It’s
that time and Summer is here fellas! With tight jeans being as popular as
they were this Winter, I can only imagine what guys have in store for the beach
this summer.
Dare
I say, the speedo might be brought out of retirement…
Real
talk, if you have any plans to wear a cut-off shirt this summer or shorts – do yourself
a favor and take your workout up a notch. I have laid out a fool-proof
plan that will assist any would-be exercisers that want to strut the beach in
their leopard skins (Martin).
The
key to a head-turning beach physique is fat burning, and here is the Blueprint One.
Cardio
The
first component to any ripped frame is going to be cardio. There is only a
short time before the weather gets really hot so you are doing your cardio in
the morning. Right when you wake up in the morning after an overnight six to eight
hour fast, your body’s stores of glycogen are somewhat depleted. Doing
cardio in this state causes your body to burn more fat because of the
unavailability of glycogen. We need to do this at least five days week.
When
you are doing your cardio, you are only doing intervals. Intervals are workouts
that alternate high-intensity levels with lower-intensity levels. Interval
training mimics sports – start-and-stop motions with periods of sprinting followed
by light jogging or a walk. 25-30 mins of intervals per day is your goal.
Treadmill Interval Workout:
Two
minute walk (3.0-3.5mph)Two
minute sprint (7.0-10.0mph) for total 10 minutesBreak
(Ab workout, Example 1)Repeat
3x
Total
time: 30 minutes
I’m
sure somehow someway Usher will end up with his shirt off as he promotes his
new album, so we have to get your stomach tight as well. In between each
interval, you are doing 100 ab exercise reps (i.e. crunch’s, sit-ups, ab
shockers etc.), then you are going right back into another interval of
cardio. You are doing a minimum of 300
abs every morning, so this means you need at least three intervals.
Ab
Workout:
Full
sit ups 25xAb
Shockers 25xToe
touches 25xCrunches
25x
Total:
100
Sample Ab Workout
CARDIO MISTAKES
Not
stretching after cardioDoing
to much cardio (i.e. 1 hour)Having
bad form
Weight Lifting
We’re
not training you for the Bruce Lee look, so you
are going to add some weights in the afternoon. The reason you are lifting
during this time is for two reasons – you are employing muscle shocking
techniques, because pain threshold is highest, and the limits of the body can
be pushed further than usual at this time. Also, adrenalin and body
temperature has a rising trend, so they peak later in the day. Our ideal
time to lift is between 3:00-6:00 pm
.
Next we are dropping the reps of our workout (6-10 reps, three sets). What we
are trying to do is maintain the maximum amount of muscle density while the
body fat is being burned off by our cardio routine. To drop the weight to
something lighter to allow higher reps (ie. 15+ Reps) in the belief that this
will make you more “cut” is a myth. No time for the full explanation –
just trust me, Summer is around the corner.
Workout 1 Example
Dead lifts T-Bar RowsD. Bell ShrugsBehind Back D. Bell ShrugsLat Pull Down (machine)
The
second workout is a super-set workout. This means that you do one exercise, and
upon completion, perform a body weight exercise set. We are focusing on weight
lifting and calisthenics. You are still going heavy with the weight lifting,
but make sure that every set you do 10 reps, four sets of both exercises. If you are unable to do pull-ups or dips, use
an assisted machine.
Workout 2 Example
Bench
Press/Push upsArm
curls/pull-upsOverhead
Triceps ext./DipsSquats/Jumping
Squats
The
third workout is the most intense and most important. We based this workout off
of Terrell Owens off-season workout. The object is to complete 100 reps, one
set, before you go on to the next exercise. Pick a weight that is not too heavy.
You don’t have to worry about it being too light, because you are performing
100 reps.
Workout 3 Example
Medicine-ball
crunch
Hammer-strength
incline press Leg
press
Bodyweight
squat
15-20
lb medicine ball
Medicine Ball Workout
WEIGHT LIFTING MISTAKES
Not
warming up before you start liftingLifting
to heavy Using
momentum to lift
DIET
Wait!
Were you really about to pack your gym bag without putting the protein in
there? You seen dude in the new Ashanti video, he making everybody step it
up. Well, if you are going to be serious, pack at least 24 grams of protein to ingest
post-workout. Gaining strength and muscle doesn’t occur while you workout
but after during the recovery stage.
After
a workout, protein breakdown goes up and protein synthesis stays the same or
slightly elevated. Now, if nothing is done about the protein breakdown,
then muscle that could have been gained is not gained for a certain amount of
time, and muscle that currently exists is lost. I recommend that you should
consume a liquid protein shake since it is quickly absorbed. A more
detailed explanation is in my book Confessions
of The Personal Trainer
Fast food and
greasy food will make you chubby like Ricky Ross, trust. Trainer or no
trainer, McDonalds fries are my personal
weakness. I swear there has to be some crack sprinkled somewhere in them,
because those things are addictive. But for the summer we have to pick our
battles, and that is one we can’t win.
Keep
your plate as colorful as possible when you are about to eat a meal. The
more colors you have when you eat, the higher the antioxidants. The higher
the antioxidants, the better you feel. The better you feel, the better
you look. So let’s start with the basics to reduce our body fat.
Cut Calories 150-300 per day if you are over weightIncrease Calories 150-300 per day if you are under weight Cut Fats
(Fried food, processed food, swine)Restrict bad Carbohydrates (White sugar, white bread)Increase Fiber (Wheat bread, Oatmeal)Increase Water (Nothing specific just always have a bottle with you)
Meal
Plan Example
Meal
1 – Oatmeal, banana and OJ
Meal
2 – Brown rice, green beans and baked chicken
Meal
3 – Apple & Grapes
Meal
4 – Protein shake with skim milk and Natural peanut butter
Meal
5 – Bake Potato, broccoli, lean fish with red and green peppers
So we
are at the X-factor of your progress: You are waking up every morning getting
that cardio in, and hitting the gym for a quick weight lifting session three
days a week. You have improved what you eat all day long. You are just
about to start shedding that excess body fat, and the worst thing happens: the
Celtics win the championship and you want to celebrate! Yep, you hear T-Pain in
the back of your head talking about “the bartender,” and your silly self goes
to get skummy.
Alcohol
will throw everything off. Alcohol has a lot of sugar in it, and that will
turn to fat once it’s in your body. This fat will attach its self every
where in your body, belly, thighs, arms, etc… Overall, men gain more
weight in the abdomen, meaning that the Grey Goose is going to cause belly fat
for you.
For
the sake of your routine, you should just “say no” all together.
DIET MISTAKES
Not
drinking enough waterEating
too much Eating
too late (i.e. within two hours of going to bed)
Siddiqu Muhammad is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer, NFPT (National Federation of Personal Trainers) certified personal trainer, a Professional Athlete Strength and Conditioning coach, and Motivational Speaker. Send questions to him at chicagofit4life@yahoo.com. To view more of Chicago Fit 4 Life’s eating and training philosophy visit www.cf4life.com