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

 

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Fenugreek Seed

Fenugreek seed is really weird.  Grown on the sub-continent, it is known as methi in India and is featured in many south Asian dishes.  While the leaves are also used, this article will focus on the seeds.

They look like toffee but they're disgusting.  I mean that in a good way.  They are hard and bitter.  Apparently, you can roast these to make them less bitter but I confess that I didn't really try that.  They were pretty cheap.  I found them in the "exotic/imported food" section of the grocery store.

You gotta grind them first.  I tried just sprinkling the cursed kernels on my cereal.  Gross.  Don't try it.  Could break a tooth.  Grind them up in a coffee grinder.  Even that takes a while.

Bzzzzz.  Keep grinding.

Mix with protein powder.  I like the cheap whey protein isolate powder that my wife buys me at Walmart.

Sprinkle in the ground fenugreek.  Note that I didn't grind this batch long enough. Fenugreek seed is loaded with fibre and protein.  Holistically, it is thought to boost milk production in lactating women and libido in men.  Good source of iron too.

Pour in some skim milk and shaker-up.  I mixed this combo with skim milk and shook really well.  Legend has it that fenugreek makes your urine smell like maple syrup and its true.  I intend to try fenugreek in other things like greek yogurt.

Tom - trying gross food; so that you don't have to.

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New Year's Resolutions

1.  Use that Home Fitness Gear

Ok.  You got a bunch of fitness stuff for Christmas.  What were they trying to tell you???  Never mind.  Just use it.  Even the most worthless of gear can be used for overhead presses.  Don't go gonzo and burnout by Valentines Day though.  Slow and steady.

2.  Eat Clean(er)

This is what its all about.  If you live on pizza and ice cream, you will be fat and unhealthy (sooner or later).  Even worse, you will spoil your appetite for healthy food.  Shop for fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meats like beef and chicken breast.  Avoid fast food.  All the exercise in the world will do you very little good if you go home and pig-out.

3.  Get Maximum Sleep.

Get as much sleep as possible.  Aim for 8 hours.  Discipline yourself to go to bed early.  Cut caffeine by the late afternoon.  Get your room nice and dark and cool.  Sleep is when your body repairs itself.  Most fat people are sleep-deprived.

4.  Drink Lots of Water.

Water is one of the most important nutrients used by your body.  You could easily be walking around dehydrated and not know it.  Have a big glass of water when you get up in the morning and sip water regularly throughout the day.  Even if you enjoy coffee or tea throughout the day...have some water too.

5.  Tap into the Energy

Call it jealousy.  Call it envy. Call it frustration, anger, whatever.  You can look like that.  You want to look like that.  Why not make yourself look like that?  Why should she get the all the compliments?  Why should he or she be proud of the way they look, while you're ashamed?  COMPETE!  Tap into that dark negative emotion and turn it into something good.
6.  Set Some Definitive Goals

Set a realistic goal and give yourself a deadline.  Next - figure out how you're going to get there.  Then focus on it.  Winners keep going.  Losers go home.  Be shrewd and tough on yourself.

Tom

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Winter Home Workouts

Cabin Fever

Gone are the warm glorious days of summer.  No more box-jumps in the park while swatting mosquitoes.  Brace yourself for the ice and slush and the gloom of winter.  Fight the winter blues and stay slim and trim with a simple home work-out plan.  This workout is for my friend and client Mary-Beth.  I hope she enjoys it and I hope you do too.

Equipment

The stability ball or Swiss Ball or Physio Ball as some call it is a really good workout tool.  You can do tons of exercises with this piece of equipment.  This routine will also use dumbbells.

Stab Ball Wall Sit

Stab Ball Wall Sit is an excellent exercise for your quads (front of thighs).  Find a bare patch of wall.  Sandwich the ball between you and the wall.  Feet well out in front and about 12 inches apart.  Slowly squat down, letting the ball roll up your back.  Press back up again.  Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

 



Stab Ball Roll-In

Stab Ball Roll-In is a great exercise for glutes and hamstrings.  Lay on the floor on your back.  Place your calves on top of the ball.  This is a two-phase movement.  First - lift your butt off the floor.  Second - pull the ball toward you with your feet.  Reverse the movement until butt is back on the floor.  Do 3 sets of 12 reps.



Calf Raises

For Calf Raises, go to a set of stairs in your house.  Plant the balls of your feet on the edge of the stair-tread.  Legs straight, let your body-weight push your heels down until you can feel a nice stretch in your Achilles tendons.  Now push down with your toes to go up onto tip-toes.  Do 2 sets of 25.  Yes...25.  Feel the burn!

Stab Ball Pike

Stab Ball Pike looks like a super-tough exercise but you will be surprised at how easy it is to master.  Stand in front of the ball.  Roll over top of the ball until your hands are planted on the floor.  Knees should be on top of the ball.  Now pull the ball toward you and drive your butt up into the air.  This is a great ab workout.  Do 1 set of 12.

 

Push Ups

 

Yep.  That's right.  Good old-fashioned push-ups.  An excellent compound, functional upper-body exercise and you can do anywhere.

 



 

Push-ups are sweet.  They work your pecs, triceps, and, since you're holding a plank throughout, they work your abs.  If you keep your hands in closer; you place more emphasis on triceps.  Hands out wider; more emphasis on pecs.  Go all the way up and all the way down.  Do 2 sets of your Max (ie as many as you can do...twice).  Aim for improvement each workout.

Bench Dips

Bench Dips are great.  You just need a coffee table or some other stable surface.  Fingers forward.  Heels of hands on the edge.  The farther out you place your feet; the harder it is.  Start with arms fully extended.  Bend the elbows and lower your butt straight to the floor.  You should feel this in the triceps.  You will feel a stretch in the shoulders too sometimes.  Do 3 sets of 12. 

Dumbbell Military Press

Time for Shoulders.  Dumbbell Military Press is a nice deltoid exercise that you can do in the comfort of your home to keep your shoulders in top form.

Start with the dumbbells at your shoulders.  Press them straight up until the elbows are locked-out.  Do 3 sets of 10.

Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Stand up straight.  Feet shoulder-width apart.  Dumbbells down at the sides of your thighs.  Palms facing forward.  Curl the dumbbells upward as far as you can.  Lower slowly.  Do 3 sets of 12.



Recap

Here's Mary-Beth's Wintertime Blues Workout in Summary:

Stab Ball Wall-Sit - 3 x 15
Stab Ball Roll-In - 3 x 12
Calf Raise - 2 x 25
Stab Ball Pike - 1 x 12
Push Up - 2 x Max
Bench Dips - 3 x 12
Dumbbell Military Press - 3 x 10
Dumbbell Bicep Curls - 3 x 12

Do this full-body routine 3 times per week.  Get some cardio too.  Go for a long brisk walk or ride a stationary bike.

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Freakish Gym Fads

Toe Shoes

I won't train a client who is wearing these freakish things.  History will judge us for this abomination.  These are the knitted leg-warmers of this era.  Over-priced, over-hyped, unsound.  Saw an infantry company running on the fitness trails last spring - all the laggards who fell behind were wearing these.  Comical to see them desperately trying to keep up with those wearing proper running shoes.  You could see their despair as they thought about how much they paid for these faddish novelties.

Tom

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Off-Season Training for Linemen

Lift Basic - Lift Heavy

Playing on the offensive line is all work and very little glory.  Your job is to make the Quarterback, Kicker and others look good.  Success on the line demands brute, explosive power.  Off-Season is when you build this power.  The weight room is where it happens.

The Squat

 

Let's start with the basic barbell squat.  Use the squat rack at the gym for safety.  Do a warm-up set with a weight that you can do about 20 reps with (20 Rep Max).  Do 2 sets of 12 with this lower weight.  Now change up to your 10 Rep Max weight.  Do 4 sets of 10 with that weight.  Watch your form:  Back straight, heels glued to the floor, go nice and deep. 

 

Standing Calf Press



 

Now that we've hit the big upper-leg muscles with squats, we're going to focus on the smaller calf muscles.  Calves are super-important to a lineman as they deliver a lot of the driving power he needs to push forward.  Standing Calf Press is best done on a machine like the one pictured above.  If you don't have a nice calf press machine you can stand on any secure edge and hold a dumbbell in your hand.  Calves seem to like higher reps and lower weights.  Be careful about going gonzo with heavy weights on calf exercises.  Do a couple of warm-up sets with shamefully low weights before you get into the working sets.  So - 2 sets of 15 reps to warm-up.  Then ramp-up the weight to your 12 Rep Max and do 4 sets of 10 reps.  If your calves aren't burning like lava; you're doing something wrong.  Don't bend your knees or wiggle your hips when doing this exercise.  It should be just your ankles flexing.  Let the weight push your heels nice and deep; then drive your toes down to push the weight back up.  Some people fuss about "toes-in" or "toes-out".  I promise you; that when some rabid linebacker is trying to blitz, you won't be thinking about toe-orientation on the standing calf press. 

 

 

Bench Press

 

 

 

Legs are done.  Time to work on upper body.  Bench Press works the big chest muscles (Pecs).  Pecs are what you use for controlling that defensive lineman who is hungry for a sack.  Do some push-ups to get ready for the Bench Press.  After 2 sets of 15 push-ups you'll be sufficiently warm for the bench.  Set the weights so they are at your 10 rep max.  Have a spotter handy or set the safety bars in case you're not quite as butch today as you thought you were.  Grab the bar with a symmetrical grip.  Wrap your thumbs around the bar.  Lower the bar until it just touches your chest then drive it upward to full extension.  You're going to do 3 sets of 8 reps with the 10 Rep max weight.  Don't dawdle between sets; 45 seconds is about right.

 

Seated Cable Rows

 

 

Next-up is back-work.  Hop onto the seated cable row machine and make sure that the little v-grip handle is hooked-on.  We can debate the merits of different handles for this exercise in another post.  I just like the feel of the close-grip-V-handle like the one pictured above.  Set the weights on a humble level for a smooth and easy warm-up set.  Knees slightly bent, back nice and straight.  Amp-up the weight for your working sets.  Pick a weight that's at your 12 Rep Max and do 3 sets of 10 reps.  No rocking back and forth - make your lats do the work.  Full extension of the arms, then steady pull until your elbows are well-back.  This exercise should be gritty hard work.  Yeah, your hands should hurt.

 

Military Press

 

The Military Press can be done with a barbell as pictured above or dumbbells or on a machine.  This works your shoulder muscles.  Start with the weight at the level of your collar-bone.  Back nice and straight, press the weight straight overhead until your elbows are locked-out.  To start - grab a light pair or dumbbells and blast out a nice and easy warm-up set.  Load up a barbell with a modest amount of weight (like about 15 Rep Max).  Now, do 4 sets of 10 reps with that weight. 

 

Close Grip Bench Press

 

Tricep time.  You just gotta have strong triceps to thrive on the line.  These muscles are for pushing and shoving.  There are tons of excellent tricep exercises but we'll start with the Close Grip Bench Press.  Everything is the same as Bench Press except for two things:  you'll be using much lighter weights and you'll hold the bar with a much narrower grip (thumb-tips should almost touch when you point them at each other).  Lower the bar to your chest and then press slowly upward until elbows are fully extended).  Use a lighter weight and go for 4 sets of 12 reps.


EZ Bar Curl

 

 

 The EZ Bar curl is a superb bicep exercise.  Load-up the old EZ bar with a couple of plates, grasp the bar at the knurling as pictured above.  Stand up straight and lock your elbows in to your sides.  Start with bar resting at your thighs and slowly curl straight up.  Lower, repeat.  Use a moderate amount of weight (aim for your 12 Rep Max) and go for 3 sets of 10 reps.

 

 

 Decline Crunch

Let's not forget about abs.  If you're in the gym - find a decline bench.  Set the decline about halfway.  Climb in and lock your feet under the pads.  Curls up using ab strength and slowly lower all the way.  Repeat.  Don't pull on your head.  Do 100...or as many as possible.  Every day that you workout - try to add one more crunch.

 

How Often?

Do this routine 3 times/week - max.  Your body needs 2-3 days in between workouts to recuperate and grow.  Feel free to do cardio (treadmill or bike etc) on the other days.  You'll do this routine for about 6-8 weeks.  After that, you will be ready for a split.

 

Nutrition?

Stick with good clean calories.  Fresh fruit and vegetables.  Lots of lean meat (chicken breast, beef).  Tons of cold-water fish (tuna, wild-salmon, sardines).  Wholesome carbs like oatmeal.  Nuts like almonds and walnuts.

 

Summary

I designed this workout for my client and friend Spencer.  He's an offensive lineman for the Fredericton High School Black Kats, one of the best varsity football teams in Atlantic Canada.  I hope that he enjoys this program and I hope you do too.  Here's the recap:

 

Squat  4 x 10

Standing Calf Press  4 x 10

Bench Press  3 x 8

Seated Cable Row  3 x 10

Military Press  4 x 10

Close Grip Bench Press  4 x 12

EZ Bar Curl  3 x 10

Decline Crunches - 1 set of max

 

 

 

Tom

 

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