then subscribed to Turbulence Training and it has worked out great so far.


I am still subscribing to newsletters because I know that the body adapts pretty quickly and I am looking for a possible change of pace to Turbulence Training. When I do decide to purchase something I will review it here.


If you are looking for sites to start with, please look at the links on the right side of my blog. They all offer free newsletters so you can gain the knowledge you need to get lean and get 6 pack abs! I will also be updating my blog roll as I find good training and dieting sites.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Week 1 Results, 1 Week Closer to a 6 Pack!

Well 1 week is officially over! I weighed in at 191.5lbs, down 2.5lbs for the week from 194!

I was actually expecting to lose more. The first week is usually the week I'd lose all of my bloat from retained water. However, between the transformation contests I didn't drink nearly as much soda as I would have back in my 'bigger' days!

As long as I continue to lose 2lbs of fat a week I will be happy. If next week is not around that number than I will probably go back to using FitDay. But for now, since I am trying to make this a lifestyle change I want to see if I can control my portions and calories myself and not have a dependence on FitDay. I think that is the best way to get lean and stay there, hopefully staying there with my 6 pack abs once this contest is over.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Eat Stop Eat my way to 6 Pack Abs!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I keep saying that a great fat loss diet (ie. healthy lifestyle eating) is the fastest way to 6 pack abs. Friday my eating was totally clean. It was clean because I ate NOTHING!!

I know you are saying that this can't be healthy. Although I was burning calories, I must have been burning muscle, right? Well you're wrong! Brad Pilon has a great book about fasting called Eat Stop Eat.

I'm not going to get into the scientifics of it, but Brad tells us that fasting 1-2 days a week can actually be helpful in fat loss. He states that this will not bring your body into starvation mode, but can actually help with insulin levels and help increase growth hormone in the body. Both of these play key roles in burning fat and muscle growth.

I am personally going to do Eat Stop Eat once per week along with my healthy eating habits the other 6 days a week.

Here are some questions friends have asked me about Eat Stop Eat:

I can't make the 24 hours without eating, how do you do it?

If you time your fasts the right way, you can sleep through a majority of the fast. I started at 7pm Thursday night and ended at 7pm Friday night. I went to bed at 10pm on Thurs night and slept until 7am on Friday morning. That's 9 hours of the fast and I wasn't even awake!!

If I'm fasting that means I can't eat or drink anything?

No, you can drink zero calorie drinks. This means you can have plenty of water, green tea, BLACK coffee, and although I don't recommend it, you can have diet soda.

Won't I get light headed?

I have been doing Eat Stop Eat since January and have yet to feel light headed. I always make sure to keep drinking to avoid this. During my fasting days, I take in at least double the amount of water I normally do. This keeps me from becoming light headed and also keeps me from feeling hungry.

Here is some detail from 24 hour fast.

Thursday at 7pm I finished my dinner and started my fast. I had a couple glasses of water and then went to bed at 10pm.

I awoke at 7am and got ready for work. I drank a glass of water and made a pot of coffee. I had a BLACK cup of coffee and began work.

From 9am -11:30am I was able to do all of my work without any problems or any feeling of being hungry. I continued to drink water during this time period to try and keep myself from feeling hungry.

At 11:30 I had another cup of black coffee to get ready for the gym. I immediately followed this with a glass of water to keep from becoming dehydrated.

12pm - I went to the gym and the fast had NO effect on my workout. I got my workout done in under 45 minutes and it was very intense. I felt no energy lost from fasting at all.

1pm - 5pm. I did my work as usual, constantly sipping on water. I felt no effects from not eating. My mind actually seemed clearer during the afternoon. I did notice that most days after lunch I usually felt like taking a nap. This did not happen today!! My afternoon was a lot more productive because of it.

6pm - With an hour to go, I started to feel a little hungry. To combat this I made myself a cup of green tea and then chugged a cold glass of water. This did the trick!!

7pm - Sat down to a great dinner of chicken breast with spinach and a salad.


So as you can see I made it through the 24 hour fast without any problems. I did this and got a great workout in too. I will have my weight loss for the week posted tomorrow so we will see if fasting helped or not. I do suggest that you go check out Brad's site for Eat Stop Eat. He offers a free newsletter that you can sign-up for to obtain more information on intermittent fasting.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Fat Burning 30 Minute Workout - 6 Pack Abs here I come!

I did an awesome fat burning workout today for my 'off-day' 30 minutes of activity. I ran to the gym during my lunch and got this workout done in under 30 minutes. I was drenched with sweat when I was done too!

1A) Clean and Press: 3 sets of 8
1B) Plank on Stability Ball: 3 sets of 45 seconds on the ball.

2) Kettle Bell Swing - 75 Reps - I took 30 second breaks as needed until I reached the 75 repetition.

3) 20 second active/10 second rest tabatas jumping rope - I did this 12 times

Overall it was a quick, but very effective workout. When I do my off-day workouts I always make sure that I do not do any exercise that will effect my Turbulence Training workouts the next day.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Body Fat % Measurement

There's one thing between my 6 pack-abs and the mirror, literally. It's FAT!! I know that in order to get lean and see my 6 pack abs I need to lose that fat. The question is how much fat is there? That's where body fat measurements come in. In order to get 6 pack abs you need to have a body fat % below 10%.

If you can find a doctor or trainer to measure your body fat %, I'd highly recommend it as they are probably more accurate measures.

If you are like me and can not find a trainer or doctor that has accurate equipment (the BF measurement device you can get at GNC doesn't count) then there 2 methods that I use.

1. The web!! Yes, you can get your BF% over the web with some basic measurements. All you need is your height, weight, waist-line and age!


2. The next method you can do at home, but will need a little bit of help. It requires purchasing calipers. I recommend these: http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/




Read the directions on how to use the caliper.

You are going to be taking 7 measurements at different body locations. You are going to go through the 7 locations and then measure everything 2 more times for 3 sets of measurements. Some of these locations you will not be able to do yourself so you will need to find someone to do the measurements for you. I actually recommend that person do all of the measurements for you. In the caliper I listed above I use the millimeters side to read the caliper.

The 7 Locations:

1. The abs - This site is located 1 inch directly to the left of, and in line with, the belly
button. You’ll want to measure a vertical fold of skin, so your calipers are horizontal.

2. Triceps - Back of your arm, halfway between the elbow and the bony point on the top of your shoulder.

3. Chest - This site is located on the diagonal line between the armpit and the nipple and measure a diagonal fold there.

4. Underneath your arm-pit - is located on a vertical line between the armpit and the hip. Your vertical pinch will be on the same plane as the bony spot where your ribs meet at the center of your chest.

5. Just below shoulder blade - have your friend find your shoulder blade and pinch at an inch under at the angle your shoulder blade approaches your spine.

6. Hip - Find where you hip bone ends and go an inch above it and take a horizontal fold. The fold should align just above your belly button.

7. Thigh - Go to the mid point of your thigh, both in height and width, and measure with a vertical pinch.

Since I am going to be measuring this once a month, I am going to make sure that I measure from the same sides of my body each time I check my BF%.

The Calculation:

Once you measure each of the 7 sites take the average from each site. Then sum the 7 averages.

This sum will = 'SUM7' in the equation below

Body Density = 1.112 - (0.00043499 * SUM7) + (0.00000055 * SUM72 ) - (0.00028826 * AGE)

Once we have Body Density (BD) we can now calculate my BF%.

%BF = [(4.57/ BD) - 4.142] * 100

Now, you may be scratching your head saying "Mike, you have 2 completely different readings. What gives?"


2. Caliper 7 site calculation: 19.3%

Obviously I'd love to say that the web is right, but I know I'm not that close to 6 pack abs. I just don't look that lean in the mirror YET.

I also don't think I'm at 19% BF either. There is a lot of human error that can occur when using the calipers.

So what am I going to do? Take the average. As of now, I'm saying I have 16.5% BF. Don't worry, once I see my 6 pack in the mirror, I won't need these calculations!!

Monday, May 11, 2009

My TT Transformation Contest 5 Entry, 6 pack abs here I come!!

I officially joined the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 5 today. Here's my entry post on TTMembers.com'>TTMembers.com:

What can I say, I'm a sucker for punishment and I'm back for my second transformation contest and my 6 pack abs.

I had to laugh at my beginning pictures because I thought I was ahead of where I actually am. (If that makes sense). BUT there are some small mistakes I made in the TT TC4 and I plan to learn from them.I also added some weight since the end of TC4. I have plenty of excuses, but do you really need to hear them? Its in the past and I plan looking forward.

My Goals

1. 6 pack abs!! I really think I can do this although I know its a lot of work.

2. Drink at least 1 gal of water a day.

3. Get 7 hours of sleep when allowed (baby due in less than 3 weeks)

4. Eat 2,300-2,500 cals of natural, healthy foods. I will evaluate my progress and either increase or drop my total cals once I see how much fat I am losing.

5. 1 set of 20 pull-ups, my current max is 12
6. 1 set of 100 push-ups, don't know what my current max is but reaching 100 without rest would be cool.


My Starting Stats at 5/11/09:

Weight 194lbs.

Neck 15.75''

Bi 14''

Bi Flexed 15.5''

Waist 34''

Thigh 22''

Body Fat % using 7 site caliper calc: 19.3%

Body Fat % using http://home.fuse.net/clymer/bmi/: 13.8%

If anyone can figure out that difference let me know. LOL.

Pictures are attached. Ladies once again, I'm married. Well unless you are really rich or are named Megan Fox, than we can talk, lol......jking.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mother's Day Fat Loss Diet Recipe

Happy Mother's Day to all of the great and wonderful mother's out there!! I hope everyone had a great day!

I was lucky enough that my parents and my little sister drove down for a long weekend from NJ. I was able to get a round of golf in with my father on Friday and Saturday (it was his b-day) and took some time off from the gym since I'm starting the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 5 tomorrow and wanted to be fresh!


Since it was Mother's Day today and my mother was here and my wife is 37 weeks into her pregnancy, my father and I decided to cook a healthy dinner for everyone. My father cooked Filet Mignon and I made my sweet chili shrimp on cucumbers. It was delicious and very healthy. With a 6 oz filet and 20 shrimp I consumed only 535 calories, 14 g of fat, 3 g of carbs and 80g of protein!!


That is a great fat burning meal! Although it's a bit pricey, it shows you can treat yourself and still eat healthy. I will post the recipe for my sweet chili shrimp at the bottom of this post.

As I stated above, I'm starting the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 5 tomorrow and I'd love some company!! Not only do you have the chance to win $1,000, but you have the chance to finally lose some of that extra body weight in time for bathing-suit season!! My #1 goal for this competition is to get below 10% body fat. If I can get my body fat fat down that low I will have achieved my goal of 6 pack abs. I will post my entry essay and all of my measurements and weights tomorrow night or Tuesday.


If you'd like more information about the contest please check out the TT Transformation Rules here. You must use a Turbulence Training workout to compete, but I've been using these workouts for almost 5 months now and love it!


If you are wondering how you'll keep motivated during the 12 weeks, there's TTMembers.com. Its a great place to share your successes and bumps in the road with other contestants. This really isn't a competition between members as everyone considers one another family. The best part of TTMembers.com is that you get 3 months free for signing up for Turbulence Training and the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 5.


If anyone does sign up for the contest, leave a comment and let me know your username at TTMembers.com.



My Sweet Chili Shrimp Recipe:




Ingredients:

1 cucumber, peeled, cut into thin, long strips like traditional tagliatelle pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil, virgin
1 Lb. Large Shrimp, peeled
1 Tbsp. ginger, peeled, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. Margarine
1/4 c. dry white wine
4 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce

Peel the cucumber and slice it in a food slicer or shredder so that the cucumber is in thin, long strips. Just before service, toss with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sweat the jumbo shrimp with the butter and ginger over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the wine and chili sauce and swirl until the sauce is combined. Remove from heat. Plate the cucumber "pasta" and place warm shrimp on each one.

This should take 20 minutes, max!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Hugh Jack(ed)man Continued

I was finally able to find an interview with Hugh Jackman's trainer, Michael Ryan, that gives more details to Hugh's eating and training (Okay, I didn't find it, but someone on TTMembers.com found it.) Please notice my comments below. Although Hugh worked out 6 days a week and you may not have time there are some great point to help get lean and obtain those 6 pack abs.

Quote:

"5 key facts
-Hugh trained for 1.5 hours, 6 times a week for 12 weeks. This was based on 4 or 5 lifting sessions and a cardiovascular session. According to Ryan this was not a complicated regime at all. It is someone anyone can do. (Note: Hugh was already quite fit – it would take someone of lower fitness, longer to achieve similar body)


-Anyone who starts an exercise program that is well designed will get results that are noticeable within weeks. Hugh is 40, and didn't face any issues getting his Wolverine-esque body. Men can peak in their mid-40's, so age isn't as big a factor as you'd think. Getting the body you want is about balance and dedication. It's not hard to maintain muscle if you are committed to keeping up a routine.

-Health benefits of gaining muscle & reducing body fat are that muscle supports & protects bones and joints & strengthens bones, you become fitter, which is great for overall health and wellbeing. Michael splits the sessions between muscle groups. One day he'll get Hugh to focus on chest and triceps, and on another day will focus on back and biceps) .

-Diet plays a huge part in getting a lean, ripped body like Hugh's. Avoid processed foods (including 'low fat' foods). Eat lots of protein and fresh steamed vegetables)

-The key to success with Hugh's body was variation. A lot of guys do the same workout in the gym but you need to work different muscles, build on the weight you can lift and get your heart beating with a mix of running, swimming or cross-training. The fundamental training principles are based on the core body-building moves such as squats, deadlifts, presses - simple moves, which Michael mixes up. He changes the angles on the bench, plays with the tempo, weight, time, rest. The same workout can be done ten different ways by making these small changes."

Please notice the 4th & 5th points here because they are HUGE!! As I've stated before, getting 6 pack abs is about 80-90% due to your diet. Varition is key because your body adapts very quickly. I due a workout program for no more than 4 weeks. That's why I love my membership to TTMembers.com because not only does it provide great social support, but I have access to Craig's new Turbulence Training workouts every month so I am never wondering what workout I am going to do next.

Quote:

"Training tips
-Train in the morning, where possible
-Always warm up sufficiently. Not just with cardio, but by doing the movements before adding weights
-Work on 'progressive overload' - always keep increasing the weight - and keep a training diary to record your progress
-Mix things up - constantly change the tempo, speed, incline, grip… Anything so that you're not always performing the same movement
-Feel the movement. Focus on each muscle activation rather than simply aiming to finish the set. People always try to get to the end without thinking about the journey
-Train with a trainer. It will help with motivation
-Don't over-train. Learn what your body can reasonably cope with
-Get enough sleep - at least 7 hours of good sleep a night


Michael Ryan says:
We talk of the 12 week period required to achieve where he was for the movie but understand he is constantly exercising so to get him to this level he already has a great platform. I try and get people to focus on the feeling they get from exercise as their first priority, set short term goals to tick and mark off as well as your long term picture of where you want to be. I always encourage the keeping of records there is nothing more inspiring that seeing written down how far you have come and during the plateau period that everyone gets. It can help you keep your focus.


Anyone who starts an exercise program that is well designed will get results that are noticeable within weeks. Whilst aspiring to Hugh’s physique I try and keep people about their own potential and build off a solid base. It takes time and a good question to ask someone who has put on the weight is "how long it's taken". Their answer is realistically what they should expect to take it off. Obviously it can be quicker but I try and avoid people thinking of short term fixes and concentrate on lifestyle changes they can maintain for a healthier life.


Training is all evolution, and from one workout to the next I'll always have something new to add to the equation. Our sessions are based on established principles, but we'll always try and bring new ideas to the table. And I can say that Hugh now looks the most ripped he's been for any movie, any time.


We have a philosophy of training first thing in the morning. The reason is that research suggests that people who train in the afternoons consistently do workouts of far less intensity than those who do train in the morning. When Hugh has a 6am filming start, that means we'll be in the gym by 4am.


The fundamental training principles I do with Hugh are based on the core body-building moves such as squats, dead-lifts, presses, etc… simple moves, but then I'm always mixing things up a bit. We'll change the angles on the bench, we'll play with the tempo, weight, time, rest. The same workout can be done ten different ways by making these small changes."


During the last week of the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 4, I literally thought I was going to pass out. It was due to over training as I was working out whenever I could and I probably hurt my final results more than help them. Not over training and getting enought sleep are very key!!

I don't think you need a trainer for motivation though, thats just expensive. Find a workout partner or find ways to motivate yourself. I joined TTMembers.com for the social support, although I don't have someone screaming at me when I'm working out, it still works great. Personally I can find enough motivation to push myself without a trainer while I'm in the gym.

The last point Michael Ryan makes is key! Base your workouts around core exercises! Except for the occastion TT 3 Minute Arms workout, I NEVER do isolation exercises. Isolation exercises are too time consuming and they do not burn fat as multi-compound exercises. Onto the workout routine and diet!

Quote:


"The Wolverine workout



Monday: Chest and triceps



How to do these workouts:



  • Warm up first with ten minutes of cardio and light bodyweight movements


  • Do the pairs of exercises as supersets, performing one set of the first exercise, then moving immediately onto a set of the second exercise. Rest for the stated time before repeating


  • Choose a weight that you can manage with perfect form, but which leads to muscular failure by the end of the final set


  • Take one second the lift the weight, pause for another second, then take two to three seconds to lower again

Superset 1

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Dumb-bell bench press

  • Don't arch your back as you press

Dumb-bell flye

  • Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you lower the weights to the side

  • Squeeze your pecs to draw your arms together


Superset 2

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Bench dip

  • Keep your body upright and elbows pointing backwards

  • If you find these easy, place a weight plate on your lap

Cable press down

  • Keep your elbows tucked into your sides

  • Squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the move

Cable crossover

  • Sets: 2

  • Reps: 10-12 (to exhaustion)

  • Rest: 1 minute

  • Lean forward slightly, keeping a straight back

  • Touch your hands together in front of your chest

Cardio

  • Treadmill hill climbs: 20 minutes

  • Start running on a treadmill set to 12km/h with 1% elevation. Every 30 seconds increase the elevation by 1% until you need to press the stop button.)

  • Take a one minute rest and repeat

Tuesday: Legs

Superset 1

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Barbell squat

  • Back straight and core braced throughout

  • Knees in line with feet

Dumb-bell Bulgarian split squat

  • Keep your body upright

  • Knee in line with foot

Superset 2

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Romanian deadlift

  • Lean forward fro the hips

  • Let the bar travel down your shins


One leg gym ball curl

  • Keep you hips lifted

  • Draw the ball into your backside

Travelling dumb-bell lunge

  • Sets: 2 Reps to exhaustion

  • Rest: 1 minute between sets

  • Keep your knee behind your toes

  • Push up with your back leg and step through into the next lunge, walking forward with each rep

Cardio

  • Rowing machine: 4,000m

  • Aim to maintain a steady pace. Push with your legs before drawing the handle into your abdomen

  • Keep your back straight throughout

Thursday: Back and biceps

Superset 1


Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Cable row

  • Don't rock your body as you row

  • Draw your shoulder blades back

Bent over dumb-bell reverse flye

  • Bend at the hips with straight back

  • Keep a slight bend in your elbows

Superset 2

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets

Weighted chin up

  • Underhand or hammer grip

  • Hang weight plate from a belt or hold a dumb-bell between your feet

EZ-bar curl

  • Wrists turned inwards slightly

  • Keep your elbows by your sides

Inverted row

  • Sets: 2 Reps to exhaustion

  • Rest: 1 minute between sets

  • Body straight from head to heels

  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together


Cardio

  • Exercise bike intervals: 20 minutes
    Start by cycling at a steady pace for five minutes. Pedal as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then pedal more slowly to recover for two minutes.
  • Repeat the 30-secs-hard/two-mins-slow pattern for the remaining 15 minutes


Friday: Shoulders and abs

Superset 1

Sets: 4 each exercise

Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)

Rest: 2 minutes between supersets

Seated dumb-bell shoulder press

  • Elbows out to the sides

Dumb-bell lateral raise

  • Stop at shoulder height

Superset 2

Sets: 4 each exercise
Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion)
Rest: 2 minutes between supersets


Weighted crunch

  • Hold a dumb-bell across your chest
  • Curl your chest towards your knees

Gym ball jack-knife

  • Hold your body in a straight line

Bicycles

  • Sets: 2 Reps to exhaustion
  • Rest: 1 minute between sets
  • Twist your torso side-to-side while pumping your legs

Cardio
Treadmill sprints: 10 x 30 seconds

  • Set the treadmill to 2% elevation and a fast pace. Stand with feet either side of the running surface then jump onto it and sprint for 30 seconds. Jump your feet apart again and rest for 30 seconds
  • Repeat this pattern ten times. Be careful not to lose balance as you step on and off the treadmill

Food and workout plan

5am (One hour before training)

Soak 75g rolled oats in apple juice. Mix in 2tsp pumpkin seeds, 2tsp sunflower seeds and a handful of berries.
Oats are a slow-digesting carb, to give you long lasting energy, while the seeds are full of iron, which will improve the blood flow to working muscles.

6am and 7am (Before and after weights)

Branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are the building blocks of protein. These go straight to the muscle and start a process called super-compensation, which repairs the muscles and allows them to grow bigger and stronger.

7.30am (After cardio)

Creatine protein bar. While the creatine will help repair used muscle tissue, the simple carbs from the bar will help deliver nutrients to the your blood stream and muscles, for faster and stronger recovery.

7:45

Protein shake. Blend 1 scoop of whey powder, half a banana, 300ml semi skimmed milk, pinch of cinnamon and 15g ground cashew nuts.
Whey protein powder is a quick and easy way to gain fuel for muscle replenishment and growth. Protein will also increase muscle mass, burn body fat and help manufacture testosterone.

10am

Turkey stir-fry with spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and cauliflower. Serve with 40g (uncooked measurement) of brown rice.
Turkey is not only one of the leanest sources of protein around, it is also rich in the muscle-building amino acids, anserine and carnosine. The vitamin K in the spinach will help strengthen your bones, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli are rich in nutrients that reduce your oestrogen; a hormone that lowers testosterone.

1pm

200g rosemary chicken with sugar snap peas and asparagus. Serve with 40g (uncooked measurement) of brown rice.
Chicken is rich in amino acids to encourage muscle growth and repair as well as zinc, which raises your levels of muscle-building testoserone. Brown rice will also provide you with B vitamins, which helps convert carbohydrates into energy.

4pm

Handful of walnut trail mix.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and arrange 150g of walnuts on a baking tray. Bake in the centre of oven until fragrant and toasted, for around ten minutes. When cool add to a large container and mix with 75g unsalted pumpkin seeds, 75g chopped apricots, 50g pumpkin seeds and 50g goji berries.
Walnuts are rich in essential fatty acids, which increase energy levels and regulate blood sugar levels.

6pm

Tuna steak and unlimited amounts of vegetables including broccoli and cauliflower.
Tuna is a lean source of protein full of natural creatine and omega 3 fatty acids, which help your body preserve protein and reduce muscle inflammation.

10pm

Before bed slow-release protein smoothie
Blend 1 serving of low-carb protein drink with 2 tsp of natural yogurt, a drizzle of honey and 15g almonds.
A protein fix before bed gives your muscles the building blocks to grow and repair while you sleep, while the yogurt and almonds contain sleep-inducing tryptophan and magnesium, which will help your muscles relax and wind down. "


Article from http://today.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=809667

Monday, May 4, 2009

Goals, ever changing....

Believe it or not, obtaining 6 pack abs is not my only goal. There's the 1 million dollar goal, but I'll stick to eating healthy and fitness.

I am constantly adding goals or changing my current goals. Why? Well what would the dog do if it ever caught the car it was chasing? Probably just sit around and do absolutely nothing. Adding and changing my goals keeps me motivated, which in turn keeps me successful and looking better and better each day.

My newest goal, take a look:





I actually tried to do the planche pushup and fell right on my face. This takes a lot of ab strength. I know I have a lot of work do to be able to do a planche pushup, but this goal should keep me motivated and help me get my 6 pack a little bit quicker!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Quick Workout and Contest Time!!

Since my wife is into her 36 week of pregnancy I did not have time to go to the gym this weekend & I didn't get my 3rd TT workout in this week. Not a problem though!!

My wife is going through the nesting stage of her pregnancy so I was regulated to cleaning everything and anything this weekend (I think I have a couple more weekends of cleaning before this is done.) Since I did not make it to the gym, I did manage to get away from scrubbing the floor and sneak in a workout while my wife was in the shower. Here's what I did.

10 Pullups (I have the Irongym, great investment for $20)

Tabatas:

Body Weight Squats - 20 secs of squatting, 10 seconds holding at the bottom of the squat. Repeat 8 times.

Pushups - 20 seconds of pushups, 10 seconds holding in the top position. Repeat 4 times.

10 more pullups.

4, 2 minute rounds on the heavy bag with 1 minute rest.

I was able to do this workout in about 3o minutes while my wife was showering and got back to scrubbing my floors without her noticing. It was funny because she came downstairs and saw me sweating. She felt bad because she thought I was sweating from scrubbing, little did she know that I just had did a kick-butt workout!

Just a reminder that the Turbulence Training 5th Transformation Contest starts tomorrow!!

What a better way to get motivated, get leaner and have a chance to win a thousand dollars! If that isn't a great investment, I don't know what is. Even if you don't win, the weight loss is reward enough.

This time I will be going even harder than the 4th TT Transformation Contest. I've been slacking these last few weeks with my eating because I've been concentrating on work and the baby, but this contest will provide the motivation I need to achieve my 6 pack abs.

Don't worry, you have until May 26, 2009 to sign up for the contest. I will probably not start the contest for another week or two.

Turbulence Training 5th Transformation Contest
Transformation Contest Rules
Turbulence Training

Friday, May 1, 2009

Hydroxycut!!

I'm not sure if everyone has seen this article but it could be a matter of life or death! I'm sure everyone has heard of Hydroxycut. In case you haven't it is a weight loss pill, that boosts your metabolism. I'll admit, I tried it back in college, but I didn't use it for weight loss, just for the energy boost before my workouts.

Today the FDA came out with a warning for everyone to STOP using Hydroxycut as it could possibly lead to death from liver failure (I've posted the link below). I want to obtain my 6 pack abs as much as the next guy, but I will never risk my life to achieve my goal. I seriously doubt it really works anyway.

If you read the back of the bottle the instructions say to take the pills in association with a healthy diet and good exercise program. Well doesn't a healthy diet and good exercise program lead to weight loss to begin with. Rapid fat loss does not come from a magic diet pill.

All you need to do is eat natural unprocessed foods and find a good exercise program (I highly recommend Turbulence Training!) And remember the general principal of weight loss: If your calories used is more than calories consumed, then you will lose weight. The theory of fat loss and getting lean is pretty simple, its the work that you have to put in to get there that is hard!

FDA urges dieters to quit using Hydroxycut