Week 5 Exercises: Last week of Phase 1

So here we are. The Bronze body phase is about to end. So this week we stir it up a little. Different exercises, more intense cardio at the end.

Notes:

1. Warm up for 5-10 minutes using a treadmill, stationary bike or any other cardio equipment
   
2. Perform three sets of each exercise in a conventional straight set manner
   
3. Perform 8 reps per set. Use a weight that causes you to fail on the 8^th rep. This will allow us to use slightly heavier weights this week
   
4. Rest 1 minute between sets and exercises
   
5. After the first workout this week, do 20 minutes of cardio at 55% of MHR (107 for me)
   
6. After the second workout this week, do 15 minutes of cardio at 60% MHR (116 for me)
   
7. After the third workout this week, do 20 minutes of cardio at 60% MHR (116 for me)
   
8. After the fourth workout this week, do 15 minutes of cardio at 65% (126 for me)
   

 

Upper Body: Monday and Thursday

Chest:

• Incline Barbell bench press
  
  • Lie faceup with your back flat against the pad and your feet planted on the floor.
    
  • Unrack the bar and raise it above you at arms' length. This is the start position
    
  • Lower the bar at a three count until it touches your upper chest. Inhale during the descent
    
  • Without bouncing off the bottom, push the weight back up at a two count to the start position. Exhale during the ascent, and do not lock your arms at the top
    
  • Make sure that your glutes remain on the bench, your eyes stay trained n the ceiling, and your wrists stay straight at all time
    
• Incline dumbbell fly
  

Biceps:

• Incline dumbbell curl
  
  • Set the incline bench at 60 degrees
    
  • Lie back on the bench, holding a pair of dumbbells' at arms' length so your palms face forward. Spread your stance for balance. This is the start position
    
  • Curl the weights up to the front of your shoulders, exhaling as you keep your elbows down and back and in the line with your shoulders. Squeeze!!!
    
  • Without rocking your body, inhale as your return the weights to the arms extended position
    

Back:

• Pulldown
  
• One-arm dumbbell row
  

Triceps:

• Dip
  
  • Grip the parallel bars such that your hands will be 10-12 inches apart. Once you've established your grip, push yourself up so that your arms are straight and your knees are bent 90 degrees, with your feet tucked behind you. This is the start position
    
  • Without inclining your torso forward- which would shift the emphasis from your triceps to pecs, bend your arms to lower your body until your elbows form 90-degree angles
    
  • Inhale during a measured descent, about a three-count, controlling the rep at all times. Drop quickly and you risk damaging the delicate architecture of your shoulder joints
    
  • From the bottom, straighten your elbows to return to start position to a two-count pace, again making sure to keep your back straight
    
  • Exhale as you approach the top, and don't lock out your elbows hard at full extension. And keep them tucked in close to your body for the entire set
    

Shoulders:

• Seated dumbbell press
  
• Upright row
  

  
   

  
   

Week 5 Diaries

Well, week 4 did kick my ass big time. Doing 12 reps/set and doing 3 sets back to back with just a minute long break between them was intense. But I survived, though I must admit that I did cheat at times. I may have not reached 12 reps in the later sets, 8 maybe 10 reps at times. I also made the Platinum Milkshake for the first time. It was tasty, nutritious and god damn heavy! It is high in protein and loaded with fiber, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and of course antioxidants. Below is the recipe. Please note that the amount of milkshake that can be made by the contents listed below is in my experience good enough for 2 people. So please adjust accordingly.

• 1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
  
• 1 cup unsweetened frozen blueberries (I could not find them that day, so I used frozen mixed berries. They are equally good)
  
• 1 serving of nonfat dry milk (this comes out to three tablespoons)
  
• ½ cup 100% orange juice
  
• 1 small handful walnuts
  

Add water to taste. I bet you will love this one. You can actually replace this shake as your evening meal or mid-morning meal (before lunch and after breakfast). This shake is 563 calories, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein and 22 grams of fat.

Below are some foods that you may want to include in your daily diet. They are very beneficial for you in many ways:

• Walnuts: great source of omega-2 fatty acids and fiber
  
• Tea: helps in fat loss, cardiac improvement, cholesterol reduction, stroke reduction, enhanced endurance
  
• Spinach: great source of vitamins and minerals. Also a great source of iron, fiber, beta-carotene (a powerful antioxidant)
  
• Blueberries: nothing has more fiber/gram than blueberries. They are loaded with antioxidants and a great source for vitamin c
  
• Black beans: great source of fiber and proteins and healthy carbs
  
• Eggs: inexpensive source of complete protein and full of vitamin E, choline, and lecithin
  
• Yogurt: great source of protein, calcium, and healthy bacteria for your gut
  
• Tomatoes: great source of lycopene, important protector of prostate health and great source for vitamins A and C
  

I managed to read the book a little more and realized what lay ahead for me. Pain and more intense workouts! I shall be finishing off the Bronze Body phase this week and am gearing up for Silver Body phase starting Week 6. There are big terms like supersets, interval cardio that are thrown around and that scare me. But hey, no pain, no gain!!! So will post the last bronze body workouts tomorrow.

 

Hope you all enjoy them!

KJ

 

 

Week 4: Split-System Training (part 2)

Notes:

• Warm up for 5- 10 minutes using a treadmill, stationary bike or some other cardio apparatus like an elliptical machine
  
• Perform three sets of each exercise in conventional straight set fashion
  
• Each set contains 12 reps. The weight you select should cause you to fail on the 12^th
  
• Rest one minute between sets and exercises
  
• On the first exercise for each new body part (e.g., chest/biceps or back), start with a warm up set using a very light weight. These do not count towards your three working sets
  
• After each workout, do 15 mins of cardio at 60% of your MHR (for me that is at 60% of 220-26 = 116)
  

 
 

Exercises: Tuesday and Friday – Lower Body

Quads:

• Barbell Squat
  
• Leg Extension
  
  • Set the back pad so your back lies flat against it when your knees are aligned with the machine's axis and the edge of the seat tucks snugly behind your knees
    
  • Sit down and place your feet under the ankle pad so that it rests where your shins meet your ankles. Grab the side handles. This is your start position
    
  • Keep your torso erect and your back against the pad as you extend your legs up toward you, exhaling as you go. Don't thrust so hard that you lose control – slower is better than faster- and don't lock out knees at the top
    
  • In a controlled manner, let the ankle pads back down to the start position, inhaling as you go
    
  • Don't let the plates rest on the stack at the bottom. The transition back up should be almost instantaneous
    

Hamstrings:

• Seated or lying leg curl
  
• Romanian deadlift
  
  • Remove a weighted barbell from a squat rack or bench and stand holding it overhand at arms' length, hands and feet shoulder-width apart
    
  • Bend your knees slightly
    
  • Keeping your back flat (no rounding) and your gaze fixed forward, bend at the waist and drop your butt back to lower the bar in a slow and deliberate movement until your torso is about parallel with the floor
    
  • Push through your heels to return to the start position. Don't lock out your back at the top
    
  • Inhale as you descent and exhale as you come back up
    

Calves:

• Seated calf raise
  
  • Sit on the machine and adjust the thigh pad so that it snugly fits on your lower thighs, just above the knees
    
  • Place your feet 12 inches apart and rest in the balls, not on the heels. Lift handle to release weight. This is the start position
    
  • Deliberately and under control, lower your heels, which are free-floating, until your calves are fully stretched. Inhale on the descent
    
  • Push up on the balls of your foot to a fully extended position. Don't bounce; let your calves do the work. Exhale on the ascent and you're good to go
    
• Standing calf raise
  
  • Stand in or on the machine so that the pads rest atop your shoulders, with your feet shoulder-width apart, and the balls of your feet balanced on the edge of the footrests
    
  • Stand up straight and release the releases. This is the start position
    
  • Deliberately and under control, lower your heels, which are free-floating, until your calves are fully stretched. Inhale on the descent
    
  • Push up on the balls of your foot to a fully extended position. Don't bounce; let your calves do the work. Exhale on the ascent
    

Abs:

• Crunch
  
• Reverse Crunch
  
  • Lie flat on a bench or the floor and raise your thighs till they point straight up while keeping your shins horizontal, so your knees are bent 90 degrees. This is the start position
    
  • Simultaneously draw in your abs so as you roll your pelvis toward your torso, stopping only after yourhips leave the floor and your knees come over your chest. Exhale during the roll
    
  • Return to the starting position , inhaling
    

Week 4: Split-System Training (part 1)

Man week 3 was brutal. Doing 15 reps each of the exercises with minimal break was really taxing. This week and next (weeks 4 and 5) we are going to do something called as Split-System Training. Now the training is called so because we shall be splitting our complete body workout into 2 days: upper body on Monday and Thursday and lower body on Tuesday and Friday. The reason for this is that as we are moving over to heavier weights and free weights at that, our body needs adequate rest in order to recuperate. Also, we do not have 2 hours/ day for 3-4 days a week to spend in the gym doing a complete body workout. This week, we shall be doing 3 sets in a straight set manner. This technique is involves doing all sets of one exercise in succession, separated by periods of rest before moving on to sets of the next exercise.

Notes:

• Warm up for 5- 10 minutes using a treadmill, stationary bike or some other cardio apparatus like an elliptical machine
  
• Perform three sets of each exercise in conventional straight set fashion
  
• Each set contains 12 reps. The weight you select should cause you to fail on the 12^th
  
• Rest one minute between sets and exercises
  
• On the first exercise for each new body part (e.g., chest/biceps or back), start with a warm up set using a very light weight. These do not count towards your three working sets
  
• After each workout, do 15 mins of cardio at 60% of your MHR (for me that is at 60% of 220-26 = 116)
  

 
Exercises: Monday and Thursday – Upper Body

• 
  
  Chest:
  
  • Machine Press
    
  • 
    
    Incline dumbbell fly
    
    • Holding dumbbells, lie back on a bench and plant your feet
      
    • Raise the dumbbells to arms length above you, palms facing each other, and bend your elbows very slightly. This is the start position
      
    • In a controlled manner, lower the dumbbells in a semicircle until your elbows are outside of your armpits. Inhale deeply during the descent
      
    • Stop for a slight pause at the bottom and then retrace the arc back to the start position. Exhale during ascent
      
• 
  
  Biceps:
  
  • Standing Barbell Curl
    
• 
  
  Back:
  
  • 
    
    Pulldown (to the front)
    
    • Attach the wide bar to the high pulley
      
    • Sit upright on the pad, chest slightly arched, grasping the bar with thumbless grip so that your arms are almost fully extended. This is the start position
      
    • Keeping your chest arched, exhale as you pull the bar down to your upper chest, thinking about pinching a quarter between your shoulder blades
      
    • Pull the elbows back at the bottom and hold for a two-count
      
    • Release the muscle contraction and begin inhaling, allowing your arms to return to the start position
      
    • Do not let the weight stack swing your body
      
  • One arm dumbbell row
    
• 
  
  Triceps:
  
  • 
    
    Pushdown:
    
    • Attach a straight or angled bar to a high pulley
      
    • Stand facing the stack and grasp the bar overhand so your thumbs sit 8-10 inches apart, stand tall with your feel planted shoulder apart. This is the start position
      
    • Press down the bar until your arms are fully extended, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, chest up, shoulders back, abs tight
      
    • Inhale on the way up and exhale on the way down. Don't lean over the bar, and don't use momentum
      
• 
  
  Shoulders:
  
  • Overhead-press machine
    
  • 
    
    Upright row
    
    • Stand up straight holding a barbell in front of you at arms' length, using an overhand grip atleast shoulder-width apart. This is the start position
      
    • Keep the bar close to your body as you exhale and pull it up, flaring your elbows during the ascent
      
    • Lower the bar back to the start position. Inhale on the way down
      
    
     

Bronze Body: Week 3 – Time to step it up

Last week I finally made it to the gym 5 times, performing the full-body circuit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I must admit it felt really good. Even though the exercises listed seem simple, performing them one after the other with a 30 sec break and 15 reps/set does knock the wind out of you. The whole point of this is to have an elevated heart-rate so that you can burn fat faster. This week, I shall be performing the full-body circuit twice again with 15 reps/set and a 30 sec break in between. However, this week, I shall be doing alternate exercises for the ones listed in my previous post. This is needed so that your body does not get used to a standard set of exercises and movements. You need to shake things up a bit. So here are the exercises that I shall perform this week. I shall perform the entire circuit twice. Please note that these are free weight alternatives to the ones that can be done by machines. You can still continue doing the exercises by machines.

 

Quads: Barbell Squat

1. Step under the bar in a squat rack with your feet parallel to each other, shoulder-width apart. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip so it rests across your traps.
   
2. Step back and stand with chest high, shoulder blades squeezed back, gaze fixed forward. This is the start position.
   
3. Bend your knees as if sitting down in a chair, making sure that your knees stay aligned with your feet, until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
   
4. Push up through your feet without bouncing to return to the start position. Avoid locking out your knees at the top of the movement.
   

 

Back: One-arm dumbbell row

1. Put your left knee and left hand up to a flat bench so that your head looks forward, your back is straight, and your right leg is extended behind you, planted for balance.
   
2. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand using a thumbless grip. This is the start position.
   
3. Keeping your torso fixed – don't swing – pull the dumbbell up toward your hip as if you are sawing a piece of wood. Feel a nice squeeze in your back.
   
4. Return to the start position.
   

 

Abs: Crunch

1. With this movement you will be on your back. Place your fingers at your temples as if you're trying to block out any sound.
   
2. Bend your knees into upside down V's. This is the start position.
   
3. Contract your abs to bring your shoulders off the floor. At the same time you're crunching forward, press your lower back into the floor. Inhale during the ascent.
   
4. Return to the start, but don't let your shoulders touch the floor. Exhale on the descent.
   
5. To make the exercise more difficult, raise your feet off the floor and bend your knees so that your legs form Ls when viewed from the side
   

 

Chest: Dumbbell bench press

1. Lie on a bench, holding dumbbells just outside, palms facing forward, feet planted
   
2. Squeeze your pecs to press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling in a slight arc and back about 10 degrees. Exhale deeply on the ascent.
   
3. Maintaining continuous tension on your chest muscles, bring the weights back to the start position, dropping your shoulders as the weights approach your body. Inhale on descent.
   

 

Triceps: Dumbbell kickback

1. Holding a dumbbell in one hand, place the opposite knee on a flat bench and bend the waist until your back is nearly parallel with the floor.
   
2. Bend your elbow so the dumbbell faces your outer thigh and your elbow points back. This is the start position.
   
3. Extend your working arm straight back behind your body, exhaling as you go, until your elbow locks. (Don't jerk the dumbbell, though, or you will injure yourself.) At full extension, your arm should be parallel to the floor.
   
4. Contract the triceps for a two count and then return slowly to the start position, inhaling as you go.
   

 

Biceps: Standing barbell curl

1. Stand holding a barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, at arms' length, down by your thighs.
   
2. Exhale as you curl the bar up to the front of your shoulders.
   
3. Inhale as you lower it back down.
   
4. Throughout the entire rep, keep your upper arms stationary, more or less pinned against your sides, so that your elbow functions like hinges.
   
5. Don't throw the weight up, move it in a controlled rhythm.
   
6. Curls can also be done with dumbbells, for a change.
   

Shoulders: Seated dumbbell press

1. Sit on a bench with back support perpendicular with the seat pad.
   
2. Space your feet evenly on the floor. Pick up the dumbbells positioned on either side of you and raise them to shoulder height, palms facing forward. Press your back firmly against the back pad. This is the start position.
   
3. Press the dumbbells overhead, bringing them close together at the top without actually letting them touch. Exhale as your press, and don't lean forward, or you risk straining your neck.
   
4. Arc your elbows down to return to the start position, inhaling on the way down.
   

Hamstrings: Exercise ball leg curl

1. Lie on the floor faceup with your ankles resting on top of an exercise ball. Your arms should be extended for balance.
   
2. Raise your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight diagonal. Only head and shoulder blades should be touching the floor. This is the start position.
   
3. Keeping your body in this position, bend your knees and draw in your ankles to roll the ball as far as you can toward you. The heels should approach your butt.
   
4. Roll back the ball to the start position.
   

After completing this workout, I shall do cardio at 55% of my MHR = 107 for 15 minutes. I am sure this is going to be a tough one. Lets see how I handle this.

 

Good luck to me!

Happy reading,

KJ

 

 

Bronze Body: Week 2- Time for lift-off

So the time is finally here. Tomorrow is the first day of week 2. The exercises start tomorrow. Before I jump into what I am going to do tomorrow, I measured myself in certain important categories. Here are the results:


Weight: 176.4 lbs
Height: 5' 10.5"
BMI: 25.0 (normal should be between 18.5 and 24.9)
Body Fat Percentage: 21.1% (normal should be between 8.0 and 19.9)

Please note that though I have been using free-weights all this while, I shall be starting off on machines. The reason for this being that I have been off the weights for almost 2 months and the muscles need to get used to the strain of lifting weights. This is a sort of pre-conditioning for the muscles. After a warm up for 5- 10 minutes, here is a list of exercises that I am going to do this week.:

• Quads: Leg Press/ Leg Extension Machine
• Back: Rowing Machine
• Abs: Crunch Machine
• Chest: Pressing Machine
• Triceps: Triceps Machine
• Biceps: Biceps Machine
• Shoulders: Overhead-press machine
• Hamstrings: Lying/Standing Curl Machine

I shall be doing 15 reps / set in week 1 and week 2. There will be an rest interval of 30 seconds between sets. Performing the above exercises once will complete one circuit. I shall do one complete circuit in week 1 and 2 circuits in week 2. After completing this workout, I shall be walking/running on the treadmill for 55% of my MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) for 10 mins. Your MHR can be calculated as follows: 220- your age. So my MHR is 220-26= 196. So 55% of my MHR is 106.7 or 107.

This workout shall be done 3 times a week. Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

I shall post videos of the above exercises (courtesy www.youtube.com) later this week.

Keep readinng!!

Ciao,
KJ

Bronze Body: Week 1 Diaries

So here I was at the gym after a good one and a half months thinking tonight was the time I was gonna start my good old routine and get something done! But NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was wrong on so many counts. Well for starters having slept at 4am on a working day didn't really help! But it was a disaster. I was lacking energy, got hopelessly tired and felt completely out of place. What the hell man!!!

Another big mistake was to wear Nike Dry Fit workout shirt. Man o Man!!!!! I could not believe how FAT I looked! But all this provided me good inspiration for the battle that was to come ahead starting next week. I have another 2 workout days to get back into some sort of rhythm and damn it, I am going to make the most of it.

Ciao,
KJ