Shannan’s Journey

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4 x 10 Seated rows
superset
4 x 6 reverse grip pulldowns

4 x 10 Alternating single dumbbell dead lifts
superset
4 x 10 Straight arm Rope Pull from high cable

4 x 10 D-bell pull throughs
superset
4 x 10 Two hands on one dumbbell row

CHEST & TRICEPs w/ a little legs (for heart rate

4 x 15,12,10,10, Incline flies, superset
4 x 35 Traveling lunges

3 x 15 Peck deck
4 x 6 Decline presses (which I never do)
3 x 10 Overhead cable extension

3 x 10 Neutral Grip pushdowns, superset with
4 x 15 Weighted bench dips

Cross Train Combo

Warmup: Do 1/4 mile run then stretch

Set 1:  4 x 20 yd sprints
Do backward walking lunges on the way back

Set 2:  4 x 30 yd sprints
Do lateral skip squats on the way back switching direction each time

Set 3:  4 x 40 yd sprints
Back pedal on the way back

Set 4:  4 x 50 yd sprints
Do walking lunges on the way back

Cooldown: 20 minute fast walk then stretch

Target Heart Rate Cardio

CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO. It is a key component in a fitness program! But do you ever wonder why you are prescribed a certain type of cardio? Do you wonder why, at times, you are asked to perform very intense cardio, and others who are able to do less impactful cardio at a slower pace?

There is a method to the madness! In a previous article, we explored the difference between interval and steady state cardio and the importance of cardio timing and duration in relation to your meals. Look at exertion rates during cardio and why it is important to adhere to your cardio program as written without substituting (easier or harder) alternate cardio.

How do you know if you are training too intensely or not intensely enough for what you want to achieve? This is where Heart Zone Training comes in. Here’s how to figure out your target heart rate:

220 minus your age = Your maximum heart rate

Maximum heart rate x 0.5 = Low end of your target heart-rate range

Maximum heart rate x 0.75 = Higher end of your target heart-rate range

Once you have determined your max HR, you can determine which "cardio zone" you are training at. There are five different training zones separated by 10% increments, each having different characteristics and benefits.

Cardio Exercise - Healthy Heart Zone
The first zone is 50-60% of your max HR. This is the easiest and most comfortable zone within which to train and is best for people who are just starting an exercise program or have low functional capacity. Walkers often train in this zone. Although this zone has been criticized for not burning enough total calories, and for not being intense enough to get great cardiorespiratory benefits, it has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. In this zone, 10% of carbohydrates are "burned" (used as energy), 5% of protein is burned and a whopping 85% of fat is burned.

Cardio Fitness Zone
The next zone is the Fitness Zone, which is 60-70% of your max HR. Once again, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. Studies have shown that in this zone you can condition your fat mobilization (getting fat out of your cells) while conditioning your fat transportation (getting fat to muscles). Thus, in this zone, you are training your fat cells to increase the rate of fat release and training your muscles to burn fat. Therefore, the benefits of this zone are not only the same as the healthy heart zone training at 50-60% but you are now slightly increasing the total number of calories burned and provide a little more cardiorespiratory benefits. You burn more total calories at this zone simply because it is more intense.

Cardio Aerobic Zone
The third zone, the Aerobic Zone, requires that you train at 70-80% of your max HR. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. In this zone, your functional capacity will greatly improve and you can expect to increase the number and size of blood vessels, increase vital capacity and respiratory rate and achieve increases in pulmonary ventilation, as well as increases in arterial venous oxygen. Moreover, stroke volume (amount of blood pumped per heart beat) will increase, and your resting heart rate will decrease. What does all this mean? It means that your cardiovascular and respiratory system will improve and you will increase the size and strength of your heart. In this zone, 50% of calories burned are from carbohydrates, 50% are from fat and less than 1% is from protein. But don’t be discouraged from this type of cardio because of that ratio! Less of a percentage of calories burned may come from fat, but if you burn more calories TOTAL, you will still, in the end, burn more fat calories than you would in a less intense zone!

Cardio Anaerobic Zone
The next training zone is called the Threshold or Anaerobic zone, which is 80-90% of your max HR. Benefits include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability. This means your endurance will improve and you’ll be better able to fight fatigue. Since the intensity is high, more calories will be burned than within the three previous zones. Although more calories are burned in this zone, 85% of the calories burned are from carbohydrates, 15% from fat and less than 1% are from protein. But the same principles apply: more calories burned equals more fat calories burned!

Redline Zone
The last training zone is called the Redline Zone, which is 90-100% of your max HR. Remember, training at 100% is your maximum heart rate (maximum HR), your heart rate will not get any higher. This zone burns the highest total number of calories and the lowest percentage of fat calories. Ninety percent of the calories burned here are carbohydrates, only 10% are fats and again less than one percent is protein. This zone is so intense that very few people can actually stay in this zone for the minimum 20 minutes, or even five minutes (you should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so). Usually, people use this zone for interval training. For example, you may do three minutes in the Aerobic Zone and then one minute in this Redline Zone and then back to the Aerobic Zone. This idea will sound familiar to anyone who has ever performed a Fitness Factory cardio program! Each of Mike’s unique programs take you through these zones, often varying from higher intensity states to lower intensities. And your rate of exertion is carefully considered and orchestrated in each program.

So remember…if you feel like you are behind in your goals and you are tempted to do an extra boot camp or two, or kickbox class (and it is not on your normal plan)… DON’T.  If you are tired and and not really "feelin’ it" and you are tempted to spend your 30 minutes on the bike instead of the stepper… DON’T.

There is a reason for all of the cardio you are asked to complete by your trainer. If you manipulate your cardio and over or under exert yourself, you are sabotaging your results! Make your time in the cardio room count. Perform the cardio that is suited to your goals. And always remember that pushing through the toughest program, or having the restraint to do the less strenuous cardio when instructed, will certainly pay off in the end!

1) Use Mrs. Dash to help give it some flavor. There are a ton of different flavors now available in your spices section of the grocery store.

2) Allowed Peanut Butter? Combine that table spoon with your chicken while you eat it. It’s almost like a peanut sauce on the bird.

3) Broil your chicken breasts. Cover a sheet pan in tin foil, place the chicken breasts on the pan and then use some I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray and spray it on the breasts. You can also put some Mrs. Dash or other spice on it. Then broil it. I broil on HIGH and it cooks fairly quickly. Flip it and spray butter on that side and put it back in to finish cooking. When I broil chicken and use the spray butter it stays juicy and doesn’t dry out.

4) Coat those puppies with some spice. I use ground red pepper and it helps give it some heat. I also combine it with a little black pepper. I’m not big on hot, super spicy foods but this helps give it some kick.

5) Add a piece or two of low-fat turkey bacon on top of the chicken breast. It may not be “real” bacon but it is a pretty close alternative.

Elissa Schlichter is heading into this weekend’s NPC Master’s Nationals and looking great. This is a recent photo shoot and she looks great. This is the physique of a 49 year old figure competitor. She turns 50 in January and looks more fit than most 25 year olds. She tells me, “I want mainstream people to get that little obsession and dedication to health & fitness that can help slow down the aging process.”

It looks like you’ve found a winning formula for looking young. Best of luck this weekend!

Here are a few tips on building that physique you are dreaming of…  Isn’t our goal to be in the best shape of our lives by being fit, healthy, and lean…??  This all comes with a very specific process of building lean quality muscle but how do we do this?

Are you wanting to look good all year long while using a balanced way of building your physique type of approach ??

Let me help you with a few key pointers. First of all there is NO need to bulk to build. This is about balance and using key tools and tips to enable yourself to look good all year round and not for just a couple of weeks.

You DO NOT, let me repeat… DO NOT have to follow the typical bulk and cut approach to gain muscle. If you know what to do and how to approach muscle gain you can add quality muscle while maintaining and even lowering your body fat. The key is to add quality lean muscle without getting fat in the process.

Whatever your muscle building related goals are, there are simple tips will become very useful to you as you start to address your physique building goals. Just remember these tips only do you good if you start to use them!! and USE them on a REGULAR BASIS !!!

DON’T BE AFRAID TO LIFT HEAVY– YOU WONT GET TOO BIG!! PROMISE!

You only get "bulky" when you are eating too many calories coming from too many fats and carbs, as well as unhealthy cheat foods.

YOU NEED PROGRESS AND CHANGE!!

–Your muscles will adapt to a training and exercise very quickly! ALWAYS change up your workouts and stay away from repetitive workouts and from only using machines. CHANGE IS GOOD! A FEW EXAMPLES INCLUDE:

- change (increase or decrease)rest periods
- increase or decrease number of reps
- increase or decrease number of sets
- use different grip widths, hand positions, feet positions (try feet, heels or toes elevated)
- time of your workout

Something has to change in order for your body to keep changing and growing!

YOU MUST ‘BREAK’ THE ‘FAST’ AND EAT BREAKFAST!!!

EAT YOUR PROTEIN
–Ingesting AT LEAST 1 gram/lb of lean body weight and I recommend 1.2-1.5g/lb of lean body weight

IF YOU NEED MORE FOOD AND HAVE EATEN YOUR PROTEIN, CARBS AND FATS FOR THE DAY, EAT VEGGIES AND LOTS OF THEM!

YOU MUST EAT BEFORE BED
–I suggest a slow digesting protein such as egg whites or a protein shake with a small serving of fat such as almonds or flaxseed to allow your body to continue buring calories while you sleep! What said, stop eating after dinner… not me!

YOU MUST RECOVER–REST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT!!
Recover includes everything from pre and post workout nutrition, sleep, stress levels and massage. Basically if you don’t recover you don’t build muscle and therefore your body does not change!!

DON’T EXPECT TOO MUCH TOO SOON– be realistic!
It is often disheartening for some trainees (especially beginners) that have really given 100% for weeks on end and see no real gains. BE PATIENT. It will NOT happen overnight, you must persevere! Do this and you WILL GET YOUR RESULTS YOU DREAM OF!! PROMISE!

CONSISTENCY, HARD WORK, ENVISION, DREAM PATIENCE AND UTILIZE THE TOOLS GIVEN TO YOU– I PROMISE SUCCESS!!!

Meal 1: three ounces turkey breast; three egg whites; one grapefruit.

Meal 2: Protein Drink with two scoops Ultimate Muscle Protein / Ultra Size, one teaspoon healthy fat source (almond butter).

Meal 3: Five ounces chicken breast (weighed prior to cooking); two cups salad (lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, green peppers, etc.) and two cups green beans; one tablespoon “Newman’s Own” dressing ( or make your own with one tablespoon cider vinegar and one tablespoon olive oil).

Meal 4: same options as meal two (above) – but no added fat to the shake. 

Meal 5: five ounces 96% lean beef; two cups green beans and a small salad.

Meal 6: four egg whites; one cup omelet vegetables (onions, celery, broccoli, peppers).

Meal 7: Protein pudding – mix one scoop Ultimate Muscle Protein in a bowl with just enough water to make a pudding texture. Add one teaspoon almond butter.

Two Workouts to Purge Your Demons
by Dan John

Here are two workouts that can serve you well when you truly need to vent physically, emotionally, spiritually, or whatever.

The 100-Rep Challenge
I once entered a friendly "100 rep" competition. The rules were simple: 100 singles with an exercise. Not 10 sets of 10, mind you, 100 singles.
The first time I tried it, I did squat snatches with 165 pounds. That was insane. I lost something like six pounds in the next few days. I think most of it was skin off my hands. Another time, I power cleaned 205 for 100. Another, I clean and jerked 185 pounds. I also front squatted 255 for 100 singles. Unrack, squat, rack, rinse, repeat.
It will take you a few hours. You will be changed.

10 Minutes Of …
This is a model of simplicity. Grab a single weight (dumbbell, kettlebell, etc.) and snatch it as many times as you can with one hand. Then, without resting the weight on your shoulder, the ground, or any other support, switch hands and repeat. Continue for 10 minutes.
You can also do something similar to this by taking a dumbbell or barbell, picking a big exercise, and simply trying to do it for as long as you can. Miss the "fun" of grade school gym class? Try 10 minutes of jumping jacks. Oh, and tomorrow? Enjoy walking on those tortured calves.
I’m thinking that an empty Olympic bar and 10 minutes of the clean and press might just be the answer to all questions.