Workout: Design

Designing Workouts If you are brand new to working out, I suggest finding a knowledgeable friend or enlist a trainer to "show you the ropes". It's important to start slow and take your time to learn various exercises and proper form. Once you are comfortable with your gym and the equipment available, you can progress on to customizing your own workouts. When creating your own workout routines there are several things to consider. Goal You need to have an overall goal that you are shooting for and train accordingly to help achieve that goal. No one style of training is superior to another but there are types of workouts that are better suited towards specific goals. Your goal does not have to be specific however. "To keep in shape" is as good a goal as something like "lose 10 lbs". Goals can also change over time. As your goals change, be sure to step back and examine your current training routine. Make adjustments as needed to suit your new goal. Time Working out takes time! Due to work, family, school or a number of other reasons, you may not have as much free time to workout. Be realistic about how much actual time you will devote to your routine. Do not set yourself up for failure by creating a 6 day routine that you don't have time to complete. Figure out how many days you can actually make it to the gym and design your routine around that schedule. If possible, make your routine flexible enough to handle unexpected life events interrupting your schedule. Treat the gym as an important meeting, make it a priority! Also remember that the more time you put in, the better your results will be. Capability Take into account your age, current health and any existing injuries or limitations when creating a workout. Use this as a guide to setup the appropriate amount of rest days between workouts. Also avoid any exercises that may aggravate nagging injuries. Look for stretches and physical therapy exercises you can do to bolster or strengthen your weak areas. You may have naturally stronger or weaker muscle groups. For weaker groups, be sure to add in some extra sets/reps to get them caught up. Do not completely ignore your strong areas but try to use compound exercises to strengthen the surrounding, supporting muscles to that group simultaneously. As you grow stronger, you can decrease the amount of rest between workouts and also in between sets. Constantly test your ability and "push the envelope" if you want to continue to see growth. Body Type Everyone is different and therefore may respond differently to training. There are three basic bodybuilding types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph & Endomorph. (Read Here) It's important to figure out which one you lean toward and train to suit your frame. This will also affect how much cardio you need and your dietary habits. Inspiration Once you figure out your body type, it may be helpful to find a person who represents your goal. Ensure that this person is of a similar body type so you can maintain a realistic expectation. Study your chosen person and try to emulate their training and dietary methods. If your goal role model is a professional bodybuilder/model/etc, do not attempt to use their exact routine right off the bat. Pros usually have years of experience working out and often have extreme discipline when it comes to supplements and diet. A person off the street may not be able to deal with a strenuous routine. What you can do is take pieces of their routine and apply it to your own workout as needed. I like going to Cut And Jacked and browsing their listing of workouts from pros. I take bits and pieces from there to form my own routines. It is also useful for switching up your workouts from time to time so your body keeps guessing.

Split vs Full Body There are two basic types of workout routines: Full Body and Split. Depending on your goals and the time you have available to workout, one may be better than the other. Again, no one method is "better" than another. It's all about finding out what works best for your body and your schedule. Split Split workouts break the body into individual muscle groups that are trained during different workout sessions. It's up to you how far you want to break down the groups. In the next section we will give some examples of different splits. This style is best for "molding" your body as you can focus on specific areas. It also is the best for building muscle as you can devote an entire session to exhausting a muscle group. This style is not best for burning calories as it's usually doesn't include rapid movements. Skipping a workout also means that a particular muscle group gets ignored during a week. This usually must be made up and shouldn't happen often. If you want to build muscle and have ample time to devote individual areas, use this style of training. Full Body Full body workouts encompass the entire body as one big muscle group. You do several exercises for both upper and lower body during one session. The good thing about this type of workout is that if you happen to skip a day, you are not leaving out a muscle group like you would with Split training. If you are just starting out or only have time to workout intermittently, this is a good way to go. It also is great for folks who are focused on cardio or running events. By keeping the intensity up and decreasing the amount of rest between sets, you can maximize calories burned and burn a lot of fat. This makes it ideal for those trying to lose weight. If you are into building specific muscle groups or bodybuilding in general, you should stick to split training. There are pros who have made tremendous progress doing variable full body workouts but for the average person, there is a big risk of injury and overtraining.

Example Workouts Female, 4 Day Split This is a routine that my girlfriend is currently doing. It is a split style routine that has two basic groups: upper & lower body. During the upper sessions, muscle groups are broken down even further. Chest and back (push & pull) are the focus of the first upper body session. Biceps, triceps & shoulders are worked with the second upper body session. The first lower body session is primarily muscle building while the second session is plyometric/isometric. It is a great routine for women looking to build overall strength and shape their legs. Cardio is thrown in whenever you have free time. Your days off are variable but ideally you probably want to throw in a day off between Day 2 & 3. Day 1: Chest/Back Lat Pulldowns Cable Rows Bent Over Rows Pull Ups Delt Flys Back Extensions Chest Press (two angles) Chest Fly Push Ups Abs (two exercises) Day 2: Heavy Leg Hack Squats Leg Curls Leg Press Leg Extensions Deadlifts Calf Press Glute Kicks Static Lunge Squats Abs (two exercises) Day 3: Arms/Shoulders Cable Curls Dumbbell Curls Crucifix Curls Shoulder Raise Shoulder Press Dips Tricep Cable Pulldown Skullcrushers Abs (two exercises) Day 4: Plyo Leg Hip Adduction Hip Abduction Calf Press Walking Lunges High Knees Box/Squat Jumps Wall Sit Stairmaster Abs (two exercises) Full Body Here is an example full body workout. Two variations are described below that cover the same muscle groups but provide different methods of working these groups. You can alternate between the two or optionally add more variations. Full body workouts are intense so I would recommend at least a one days rest in between sessions. Keep the intensity up & the amount of rest in between exercises/sets low. Routine A Back: Seated Cable Rows Chest: Dumbbell Press Shoulder: Upright Rows Legs: Leg Press Biceps: Preacher Curls Triceps: Dips Calves: Standing Calf Raises Abs: Hanging Leg Raises Routine B Back: Pull-ups Chest: Barbell Press Shoulder: Shoulder Press Legs: Squats Biceps: Dumbbell Curls Triceps: Dumbbell Extensions Calves: Seated Calf Raises Abs: Cable Crunches Male, 5 Day Split This is my current routine. It is a 5 day split but the Shoulder/Traps day is optional for me. If I have to drop a day or need extra rest, I skip Day 5 and throw a few of those exercises onto other days. My shoulders and traps get a lot of work on back day so it's not as if they are being neglected. This style routine is good for folks who have at least four days a week to devote for bodybuilding and want to build muscle. Day 1: Back Deadlifts Standing Front Pulldowns Lat Pulldowns (wide & close) Shoulder Press Cable Rows (nuetral & over) Pull Ups Abs (two exercises) Day 2: Chest Incline Press Standing Cable Fly Flat Bench Press Seated Machine Fly Decline Press Push Ups Rear Delt Fly Abs (two exercises) Day 3: Arms Overhead Triceps Extension Standing Hammer Curls Standing Rope Pulldowns Seated Dumbbell Curls Cable Tricep Extensions Dips Forearm Curls Abs (two exercises) Day 4: Legs Squats Static Lunges Standing Calf Raises Leg Curls Hack Squats Seated Calf Raises Leg Press Abs (two exercises) Day 5: Shoulder/Traps Lateral Raises Shoulder Press Dumbbell Front Raises Shrugs Upright Rows Rear Delts Abs (two exercises) Male, 3 Day Split This was an old routine I used to use when I was in college. I was working full-time and had a full load of classes so my time was limited. I was busy all week and just wanted to try and maintain a reasonable shape. It still manages to touch every muscle group & you just throw in extra cardio whenever you have the time. I would do this Mon/Wed/Fri. If you wanted to, you could add in cardio on Tues/Thurs to turn this into a 5 day split. Day 1: Chest/Triceps Machine Chest Fly Tricep Pushdowns Incline Bench Press Overhead Dumbbell Extension Lying Dumbbell Chest Press Reverse Cable Pulldowns Abs (two exercises) Day 2: Legs Squats Standing Calf Raises Leg Curls Hack Squat Machine Hip Adduction/Abduction Leg Press Abs (two exercises) Day 3: Back/Biceps/Shoulders Deadlifts Cable Rope Curls Lat Pulldowns Front/Lateral Raises Seated Preacher Curls T-Bar Bent Over Rows Concentration Curls Shoulder Press Pull Ups / Chin Ups Abs (two exercises)

Lift Safe & Lift Heavy!!!

Workout: Mueller Lake Park Circuit 10

Equipment Used: Five colored die (or dice marked with different colors/markings) Soft ground area to lie down (carpet/grass/etc) A raised, solid surface which will support your weight (park bench, steps, sturdy chair) Optional: Resistance Band or Dumbbells to perform weighted/advanced versions of exercises

Circuit #10

SUMMARY ***Stretch/Warmup Black (cardio): Burpees Blue (cardio/lower): Box Jumps Red (upper): Push-Ups Yellow (lower): Squats Green (abs): Lying Crunches Snake Eyes (all): Box Jumps, Pull-Ups, Walking Lunges, Rest Dice total indicates number of reps The highest numbered die indicates the exercise (color) If multiple colors share highest number (tie), perform reps for each exercise color

Circuit #10 - Crap Shoot Workout

This circuit is designed to be ran quickly. The point is to keeps moving and attempt to get through multiple rounds as quickly as possible. Since we are moving quickly, we chose to use calisthenic exercises that require no equipment. This type of workout is extremely flexible due to the fact that you can switch up the assigned exercises to suit your needs. The snake eyes rule is optional but we wanted to make them a big deal like they are in shooting craps. In the event of a tie, perform reps for each exercise that shares the highest number. We chose the above exercises to try and hit each body group and include some cardio. Again, you can change these exercises to suit your own individual needs or to not let the circuit get stale. If in a group, you could also have each member pick their own exercise assignments for each color. Take breaks in between each members custom set. Many of the exercises we chose to use are explained in greater detail in previous posts so browse those for additional tips and tricks. Video examples are linked below to refresh your memory on each exercise. If you cannot perform the original exercise or become tired, please moveto an easier version of the exercise or replace it. For burpees, we use mountain climbers as an alternate exercise. With push-ups, move to using your knees. Replace box jumps with step-ups if needed.

Examples

Burpees: Click For Video Example Squat Presses: Click For Video Example Push-Up: Click For Video Example Lying Reverse Crunches: Click For Video Example Box Jumps: Click For Video Example Pull-Ups: Video Example (Assisted) Walking Lunges: Click For Video Example

Hydrate, Rest and Recover. Good luck!!!

Workout: Mueller Lake Park Circuit 8

Equipment Used: Standard deck of playing cards Soft ground area to lie down (carpet/grass/etc) A raised, solid surface which will support your weight (park bench, steps, sturdy chair) Optional: Resistance Band or Dumbbells to perform weighted/advanced versions of exercises

Circuit #8

SUMMARY ***Stretch/Warmup Hearts (cardio): Burpees Spades (lower): Squats Diamonds (upper): Push-Ups Clubs (abs): Lying Crunches Jokers (all): Box Jumps, Pull-Ups, Walking Lunges, Reverse Crunches, Rest Aces: One minute rest / water break Face Cards & Jokers: 10 reps Numbered Cards: Reps matching number of that card

Circuit #8 - Deck of Cards Workout

This circuit is designed to be ran quickly. The point is to keeps moving and attempt to get through the deck as quickly as possible. Since we are moving quickly, we chose to use calisthenic exercises that require no equipment. This type of workout is extremely flexible due to the fact that you can switch up the assigned exercises to suit your needs. If you require more rest than what we have come up with here, you can replace the Aces w/ 11 reps and instead take a break every 5-7 cards completed. Jokers are optional but we wanted to make them a big deal like they are in most card games. We decided to make them worth 10 reps of a unique exercise in each body group. A break is added in at the end to help ease the transition back into the usual exercises. You can choose to leave out the Jokers or come up with your own fun variation to use them. We chose the above exercises to try and hit each body group and include some cardio. Again, you can change these exercises to suit your own individual needs or to not let the circuit get stale. If in a group, you could also have each member select a group of cards face-down and pick their own exercise assignments for each suit. Take breaks in between each members custom set. Many of the exercises we chose to use are explained in greater detail in previous posts so browse those for additional tips and tricks. Video examples are linked below to refresh your memory on each exercise.

Examples

Burpees: Click For Video Example Squat Presses: Click For Video Example Push-Up: Click For Video Example Lying Reverse Crunches: Click For Video Example Box Jumps: Click For Video Example Pull-Ups: Video Example (Assisted) Walking Lunges: Click For Video Example

Hydrate, Rest and Recover. Good luck!!!

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 Shoe Review

I can now say that I've become a Brooks shoe fanboy. Every shoe that I currently run in are Brooks. I've owned the GTS series since the 11's. You can read my review about Brooks GTS 12. I use to run in the most trendy shoes out, not really caring about how many miles I would put in them. Since I started getting serious over the past 12 month about my running I know now that I need a shoe that can carry me well. 

Contrary to most running literature. I knew that it wouldn't be smart to take a new pair of shoes out for a race, but that's exactly what I did. I bought them and took them out for a short run, then the next day I ran the Rock'n Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon. These shoes worked perfectly. 

Now before you think that I'm speaking so highly of Brooks, go back and read Brooks Trance 11. The Trance where one of the worst pair of shoes that I've tried. 

I've put in about 100 miles in these shoes and I can say that I love them. If you go back and read a few of my other shoe review, you'll know that I'm a heavier runner and that I need shoes to hold up to the pounding I put them through.

Submitted by Miles

Brooks Trance 11 Shoe Review

This shoe was recommended to me by a local shoe store.

Let me start this off by saying that I love Brooks running shoes, that being said in my opinion the Brooks Trance 11 are the worst pair of shoes that I've purchased in my almost 3 years of running. The reason that I got the shoes was that when I tried them on at the store that seemed to feel good and I needed a pair of shoes that would hold up for the race training that I'm currently doing. The Trance 11 also was said to have more cushion throughout the entire shoe then my now all time favorite shoe the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12. I like the GTS 12 so much that I got a second pair because they were on sale. You can read the review for the GTS 12 Here.   

The Brooks Trance 11 have nice cushioning throughout the entire shoe. The Trance 11's are suppose to be the cadillac shoe of Brooks. I couldn't have been more disappointed with this shoe. They were no where near the price they can charge for them which can be as high as $140. The shoes feel heavy and feel stiff in the middle of your foot. I developed a big blister down the center of my foot where I've never had one before. The pain in my right foot was so intense that I had to actually stop for a bit. I know that this could only be exclusive to me due to my body structure and my gait. The problem with that is that a #CheFit teammate who is at average weight for his body type had the exact same problem I did. He is tall and has a slender body type. I'm a heavy runner and I read that this could be the shoe for me. I put in 30 miles in these and I do have to say that those were some of the toughest miles. I could say that it could have been do to leg fatigue, but as soon as I put on another pair of shoes the miles have been a breeze.


Submitted by Miles

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 Shoe Review

This shoe was recommended to me by a CheFit Team Member.

I did have the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11, but I liked a shoe with more cushioning so I more to the Saucony Hurricane 14(Saucony Hurricane). I ended up going through 2 pairs of the Saucony. My teammate purchased the Brooks GTS 11 and liked them so much he got the GTS 12. He told me to look into getting them so I did. I like the shoes better than the GTS 11’s. What I like about the shoe is that they are light enough to do some tempo work and have enough cushion for the long run, I'm a heavy runner so I need a shoe with stability and cushioning. I used them to run a 27 miler this past weekend and they felt good, no blisters and no foot pain. Once these shoes are broken in they feel great, they can feel a little stiff at first. I chose this color shoe because they were on sale. I usually like to get simple colors if possible. These shoes would be best for the everyday run.

The shoes are on average for the price $110.

I log on average 25+ miles a week and I've put about 125 miles in these shoes, they have held up nicely.


Submitted By Miles

Nutrition: Cutting Results

This is an update post w/ results of a four week "cutting" (weight loss) cycle in which I dropped down to my summer maintenance weight and also helped me test out a supplement called "Animal Cuts". I've used that product the past two summers to help add some extra definition right before a vacation. The above picture of that nerdy black dude (me) is a before and after. The left side "before" pic shows when I weighed-in between 196-198lbs during the week of May 21-25. That pic was taken May 23rd. I had more mass from "bulking" (gaining weight) through the winter/spring but looked "softer" overall, especially around my midsection. During the winter I upped my calorie intake and cut out cardio completely. I'm a hard-gainer so running 5k's three times a week made it too hard to stay in a calorie excess. I also hate doing cardio so that dropping that was easy. During this period I did gain mass and strength but it came along with extra fat. I think if I try to bulk again this winter, I will actually track my calories and try to not to bulk "blind" by just eating based on how I felt. The right side "after" pic displays me currently and I weighed-in between 190-191lbs during June 18-20. The pic was taken June 20th. I feel I was able to shred my midsection and still maintain some of my mass up top. There is no way to target a specific area (i.e. abs) and just lose weight there unfortunately. You have to try to drop your overall body fat pecentage and if the muscle is present underneath, it will shine through. So my cutting strategy is to still lift heavy and try to maintain muscle mass but intake less calories and incorporate cardio to drop weight.

NUTRITION CHANGES

Basic biology dictates that if you eat less and move more you will lose weight. I outline in a previous post how to calculate a rough estimate of your maintenance calories (Macros Post). I used that method to estimate my "cutting" (weight loss) calories at 195lbs was about 2975 on training days and 2700 on rest days. This is down 500 cals from my maintenance calorie calculation. It was hard at first since I had become accustomed to my "bulking" (weight gain) diet of never being hungry and eating anything that wasn't nailed down. My stomach was used to having any urge satisfied immediately. I would still eat clean but I ate all the time with my calorie and carb intake insanely high. The key for me to control my nutrition was to track it (also detailed in the previous macro post). It was really surprising to see how easily you can exceed 1k cals with only a few food items. I had to space my meals back out and have short times where I was slightly hungry. As you drop weight however, those urges tend to go away since you don't need as many calories at a lower weight. In my case, using the formula from the macro post, my maintenance calories are roughly 2964 at 190lbs. This is lower than my "cutting" calories at 195lbs (2975). So as I dropped weight, I was slowly sliding into the calorie range I needed to maintain a lower weight and my hunger adjusted with it. I would have never been able to gauge whether or not my hunger was legitimate if I wasn't tracking my calories. The last remaining challenge was to manage the timing of my meals and still hit my macros. I needed to start spacing out my meals again instead of just eating all the time. I also had to make sure I was still maintaining a good amount of protein with the lower calorie count. I needed to start eating high protein meals for breakfast and dinner since I was reaching my calorie cap much sooner than I was used to.

WORKOUT CHANGES

The primary change to my routine is that I incorporated cardio back into my routine. Cardio makes it easier to create a calorie deficit, which helps drop weight. I do cardio three times a week now. Another difference was to change one of my workouts to a high-intensity, high-rep workout. A group of my friends started doing circuit work at a park in town on Sundays, so I join in every week. My rest day is Saturday and I hit the gym Mon-Fri. The circuit work is a lot of body weight and high-rep work. It also is outside and helps generate a lot of sweat! It includes some sprints and agility work that helps me meet my weekly cardio requirement ( Example Workout Here). As far as gym work goes, I kept my routine pretty much the same as far as reps and muscle groups.

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ANIMAL CUT: Shred Supplement

This supplement is used to help create more definition in your physique. It combines a mixture of several different elements that promote fat loss. A serving is a packet of about eight pills. I placed some brief bullet points on the components of the supplement below. Some people optionally remove either the thermogenic (red pill) or the diuretic (blue pills) if it causes weird reactions for you. The instructions state to take two packs a day for three weeks in a row but I only took it Mon-Fri and skipped the weekend. Since I skip the weekends I wound up with enough servings for an entire month and change. The caffeine in the supplement (red pill) is extreme but my body got used to it after a few days. Due to the diuretic (blue pill), you want to make sure that you ingest a higher than normal amount of water a day. As with any supplement, this will not single-handedly bring you to your goal on its own. If I continued to eat and workout as I did while bulking, I wouldn't see any results from this. Since I already had a plan to cut calories and adjust my workout, the pills helped "supplement" my work toward weight loss. I do admit the appetite suppresors helped control urges when I first started cutting. Once I got closer to my goal weight, it wasn't needed however. Overall I like the supplement but wouldn't recommend it for sustained use. Even the manufacturer states that you should take a week off between cycles. I think it is best as either a jump-start or finishing touch to a cutting cycle. If your body fat percentage is already pretty low you will see results. More detail and purchase info here: Animal Cuts on Bodybuilding.com

Components

1 - Thermogenic *** Red capsule The ingredients in this complex help boost the bodys natural ability to burn stored body fat.

2 - Metabolic Helps raise your body's core metabolism which increases the rate at which your body converts food into energy. A quicker metabolism will ensure that less food is being stored as body fat.

3 - Thyroid Helps support healthy thyroid gland function and avoid a catabolic state

4 - Diuretic *** Two blue capsules Sheds excess water weight by promoting an increase in the excretion of sodium & water from the body. It also helps lower the blood pressure.

5 - Nootropic Provides increased oxygen supply to the brain to promote better focus and increased alertness.

6 - Cortisol Inhibiting Helps regulate the hormone cortisol (aka the "stress" hormone). This hormone is said to break down muscle mass and help cause weight gain if present in execessive levels. Inhibitors should decrease stress levels and help maintain muscle mass.

7 - CCK Inhibiting Appetite suppressors, such as hoodia, joboba seed and cha-de-bugre, which help curb sugar and carb cravings.

8 - Proprietary Bioavailability This is Universals proprietary blend of random stuff.

Submitted by Bars