Coming into this year, I had a strong impetus that it would be one of significant transformation in all aspects of my life, perhaps others have had a similar gut feeling. Hopeful that the posts and "favs" provided to date have been helpful and improved your life and the current version of yourself in some small way. I am humbled by all of the kindness and support that readers and followers have provided and am very excited by the testimonials I've been receiving with tangible results - please do share with me feedback, what works/what doesn't, and your story/progress or questions!
Down to business...workout splits + diet for the initial part of 2012. The diet rules have been working and I am feeling lean/mean at 7% body fat, but there's room to keep challenging myself and achieve greater heights of personal growth. Hopefully you feel the same!
Here's my view on goal vis-a-vis workout splits (defined as when you work specific muscle groups) and mix of cardio and I will be experimenting with these in the coming months and tracking results. If you would like a more tailored recommendation based on your needs/goals, feel free to e-mail me and I'm happy to take a crack at it!
a) Used to continue achieving leaness/maintenance (3 Day split, HIIT + Steady State)
Monday (1) - Steady State Cardio - 60 min (HR target: 65-75% of MHR)
Tuesday (2) - HIIT Cardio (85-95% of MHR) + Core
Wednesday (3) - Lift - "Pull" (Back/Bi's/Forearms)
Thursday (4) - HIIT Cardio (85-95% of MHR) + Core
Friday (5) - Off
Saturday (6) - Lift - Legs + Core
Sunday (7) - Lift - "Push" (Chest/Shoulders/Tri's)
b) Used for bulk up - gain muscle mass (4 Day split, HIIT only)
Monday (1) - Off
Tuesday (2) - HIIT Cardio (85-95% of MHR) + Core
Wednesday (3) - Lift - Chest/Tri's
Thursday (4) - Lift - Back/Bi's + HIIT
Friday (5) - Off
Saturday (6) - Lift - Legs + HIIT
Sunday (7) - Lift - Shoulder + Core
c) Used for lean-out/weight loss (2 day split, HIIT + Steady State)
Monday (1) - Steady State Cardio - 60 min (HR target: 65-75% of MHR)
Tuesday (2) - Lift - Push/Pull Supersets
Wednesday (3) - Steady State Cardio - 60 min (HR target: 65-75% of MHR)
Thursday (4) - HIIT Cardio (85-95% of MHR) + Core
Friday (5) - Off
Saturday (6) - Lift - Legs + Core
Sunday (7) - Steady State Cardio - 60 min (HR target: 65-75% of MHR)
For a)
Push Day (Chest/Shoulders/Tri's)
Warm-up: 2x15 push-ups
3x6 - Chest Press (Hammer or Bench) - 2 minutes rest b/w sets
3x8 - Incline Press (Plates) - 2 minutes rest
3x10 - Cable Cross-Overs - 1 minutes rest
3x6 - Bar Shoulder Press - 2 minutes rest
3x8 - Smith Machine Upright Row - 2 minutes rest
3x10 - Shoulder machine lift - 1 minutes rest
3x8 - Tricep push downs - 1 minutes rest
3x10 - Dips - 1 minutes rest
Legs
Warm-up: 15 min stairs + 2x15 Bosu air squats
3x6 - Deadlift 2 minutes rest
3x8 - Squat 2 minutes rest
3x8 - Leg Press / 3x8 - Hamstring Curl - 1 minute rest
3x8 (each leg) - Lunges / 3x15 - KB Swings - 1 minute rest
3x8 - (each leg) - Weighted with barbell box step ups - 2 minutes rest
Core Routine
Pull Day (Back/Traps/Bi's)
Warm-up: 2x10 pull-ups
3x6 - Barbell Rows - 2 minutes rest
3x8 - Rows (Plates) - 2 minutes rest
3x10 - Pull Downs 1 minute rest
3x6 - Weighted Pull-ups (20lb weight) - 1 minute rest
3x8 - Bent-over fly's - 1 minute rest
3x6 (each) - DB Bicep Curls - 1 minute rest
3x8 - Preacher Curls - 1 minute rest
For b)
Chest/Tri's
Bench Press: 3x6 reps - 2 minutes rest
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 3x8 reps - 2 minutes rest
Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3x15 reps - 1 minute rest
Cable Crossover: 3x15 reps - 1 minute rest
Close-Grip Bench Press: 3x6 reps - 2 minutes rest
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3x8 reps - 2 minutes rest
Triceps Pressdown: 3x15 reps - 1 minute rest
Back/Bi's
Barbell Row: 3x6 reps - 2 minutes rest
Lat Pulldown: 3x8 reps - 2 minutes rest
Seated Cable Row: 3x15 reps - 1 minute rest
Barbell Curl: 3x6 reps - 2 minutes rest
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3x8 reps - 2 minutes rest
Preacher Curl: 3x15 reps - 1 minute rest
Legs
Squat: 3x6 reps 2-3 minutes rest
Leg Press: 3x6 reps 2-3 minutes rest
Leg Extension: 3x15 reps 1 minute rest
Romanian Deadlift: 3x6 reps 2-3 minutes rest
Lying Leg Curl: 3x15 reps 1 minute rest
Standing Calf Raise: 3x25 reps 1 minute rest
Seated Calf Raise: 3x25 reps 1 minute rest
Shoulders
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 6 reps 2-3 minutes rest
Smith Machine Upright Row: 3 sets of 8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 15 reps 1 minute rest
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise: 3 sets of 15 reps 1 minute rest
Barbell Shrug: 3 sets of 8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
For c)
Legs
Warm-up: 15 min stairs + 2x15 Bosu air squats
3x6 - Deadlift
3x8 - Squat / 3x8 - Hamstring Curl
3x8 (each leg) - Lunges / 3x15 - KB Swings
3x8 - (each leg) - Weighted with barbell box step ups
Core Routine
Push/Pull Supersets
Bench Press: 3x10 / 3x10 - Rows (Plates) - 1 minute rest
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 3x10 reps / Lat Pulldown: 3x10 reps - 1 minute rest
Cable Crossover: 3x12 reps / Pull-ups: 3x10 - 1 minute rest
Triceps Pressdown: 3x15 reps / 3x8 (each) - DB Bicep Curls - 1 minute rest
Diet: Sticking with Cycling Ketogenic Diet with an emphasis on Paleo principles, has been working extremely well, carbs have become a non-factor in my life as I get all of my energy from fat. Particularly would recommend Chris Kresser's new Paleo diet approach, true clarity, tailoring, and proven science behind it! http://www.paleoplan.com/
All the best for the coming year on your personal goals, particularly on the health/nutrition front, hope I can help contribute to your success!
