Get Ready for the Beach

Now is the time to start getting ready for summer.  That layer of winter weight may not just melt off as fast as it used to.  Just because there are plenty of overweight people at the beach doesn't mean that you have to be one of them.  Its April - you can get in much better shape by July...if you start now.

Weight Training

Ridiculous

You want muscle.  Lean, healthy, calorie-burning muscle tissue.  Being totally fat-free without any muscle is just wrong.  To get muscle you need to jack iron or find some other way to overload your muscles. 

Leg Work
Currently, I really like the Decline Leg Press.  I blast my clients' legs with this machine and use it heavily myself.

This exercise blasts quads, glutes and hamstrings.  This is the foundation exercise to get your beach body.  Do a few warm-up sets with light weight and then start stacking on the plates until you're down to tough sets of 6 reps.

Standing Calf Press

Calf work is next.  Hit your calves with 4 sets of 15 reps on the Standing Calf Press machine.  These will burn...and they will pay off.

Chest Work

Incline Dumbbell Press is a nice exercise to develop your pecs.  If you've been doing flat bench press all winter, this exercise will fill-out the upper chest area.  Grab some moderate weight dumbbells (at least 20lbs).  Rock back onto an incline bench and pump out 4 sets of 10 reps.

Back Work

Seated Cable Row works the lats nicely.  Lats are important to tone and shape the back.  Pictured above is the less common single-handed cable row.  Below is the more common double handed cable row.  Try both for variety.  Go heavy - 3 sets of 8 reps.

Shoulders
Great delts are critical to any physique.  The foundational shoulder exercise is Military Press.  You can use a barbell or dumbbells for this exercise.  Keep your back straight.  Lock your elbows out at the top.  Do 3 honest sets of 12 reps.

The Big Guns

Biceps are fun to work and usually get a lot of attention.  Here is one of my favourite bicep exercises; the Concentration Curl.  One of my clients, Bridget, hates this exercise because she feels like a douchebag doing them.  Frankly, they have made her biceps grow more than any other single bicep exercise that we have used in her training.  Give them a shot.  3 sets of 10 reps.

 



Triceps

The Dumbbell Kickback is a fantastic exercise for triceps.  Aim for 4 sets of 12 reps.  Go nice and slow so that you can really feel it in the muscle.

Abs
Try Knees to Elbows.  This is a wicked ab workout.  Hang from a bar.  Now swing your knees up to touch your elbows.  10 reps should be enough for you.  Keep trying to add one more each time you work out.

Cardio

Cursed cardio.  So hard to get started...so necessary.  Get moving and sustain the motion for about 30 minutes.  Run, swim, bike.  Do something that will get you breathing hard and sweating (that you can sustain for 30 minutes).  This complements your weight training but is not licence to gobble pizza. Do cardio 3-6 times a week depending on how much fat you need to lose.

Nutrition

Your diet is the single most important factor in how you will look on the beach.  Be frugal with what you eat.  Eat clean.  Fresh fruit and vegetables.  Lean meat.  No crap.  No pop (even "diet" pop).  Eat less than you really think you can.  Make peace with hunger.  Drink water.  Lots of water.  Eat lots of fibre. 

Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

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Help! I'm Going to Daytona!

Panic!

So, you thought that you were going to visit your folks or otherwise do something fat-friendly for March Break?  But, now your friends have convinced you to join them in the sunny, sandy south.  The problem is...you've been swilling beer and lattes all winter and have been slowly moving up in pant sizes. 

What to Do

Starting right now: eliminate salt and sugar.  Scrutinize the nutrition labels on all your food.  Start and keep a food diary.  Cut out all booze.  Cut out all bread and anything like bread (pizza dough, bagels etc).  Cut out all soft drinks.  Be careful with pasta.  I'm not talking about normal healthy nutrition here.  I'm talking about emergency fat loss diet time.

Jack Some Iron

Intense weight training will burn blubber.  Not only do heavy lifts demand a lot of caloric energy but they develop muscle tissue which burns even more calories.  Deadlifts, like the lady in the picture is doing are excellent.  Split your routine so that you are blasting iron 6 days/week.  Think of the beach.  Promise yourself that you will stay in better shape next year.

Pay Your Cardio Dues.

You need to do cardio twice a day to blitz your body over the next 3 weeks.  Do a 20 minute cardio session first thing in the morning before you eat.  Do another 30 minute session later in the day, after your weight training workout.  Do whatever it takes to get your heart pumping. 

If you're not sweating and breathing hard and gulping water; you're not pushing yourself hard enough.  This is workout cram time.

Keep Track

You're on a mission.  You need to stay focused.  Put up a calendar with a count-down on it.  Write out your workouts and write down your weight.  Drive yourself.  Be obsessed.

Keep Motivated

Find a picture of what you want to look like and tack it up on your fridge.  That way, before you pull the handle to gobble some cheddar, you'll be struck with a pang of guilt.  Hopefully, it works.

 



Find a Workout Partner

Link-up with someone who will push you and hold you accountable.  Pick someone who has the same work ethic that you do (or even better).  Push each other.  Compete with each other.

Good Luck

You have about three weeks until showtime.  Make them count.

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Training for Spring Break Starts Now

D - 60 (days)
Good morning.  You have 2 months to get in shape for March Break.

Depending on how much eggnog and chocolate you gobbled at Christmas you may have a lot of work ahead of you.  Start with an honest self-appraisal.  Take your weight and a few measurements (waist, chest, hips).  Write them down.  Do this at the same time every week.

Set A Goal

In two months you should be able to lose about 10 lbs of blubber.  If you're a guy looking to pack on some beef - you could add a couple pounds of pure muscle and chisel-away some belly fat for the semblance of a six pack. 

Visualize the Goal

Nuf Said

Make a Plan

Fail to Plan - Plan to Fail!

You have to start with a battle plan.  Below is a good plan for any man or woman facing the prospect of hitting southern beaches in March with their friends. 

Nutrition

Get this straight-away:  Nutrition is key!  Starting today - cut out junk food and fast food from your diet.  No pop, chips, fries, poutine, etc.  Booze will make you fat.  Beer, vodka or white wine - they will all make you fat.  Discipline yourself for the next two months and it will pay off.  If you have glutton friends who insist on recreational gorging or binge drinking- find new friends.

Below is what you should be eating:

Fruit, vegetables, lean meat (beef, chicken breast, turkey), eggs, grains (oatmeal, brown rice), low-fat dairy (skim milk, kefir).  Eat a big breakfast and have a decent lunch and modest supper.  Drink lots of water.  Avoid sugar and extra salt.  If you must snack - make it a healthy snack that will give your body some nutrients (nuts, seeds, veggies with hummus).

Training
Cardio - when I say cardio, I mean busting your butt for 30 minutes.  By busting your butt, I mean that you should be sucking wind and drenched in sweat.  You can achieve this on a treadmill, or running-trail or spin bike or doing burpees on your kitchen floor.  If you don't have access to fancy workout equipment, unplug your microwave oven, take out the turn-table plate and do 400 overhead squat thrusts with the oven...in a row..or until you can't do any more.  Run, walk, climb stairs.  You must commit to doing this 30 minute cardio routine 6 days a week for the next two months.  Do not negotiate with your inner baby.  This cardio WILL NOT make up for eating candy or drinking shooters...it just won't.

Weights.  To get the toned, fit look that you want in March you need to challenge all your main muscle groups.  Whether you're a woman looking to slim-down or a guy looking to get jacked, here is a decent program that you will do three times a week for the next two months:

Squats

Here are two types.  Squats will work your upper legs (glutes, quads, hamstrings).  These are large muscles that demand a lot of energy (calories...fat...).  The first one is for the fortunate soul who has access to a good gym and has the gumption to walk in.  The other is for the rest:

Barbell Squats

Place the barbell across the meaty portion of your shoulders.  Plant your heels firmly on the floor.  Slowly lower your butt as far as it will comfortably go.  Keep your back straight.  Press straight back up until your knees are locked.  Load that bar with as much iron as you can handle for 10 repetitions.  Take a breather (60 - 90 seconds) and then go again...and again.  3 sets of 10 reps.  Every week - add some weight.

Air Squats

If you can't get to a gym, don't despair - do Air Squats.  Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.  Heels glued to the floor.  Squat down as far as you can go (no, you won't hurt your knees).  Press straight back up.  Do whatever you like with your arms - hold them out front, or on your head or use them to hug the microwave to your chest.  Do a test:  see how many you can do before the room starts to spin.  That will be your number of reps.  Do that many reps 3 times with 1 minute rest in between.

Calf Press
The second leg exercise is for calves.  Calf muscle is full of mitochondria which devours body fat when worked hard.  Let's hit those calves.  Again, two different exercises to choose from:

Standing Calf Press

If you can get to a Standing Calf Press Machine like the one pictured above, set the weight on a level that will permit you to barely be able to do 15 reps.  That's your initial training level.  Do 4 sets of 15 with that weight.  Your calves will burn like mad and you will walk funny for a couple of days.  That's the price to be paid baby!  Think of Daytona.

Improv Calf Press

This is the "no-equipment" calf press.  Find some stairs or some stable object with an edge.  Plant the balls of your feet on the edge.  Drop your heels as far as they will go.  Press your toes down as far as you can.  Repeat...about 30 times.  Take a break for one minute and then repeat three more times. 

Chest Press

Now for the upper body.  If you can get to a gym, you will get on a machine that looks something like this:

Chest Press

Set the weight to a level that will barely allow you to do 12 reps.  That's your training weight.  Do 3 sets of 12 reps.  Aim to jack this up every two weeks.

If you can't get to a gym, this is your fate:

Push Ups

Push-ups troops!  One of the best exercises in the world.  This one, agonising little exercise works so many muscles.  Get on the floor.  Hands close or wide - your call.  Body straight, head up.  Start pressing.  Women HATE push-ups.  Well, Missy - they hate you too!  It doesn't matter, you must do them (unless you have the fancy chest press machine).  Jack these things out like your life depends on it.  See how many you can do in one shot.  Repeat that twice.  So - 3 sets of maximum effort.  If you're not red in the face at the end of this, you're kidding yourself. 

Back

Your lats are one of your largest upper body muscles.  Good lats look great on anybody.  In a gym, there are lots of great lat exercises.  Outside a gym...not so much.  You sorta, gotta find a bar and pull like mad on it.

Pull-Up with Home Pull-Up Bar

If you can't even do one real pull-up...do not despair.  Use a chair to get into the "up" position and then lift your feet and lower yourself as slowly as possible.  Do this until you hate me.  Take a break and then do it again.

If you're blessed by a gym, do lat pulldowns:

Lat Pulldowns

Set the weight at a level that will let you do 10 reps.  That's your training weight.  Pull down to the front.  Do 3 sets.

Shoulders

Shoulders make all the difference in the world.  You can see great shoulders from any angle.

No gym?  Try this at home:

Wall Run

Looks barbaric?  It is.  Walk your feet up the wall and back down 10 times.  Your shoulders will burn.  Too chicken to try the Wall Run?  Then grab the microwave and press that straight overhead 25 times (I'm not kidding).

Lucky enough to have a gym or equipment?  Then Barbell Military Press is for you:

Military Press

Start with the barbell at your collar-bone.  Press it straight up until your elbows lock-out.  Lower slowly to your collar-bone.  Repeat.  Use a moderate weight - one that you can do 12 good reps with.  You will do 3 sets of 12.

Arms

We're going to start with triceps, that sweet muscle group on the back of your upper arm.  If you can get to a gym, I recommend the Skull Crusher, pictured below:

Skull Crusher

You can use a straight barbell as pictured, or a cambered EZ bar.  The model is using a decline bench but a flat bench is fine too.  Grab the bar about 12 inches apart.  Point your elbows to the ceiling and lock them in place.  Lower the weight to your forehead and press straight up.  Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

No gym?  No Problem.  Let me introduce you to bench dips:

Bench Dips

Find a stable surface about knee-high.  Place the heels of your hands on the edge.  Feet planted out front (the farther - the tougher).  Bend at the elbows and lower your butt straight down.  Press back up.  Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps.

Biceps are easy at the gym:

Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Grab a pair of moderate weight dumbbells (not the little rubber 3 lb things).  Try at least the 8 pounders.  Guys - you should shun any dumbbell less than 10 lbs.  Stand up straight.  Feet shoulder width apart.  Start with dumbbells at the sides of your thighs.  Lock your elbows to your sides.  Curl the dumbbells up as tight as you can.  The model in the photo is alternating arms, which is fine too. Do 3 sets of 12.

 

If you have no gym and no weights, you will have to find a heavy object around the house.  Something that you can get a good grip on and lift several times.  Just jack that like you would a dumbbell.

Fat Cat Curls

Core

 

Last but not least is the core.  With two months until Speedo-Time, we're going to focus on abs.  Here are two really good exercises that you can do in the gym or at home:

 

Low Plank

 

Low Plank

 

Get on the floor.  Rest on your elbows like you we're already at the beach tanning your back.  Plant your toes into the floor.  Now lift yourself up so the only contact with the floor is your forearms and your toes.  Hold for one second and then lower slowly to the original resting position.  Repeat...20 times.

 

Bicycle Crunch.

Bicycle Crunch

Lie on your back.  Bring one knee upward and make contact with opposite elbow.  Switch sides.  Keep a steady rhythm.  This works abs and obliques.  Aim for 30 reps.

 

Recap:

 

Cardio - 30 mins of intense cardio Mon - Sat

 

Weights (Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat)

 

Gym Workout

 

Barbell Squats - 3 x 10

Standing Calf Press - 4 x 15

Chest Press - 3 x 12

Lat Pulldowns - 3 x 10

Military Press - 3 x 12

Skull Crusher - 3 x 10

Dumbbell Curl - 3 x 12

Low Plank 1 x 20

Bicycle Crunch 1 x 30

 

Home Workout

 

Air Squats - 3 x max

Improv Calf Press - 4 x 30

Push ups - 3 x max

Pull ups - 2 x max

Wall Run - 1 x10

Bench Dips - 3 x 12

Arm Curls - 3 x 12

Low Plank 1 x 20

Bicycle Crunch 1 x 30

 

 

Tom

 

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

 

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Shoulder Workout

Training Your Shoulders

The key muscle group of the shoulder is the deltoid.  Deltoid has frontal, lateral and rear heads.  The frontal head of the deltoid gets a lot of work during normal bench press.  The lateral and rear heads of the deltoid are the ones that really require special attention.

Basic Shoulder Exercises

The musculature of the shoulder region is generally powerful but the joint itself is delicate.  Shoulder work demands a methodical approach and some light-weight sets to warm-up.

Military Press

The Military Press is a superb shoulder building exercise.  You can use dumbbells or a barbell.  Some machines do a good job of replicating this move too.  Stand with feet wide apart.  Clean the bar up to your collar-bone.  Press it straight up overhead.  Elbows should be fully extended.  Lower it back to the collar bone.  Repeat.  Engage your core when you do this exercise or you may feel discomfort in your lower back.  This exercise mostly hits lateral delts but also uses frontal delts to a lesser extent.  This should be your first deltoid exercise if doing multiple exercises, due to the remote risk of dropping the weight on your head.

Dumbbell Side Laterals

This exercise is excellent for hitting the side or lateral delts.  These muscles need to be worked if you're going to add width to your shoulders.  Ladies - this exercise gives your shoulders that nice definition that looks great in a sleeveless dress.  Using light to medium weight dumbbells and a slight bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells up to about ear-height.  Just as the model in the photo is doing - tip the front of the dumbbells down.  Just like you're pouring a bottle.  This slight move really focuses the work onto the lateral delts.  Lower slowly and repeat.  I like to start with the weights together in front of my body.  This creates a little work for some of the rotator-cuff muscles.

Bentover Dumbbell Flyes

This exercise works the often-neglected posterior or rear delts.  This muscle is vital for many sports and manual labour as well as giving you a square-shouldered appearance.  You can sit on the end of a bench or lie down prone on the bench to do this exercise.  Some people do this in a standing position.  If that's comfortable for your lower back, I'm not going to stop you (unless you're my client).  Dumbbell in each hand, slight bend in elbows...raise the dumbbells up as high as you can.  There's no risk of going too high!  Don't raise your chest up.  Keep hands well forward (you should be able to see the dumbbells in your peripheral vision).  Lower.  Repeat.

Basic Shoulder Routine

Try this after a decent warm-up:

Military Press: 3 sets of 8 reps

Dumbbell Side Laterals:  3 sets of 10 reps

Bentover Dumbbell Flyes:  3 sets of 10 reps

Tom

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later