By the time you get to Ab Ripper X, if you are working out with a buddy, you are hugging and giving each other high-fives, and in some cases, you may actually feel like crying with joy because the chest and back workout is over! However, the ab routine is approximately 20 more minutes of fun, and although your chest and back get a break, your abs will be screaming for mercy in no time.

In & Out

You are basically using your butt as a pivot point while you kick your legs out, and lower your upper body slightly towards the floor.

This is a very difficult exercise at first, and putting your hands on the floor for support is not only recommended, but probably necessary, because by this time you are seriously tired.

Seated Bicycle

Starting from roughly the same position as the In & Outs, you just simulate the movement of peddling a bicycle, and then you reverse direction.

Yeah, it sounds easy, but it’s not. Don’t be surprised if the hip flexors in your legs give out even before your abdominal muscles do.

Seated Crunchy Frog

By this point, you may feel inspired to say “You MUST be kidding” when Tony demonstrates the exercise. In essence, it is just like an In & Out, only your have to momentarily wrap your arms around your knees, which means that you can no longer have your hands on the floor for support.

Don’t be discouraged if you only get about 5 of these out before you have to take a break. Get right back to it, though. All of the Ab Ripper X movements give you plenty of time to rest for a few seconds, then attempt a few more repetitions.

Wide Leg Sit-ups

Such a simple sounding name for a NOT very simple exercise. Basically you lay down with your legs wide apart, and put one hand behind your head. Then, you lift straight up with the other hand while doing a sit-up, and then reach across your body after you are sitting straight up.

You alternate back and forth like that on both sides of your body, and by this point you are wondering how it is even POSSIBLE for the people on the video to still be doing it.

Fifer Scissor

Much like the standard scissor exercises that many people used to do in gym class, only this one has an added twisted. You do start in the lying down position (which is wonderful by this point!), but rather than just kicking your legs back and forth in a spastic manner, you only do one leg at a time while the other leg is held 6″ off of the floor.

By this point in the workout, even holding one of your legs off the floor is difficult, let alone lifting the other leg up a full 90-degrees. As always, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do it. Just try your best, rest for a few seconds, and then try again. All that matters is that you try your hardest, not that you work as hard as Tony and the other people in the video.

Hip Rock n’ Raise

Again starting in the lying down position, this time with your knees out, and the heels of your feet touching. You contract your ab muscles to bring your lower body off the floor, then push your hips up towards the ceiling.

It does not sound easy, and it ISN’T easy. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking at the clock in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, and then being truly grateful that it’s almost over!

Pulse Up

This is more of a standard hip raise type of movement where you basically have both feet facing the ceiling, and you do your best to push your heels as high towards the ceiling as possible.

If this exercise was done earlier in the routine, it would not be as difficult, but by this point, it is truly challenging to get out very many reps with good form.

Roll-up/V-up Combo

It’s a bit difficult to explain, and even watching it takes a few turns before you finally get it right. Basically you reach both hands up towards your extended legs, then you rock backwards to bring your legs off of the floor. You go about halfway back to the position of having your back on the floor, you stop, and then you reach toward your toes, all the while keeping your legs off of the floor.

It is as difficult as it sounds, but at the same time, it is an incredible exercise. Just take your time and focus on form rather than a high number of repetitions.

Oblique V-up

Basically this is a side bend while lying on the opposite side of your body, but again, Tony makes it more challenging by saying that you also have to lift your legs up at the same time.

The golden chalice of this movement is being able to touch your thigh with the elbow of the arm that is behind your head. Very difficult to do in the beginning, although you can bend your knees in order to build up strength when you first start doing this exercise.

Leg Climb

This exercise is not just difficult because you are so incredibly exhausted by this point, but also because you are all sweaty. Basically what you do is lift one leg about 45-degrees off of the ground, then reach up with both hands trying to “climb” your upper body up your leg until you can touch your toes.

Flexibility goes into this exercise as much as abdominal and core strength do, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t touch your toes. Just keep doing the exercise as long as you can, alternating to the other leg as directed.

Mason Twist

The “tour de force” that is the final exercise in Ab Ripper X, and the final exercise of the workout session, they saved the best for last. Once again, you are using your butt as a pivot point, while your upper body and your legs are both held above the floor. Once in that position, you clasp your hand together and rotate very rapidly from side to side, trying to touch the floor on each repetition.

This exercise is thankfully not done for a very long time, because at this point in the workout, you are pretty much shot. It is a fast-paced movement, however, and does a good job of getting you to give it one last final punch to make it through to the finish line.

The actor Crixus from Sparataus phenomenal  physique was not developed overnight. However this golden guide was essential in his sculpture for his role.

The Objectives of the Trisets are to hit multiple muscle groups hard and sequential before resting.
It is an extreme way to circulate oxygen through the system tearing the muscles, while sweating out a cardio workout.

Lets Begin!

THE CRIXUS WORKOUT

The Warm-up:

Treadmill 5 minute Jog
Five -30 second sprints with 30 seconds walking rest
2 minute Jog

Total: 12 Minutes Treadmill
Complete each triset then rest 45 seconds and repeat 4x

Training:

Triset 1

Pull-ups 15 reps
Push-ups with 45 Plate on the back 15 reps
Jump Squats 20 reps

Triset 2

Deadlifts 20 reps
Chin-ups 10 reps
Walking Lunges 20 reps (10 per Leg)

Triset 3

Wide Grip Cable row 20 reps
Medicine Ball Mountain Climbers 40 reps
Standing Sprint (30 seconds Cardio) (knees high, arms moving fast)

Triset 4

Dips on Bench 12 reps
Bicep Curls 12 reps
Clap Push-ups 10 reps

Triset 5

Crunches 30
Lying Leg Raises  15
Medicine Ball Torso Twists 30

Chris Hemsworth Workout

How did Chris Hemsworth get so jacked for THOR?

Well, his secrets are revealed below as well as the workout!

Secret #1 : No More than 10 Reps:Anything over 10 reps would engage slow-twitch muscle. For muscle building and packing on lean mass it is essential to stick to the fast twitch.

Secret #2: No More than 45 Minutes: After 45 minutes testosterone decreases dramatically and the stress hormone increases.Taking shorter rests to move from exercise to exercise is more vital when trying to increase muscle density.

Secret #3: No more than 3-5 Sets per Muscle Group: Too many sets exhaust the muscles to death. The objective is to spark the muscles and fatigue them in as little sets as possible at 100% effort. This is more effective then using say 80% effort to do more sets.

Secret #4: Increase Strength  by 5% Every 2 weeks: Muscles can’t grow until you break them down first. Set a goal of increases your weight to help you achieve 5% strength and gradually build up your strength and power as your muscles work-recover-repair to fuel you to the next workout!

THOR WORKOUT

This workout is made up of exercises used to ignite a unison of strength throughout the body this workout packs on lean muscle mass. It also exhausts the body and requires proper nutritional recovery for optimal gains.

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Sets and Reps 3×10 (unless stated otherwise)
Duration: 45 minutes Total

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Single Arm- Clean and Press (Dumbbell or Kettlebell)

Barbell Squats

Pull-ups (10 reps 5 sets)

Bent Over Barbell Row

Barbell Back Lunges

Barbell Standing Shoulder Press

Kettle Bell Thrusts

Incline Dumbbell Chest Press

T-Bar Row

Core:

Floor Wipers 30 reps
Lying Leg Raises 30 reps
Super set x3 sets*

The low down

This workout was designed to get actors in top shape for the TV Series “Spartacus Blood and Sand.” Actors were to perform the workout in the  following manner;

*10 vigorous compound exercises

*Perform each exercise for 1 minute

*15 seconds rest from one exercise to the next

*Once all 10 Exericises are completed rest for 1 minute

*Repeat the cycle 3 times!

*Do your best to battle through the exercise for a minute!

The 10 Exercises

#1 Goblet Squat

#2 Mountain Climber

#3 Single Arm Dumbell Swing

#4  T-Push-up

#5 Split Jumps

#6 Dumbbell Row

#7 Dumbbell Side Lunge and Touch

#8 Push-up Position Row

#9 Dumbbell Lunge and Rotation

#10 Dumbbell Push-Press

Weekly Routine To Get Ripped and Shredded

Day 1: Cardio & Abs
Day2: Spartacus Workout
Day 3:  Interval Training & Abs
Day 4:  Rest
Day 5:  Spartacus Workout
Day 6:  Swimming & Abs
Day 7:  Rest

Weekly Routine for More Muscle Mass and Size

Day 1:  Upperbody Weightlifting
Day 2: Lowerbody Weightlifting
Day 3:  Rest
Day 4: Spartacus Workout
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 7: Back/Legs/Biceps

Reference: http://www.menshealth.com/spartacus/workouts/

Taylor Lautner adds his workout regimen started as soon as filming wrapped for Twilight, the first film in the hit vampire saga.

“As soon as I finished filming Twilight, I knew I had to get to work right away; there could be no waiting involved,” Lautner adds. “The day I finished Twilight, I came home and started bulking up. For New Moon, I’m 30 pounds heavier than I was in Twilight.”

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Taylor Lautner isn’t a naturally strong guy, but his career depends on becoming brawny. Between the first and second Twilight films, his character grew into a powerful werewolf. That meant he needed to gain 30 pounds of muscle in a year. Which he did.

Think about that: Taylor Lautner used to be a 5’10″, 140-pound, bony teenager, and now he’s a rippled fitness animal. If he can overcome physical shortcomings, anyone can. “Inexperience works to your advantage,” says Jordan Yuam, Lautner’s trainer and the owner of Jordan’s Virtual Fit Club. “The less muscle you have, the easier it is to gain muscle mass more quickly.”

Your strategy: Eat right and follow a smart, strategic workout regimen. “Maximize your genetic potential,” says Yuam. “There’s no reason you can’t gain pounds of muscle in a year.”

Here’s how to follow Taylor Lautner’s lead and build strength at frightening speed—without working like a dog.

Push Your Limits

To grow large, your body needs to become comfortable with heavy loads. “That’s why I had Taylor ‘taste’ a much heavier weight,” says Yuam, who would stack a bar (or use dumbbells) with about 40 percent more weight than Lautner could normally lift 10 times.

So if you can lift, say, 120 pounds 10 times, go with 170 pounds. Then, using a spotter, perform only the lowering half of lifts. (“It’s critical that your spotter be strong enough to lift the weight back up by himself,” Yuam says.) For a bench press, that means slowly lowering the weight to your chest. This lets your body adjust to the new weight even before you’re ready to raise it. The move is taxing on your muscles, though, so limit your “tasting” to 2 or 3 sets of 5 reps every other week.

Vary Your Volume

Heavier isn’t always better. To maximize gains, Lautner regularly varies reps and the amount of weight he lifts. “If you want a balanced body, you have to do that,” says Yuam. The more your muscles are forced to adapt to a new routine, the more they grow. Instead of always doing 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, for example, occasionally reduce the weight and shoot for 4 sets of 15 reps. A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that men who regularly varied their rep counts and trained different muscle groups increased their bench strength by 28 percent and their leg-press strength by 43 percent.

Create Tension

Free weights are best, but they have a drawback: Some parts of a lift are easier than others, so your muscles aren’t being worked consistently. That’s why Lautner often attaches giant rubber bands to a bar or dumbbell he’s going to lift, and then anchors the bands to the base of a power rack or a pair of heavy dumbbells. “The bands create more tension, making the lift harder and forcing your muscles to peak out at the top of the movement,” Yuam says. As a result, your body recruits more muscle fibers and works them harder, accelerating growth. Bands are available in most gyms.

Cut Down on Cardio

“I was exercising so hard that I began to lose weight,” says Lautner. Sound great? Not if you normally have trouble building muscle mass. When it’s combined with weight training, cardio saps strength and limits muscle growth, especially if you spin your wheels for longer than 20 minutes before or after lifting, according to researchers at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. So be careful not to overdo it. “If you’re trying to gain lean mass, focus on weight-lifting with the proper technique and the right plan,” Yuam says.

Don’t Overwork Your Abs

“A lot of guys hit their abs every time they hit the gym,” says Yuam. “That’s why so few of them have six-packs.” Your abs are like any other muscle group, and the same rule of muscle building applies: Don’t overwork them. Lautner targets his abs only 3 days a week and does a combination of exercises to work his entire core. “The result is a balanced, more detailed musculature,” Yuam says. One of his favorite combinations is the hanging leg raise to reverse crunch, holding for 7 to 10 seconds. That works your whole core, preventing a muffin top.

Step to the Side Most weightlifting exercises involve moving forward or backward; they don’t train your body to explode in other directions. Lautner needs a versatile body because he does his own stunts on the screen. (And you need one for everyday life. Your basketball crossover will be lousy without it.) The solution, Yuam says, is to perform side-to-side exercises in addition to traditional lifts. These boost your ability to move in any path. For example, work a few sets of lateral hops and lunges into every leg workout.

Have a Recovery Plan

Training and eating are only two-thirds of the muscle-building equation. “The other third is recovery,” says Lautner. He takes every third day off and never works out more than 5 days a week. “If you constantly pound your muscles, they’ll never have time to repair.”

Feed Your New Body

Your hard work begins in the gym, but your kitchen plays an equally big role in your transformation. “How much you’ll eat depends on how much you want to weigh,” says nutrition expert Alan Aragon, M.S. Use his simple steps in the following three slides to add as much as 10 pounds of new muscle next year.

Set Your Daily Calorie Goal

Goal weight x (workout hours per week + 9.5) = daily number of calories

Example: Say you’re 180 pounds and want to add 10 pounds of muscle. Your goal weight, then, is 190. If you plan to work out 3 hours a week, do this: Add 3 + 9.5, and then multiply the sum (12.5) by your goal weight of 190. Result: 2,375. That’s your daily calorie goal.

Set Daily Nutritional Goals

Use this key to figure out how many grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrate you should eat each day.

goal weight = grams of protein
half your goal weight = grams of fat

daily calories – [( protein grams x 4) + ( fat grams x 9)] / 4 = grams of carbs

Example: For your goal weight of 190, you’ll eat 190 grams of protein and 95 grams of fat. For carbs: Multiply 190 by 4 ( to yield 760), and 95 by 9 (to yield 855). Add them together: 1,615. Now subtract that from your 2,375 daily calories, to yield 760. Divide that by 4. Result: 190. That’s your carb goal, in grams.

Balance Your Meals

Determine how many meals you’ll eat each day, and then break down your total allotment into equal portions. “It doesn’t matter if you eat three meals a day or six,” says Aragon. “As long as you stay within your guidelines, you’ll see results.”

Lautner’s Formula for a 6-Pack

Yuam helped Lautner pack on 30 pounds of lean muscle (and a monster six-pack) for New Moon by hitting the actor’s core with a variety of exercises that work every muscle between the hips and chest. Check out the moves that made Lautner land the number-one spot on Access Hollywood’s “Top 5 Hollywood Abs” list in the following five slides. Weave them into your own workouts for similarly impressive results.

Taylor Launter’s Workout

1: Swiss Ball Pikes

Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight (your hands should be slightly wider than, and in line with, your shoulders). Rest your shins on a Swiss ball so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without bending your knees, roll the Swiss ball toward your body by raising your hips as high as you can. Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by lowering your hips and rolling the ball backward. Do three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps.

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2: Reverse Crunches

Lie face up on the floor with your palms facing down. Bend your hips and knees 90 degrees. Raise your hips off the floor and crunch them inward. Pause, and then slowly lower your legs until your heels neatly touch the floor. Do three sets of 15 reps.

3: Swiss Ball Leg Curl

Lie on the floor with your calves on a Swiss ball and your arms at your sides. Squeeze your glutes to raise your hips off the floor so your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Pause for a second, and then bend your legs to roll the ball toward your butt. Straighten your legs to roll the ball back out away from you, and then lower your body to the floor. Do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.

4: Hanging Leg Raises

Grab a chinup bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip (or use elbow supports, if available), and hang from the bar with your knees slightly bent and feet together. Simultaneously bend your knees, raise your hips, and curl your lower back underneath you as you lift your thighs toward your chest. Pause when the fronts of your thighs reach your chest, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position. Do three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps.

5: Prone Cobra

Lie facedown on the floor with your legs straight and your arms next to your sides, palms down. Contract your glutes and the muscles of your lower back, and raise your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor. Simultaneously rotate your arms so that your thumbs point toward the ceiling. At this time, your hips should be the only parts of your body touching the floor. Hold this position for 60 seconds, then rest one minute. Repeat three times.
Source: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/taylor_lautner_workout/

Sunday: Upper Power

-3×5 for all lifts (5×5 for Bulk, 3×5 for Cut)
-Barbell Bench Press
-Barbell Rows
-Military Press
-Barbell Shrugs

Monday: Lower Power

-3×5 for all lifts
-Squat shoulders more than any other exercise
-Stiff Leg Deadlift
-6-8 sets of Seated Calf (6-10 reps)

Tues:

Off (light HIIT cardio)

Wednesday: Hypertrophy Chest/Arms

-DB Incline Bech 3×8-12
-Cable supinated press/fly 3×8-12
-DB Flat Bench 2×8-12
-Preacher Curls 3×8-12 super setted with
-Standing French Press 3×8-12
-Push Downs 3×8-12 super setted with
-DB Hammer Curls
-Cable Crossovers 3×8-12
-Machine Curl 3×8-12 supersetted with
-Machine Dips 3×8-12

Thursday: Hypertrophy Shoulders/Back/Traps

-Arnold Press 3×8-12 super setted with
-DB Front Raise 3×8-12
-DB One Arm Row 3×8-12 super setted with
-DB Arnold Press 3×8-12
-Lat Pull Down (Wide Grip) 2×8-12 super setted with
-DB Shrugs 2×10-15
-Lat Pull Down (Close grip, palms facing in) 2×8-12 super setted with
-DB Upright Row 2×10-15
-T Bar Row 2×8-12 (Usually to tired/dead to do this last exercise, but some times i do it)

(exercises on shoulder day will be changed to accomodate bad joints, volume may be lowered too)

Friday: Hypertrophy Legs/Calves

-Hack Squat 5×8-12
-Leg Press 4×8-12 super setted with
-Leg Extensions 5×10-15 supper setted with
-Sitting leg curls 5×10-15 supper setted with
-Donkey Calf 5×15-20

Saturday:

Off (light HIIT cardio)

MONDAY: BACK

CARDIO: warm-up at 3.5 MPH for 3 – 5 minutes, 20 minutes of sprints at level 9, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds of rest

Back: (increase weight on each set)

Pull-ups 5 X 5 (slow and controlled)
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 X 10
T-bar Row 3 X 10
Seated Rows Close-Grip 3 X 10
Lat Pull-downs

3 X 10
CARDIO: warm-up at 3.5 MPH for 3 – 5 minutes, 20 minutes of sprints at level 9, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds of rest

TUESDAY: SHOULDERS

CARDIO: 40 minutes on stepmill at level 8

Shoulders: (increase weight on each set)
Seated Dumbbell Press 3 X 10
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises 3 X 10, last set is a drop set (ex. 15 lbs. for 10 reps, 12 lbs. for 10 reps, and 10 lbs. for 10 reps)
Seated Rear Delt Flyes on Machine 3 X 10, superset with front barbell raises 3 X 10
Dropset of Lateral Raises with Cables 3 X 10
CARDIO: 40 minutes on stepmill at level 8

WEDNESDAY: LEGS

CARDIO: 1 mile run

Legs: (Quads & Calves)
Seated Leg Extensions 1 X 20 (light), 3 X 10, last set a drop set
Smith Machine Squats (narrow stance) 3 X 15, or last set to failure

Leg Press (feet in center of platform) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Walking Barbbell Lunges, superset with adducter machine 3 X 20, progressively increase weight
Standing Calf Raises 3 X 20
Seated Calf Raises 3 X 15 (pause at the top)

THURSDAY: Cardio

CARDIO of Choice for 40 – 60 minutes

FRIDAY: Arms, Chest & Abs: (with active rests, works best with a partner)

Seated Incline Dumbell Press 2 X 10, followed immediately by alternating dumbbell curls 2 X 10, and finally incline dumbbell flyes 2 X 10 (all performed in succession)
immediately begin jumping rope while partner performs the same routine (about 2 minutes)

* repeat the above exchanging alternating dumbbell curls with skull crushers or dips 2 X 10 (so 4 sets in all)*

Cable Flyes 2 X 10, followed immediately by cable bicep curls using straight bar 2 X 10
immediately begin mountain climbers (50 reps)

*repeat the above exchanging cable curls with cable tricep pushdowns 2 X 10 (so 4 sets in all)*

Roman Chair Leg Raises 3 X 10
Alternating Bicycle Crunches 3 X 25

SATURDAY: Legs: (Hams, Glutes & Calves)

CARDIO: 1 mile run

Seated Leg Curls 1 X 20 (light), 3 x 10, last set a drop set
Smith Machine Squats (wide leg stance) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Leg Press (feet high on platform) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Stiff-legged Deadlift 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Lying Leg Curl 3 X 10, last set to failure
Seated Calf Raises 3 X 10 with pauses at the top, superset with calf presses on the leg press machine 3 X 20
CARDIO: 1 mile run

SUNDAY: REST

Max sets the standard for other models to step up to. This is because Max is reliable, consistently ‘photo ready’ in appearance, (lean, tan, etc.), and always on time. Max maintains a clean, drug-free, lifestyle and a body-fat percentage of less than 6%, year round – an essential quality for any professional fit-model.

Read More if you want to find out how you could be ripped just like max.

1.) Burn more calories each day than you consume.

Common sense, I know. This doesn’t mean starve yourself. In fact, one of the benefits of exercise is being able to eat more food, without gaining fat. Make sure plenty of the calories you eat come from complex carbohydrates and protein so that you do not lose muscle mass, have sustained energy, and avoid blood-sugar spikes. Muscle mass boosts your basal metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories at rest. It is possible to gain weight and still lose fat at the same time, but only if you’re adding muscle mass primarily through weight training, and closely monitoring your diet.

2.) Divide your daily caloric intake into smaller, more frequent meals/snacks, ideally up to 5 meal times per day.

By doing this, again, you keep your metabolism a little more elevated all throughout the day. Also, you will be more likely to use those calories for immediate energy and less likely to store them as fat. Each meal should primarily consist of complex carbs, lean protein and some fat. I know all you Atkins-dieters out there are now disagreeing with me, regarding carb consumption, but diets such as Atkins are very extreme and limit your food choices so much so that you may find that your diet is lacking in variety and consequently, nutrition much of the time. Also, it is a medical fact that putting your body in a state of ketosis is unhealthy and hard on your kidneys. All that being said, if you can be described as being obese, ‘insulin-resistant’, or a borderline type II diabetic, (adult-onset), then Atkins is a perfect diet for you to lose fat fast. No matter what current fad diet you may be trying whether it be ‘Atkins’ or ‘South Beach’, always strive for lean protein sources and ‘good’ fats, (unsaturated and essential fatty acids), found in fish oils, nuts, and avocados. The 3 most important meals of the day for all of us are breakfast, your post-workout meal, and your pre-workout meal, but the bottom line is to eat consistently all throughout the day: don’t starve yourself, and don’t binge. Lastly, don’t eat within two hours of your bed time, as these calories will likely be stored as fat while you sleep.

3.) Establish yourself on an exercise program that includes both strength and cardio/aerobic training.

Strength training maintains your muscle mass during times of calorie reduction, and your muscle mass is responsible for keeping your resting metabolic rate higher. Strength training also maintains bone density. Strength training does not necessarily mean weight-lifting, but can be any form of resistance training. Cardiovascular and aerobic training burn more calories during the period of exercise, condition your heart and blood vessels, and boosts your metabolism for several hours afterwards. If doing both strength and cardio training in the same workout, do your strength training first, (after a proper warm-up), followed by your cardio. This is because weight-lifting requires fresh muscle-glycogen stores, (carbs), for maximum ATP/energy production with each repetition, while cardio training can draw energy from fat as well. This will also help you enter into a ‘fat-burning zone’ sooner during your cardio session.

4.) Limit your sugar intake, to your post-workout meal if you can.

Sugars, once consumed cause a rapid release of insulin from the pancreas into the bloodstream. Insulin is a glucose, (blood-sugar), transport hormone that shuttles glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells and liver cells, and maintains balance in your blood-sugar levels. After you workout, be it strength or cardio training, your muscle cells and your liver more readily uptake blood-sugar, and store it in the form of glycogen. In fact, consuming sugar post-workout is actually scientifically proven to speed muscle recovery. What this also means is that it is almost impossible for you to store any of this blood-sugar as fat, post-workout. For the rest of your daily meals you should strive for low-sugar, complex carbohydrates and protein, in order to keep your insulin levels lower. If you just can’t resist a sugary snack during other meal times, try to eat it pre-workout, or for breakfast, where again, your body will uptake this sugar to use for immediate energy more readily. Unfortunately, the worst time to eat a sugary desert, (or any heavy meal for that matter), is in the late evening, when your metabolism has slowed, and you soon will be sleeping, requiring fewer calories.

5.) Perform your cardio/aerobic training on an ‘empty stomach’.

Without immediate energy available from a recent meal, your body will be more likely to start accessing fat stores sooner for energy. The intent is not to make you feel light-headed, or weak, so if this is too hard on you, then perhaps a small meal is necessary. This is not ideal for weight lifting, as your strength will improve with a high-carb meal consumed 1.5 hours prior to training. Cardio/aerobic training accesses energy from both carb/glycogen stores, and fat stores. While it is true that cardio/aerobic training tends to draw more energy from fat stores when performed in a lower heart rate zone, (less than 75% MHR), you should consider that you may be burning less calories overall. Again, weight-lifting does not use fat for energy, only muscle-glycogen and ATP stores.

6.) Eliminate sodas and juices from your diet.

They are full of insulin-stimulating sugar. One can of Coke has 35 grams of sugar, (7 teaspoons!). Fruit is very healthy, so eat whole fruit instead of drinking juice. Diet soda is okay as long as you’re not sensitive to artificial sweeteners. Have you ever really examined what’s in your fancy Starbuck’s Frappacino/Machiato concoction? Gatorade, PowerAde, Lemonade? I don’t think so…not unless you just worked out or are in the middle of some serious cardio training. Unwanted, hidden sugar lurks everywhere.

7.) Drink plenty of water.

Everything in the body functions better when you’re hydrated. ‘Nuff said.

8.) Lower your cholesterol, (LDLs), by eating your oats and nuts.

Oatmeal is a great complex carbohydrate for sustained energy, and it is has loads of soluble fiber that floats through your bloodstream and whisks away bad cholesterol, (LDLs). RAW, UNSALTED nuts such as almonds and walnuts, and, avocados, fish fats, olive oil, and flax oil, all provide excellent sources of healthy fats and essential fatty acids that actually lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, (HDLs).

9.) Increase your fiber intake, both insoluble and soluble, by including more whole fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, brown-rice, and salads.

Fiber is not only essential for colon health, but it is also great for making you feel full, without a lot of calories. Adding these whole-grain foods and veggies to your diet is a great way to add bulk to your diet without adding extra calories. Lastly, whole-grain foods are typically more nutrient-rich then their, processed and bleached counterparts.

10.) Caffeine can help?

If you are a coffee or tea drinker and consume caffeine, you might be happy to know that it has been scientifically proven that consuming caffeine prior to a workout can enhance your performance and endurance, both by stimulating Dopamine in the brain, (a neurotransmitter that makes you feel alert), and by unlocking the body’s fat stores for increased fat burning potential. A cup-a-joe just prior to a cardio/aerobic workout, especially on an empty stomach will put the body into the fat burning zone within 20 minutes or less. It is also worth noting that Green Tea has fat-buring/thermogenic properties beyond that of just the caffeine. Green Tea contains two key micro-nutrients known as Catechins and Polyphenols that have cancer-fighting properties, and a synergistic thermogenic effect when combined with caffeine.

11.) Find a way to reduce daily stress.

Find a way to vent and relax everyday, whether it is working out, taking a ‘power’ nap, doing yoga, playing with your kids, or meditating. Lowering stress lowers the stress-hormone known as Cortisol. Cortisol may be of some use in a survival, fight-or-flight situation, and to help mobilize energy reserves, but high levels of it present on a daily basis, tears down your body, catabolizes muscle tissue, and causes your body to store fat. Although for the most part you do not spot-gain, or spot-reduce fat, Cortisol is thought to increase fat around the mid-section of the body…belly fat.

12.) Build in one ‘cheat day’ in your week to eat whatever you crave, and as much of it if you want.

You need to be able to have access to the foods you love, or you’ll go crazy. It would also be okay to have a small, reasonable portion of your favorite cheat foods on a daily basis, but only if you’re disciplined enough to have just a reasonable portion and not binge. That is why sometimes it is better to have a cheat day, or a reward day, after eating with discipline the entire 6 days prior. Binging on your favorite junk foods for one day out of 7 will NOT affect your overall progress towards your fitness goals. That being said, don’t take this to mean you are required to binge on junk foods one day of the week! If you happen to not fall of the wagon too badly on your cheat day, well then you can feel that much better about yourself.

Conclusion

There are many more things you can do to lose fat, but I do not want to overwhelm you. Keeping it simple is key. Following these 12 steps should not feel or seem extreme. This is not the intent. Anything extreme when it comes to fitness and nutrition is bad, and usually means it will not last long. Following these 12 steps should easily be able to become a healthy way of life, rather than a temporary, fad diet for short term fat loss only. You should be able to see results, as in fat loss and possibly muscle gain, without ever feeling starved or deprived. The key is to incorporate regular exercise and focus on moderation. If you think you can lose fat without losing muscle, without incorporating exercise, you’re kidding yourself.

Written by: Max Wettstein
Max has been modeling and more recently acting, for 8 years, specializing in fitness, physique, and action-sports print and infomercials. Seven years builds a lot of experience and credibility, boosts confidence, and proves consistency. Max is at ease in front of the camera. He began his career as the Road Runner Sports ‘Underwear Guy’, and is currently working with Hoist Fitness Systems, an international commercial and home gym manufacturer based in San Diego. Max has worked with Next/Designer Proteins, Labrada Nutrition, and NutritionExpress, been featured on numerous covers of Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, and Maximum Fitness magazines, and worked with many other clients in the fitness industry. Max has been profiled in ‘Men’s Workout’, ‘Exercise and Health’, ‘Exercise for Men Only’ magazines. He as also worked with Icon Men, joining ranks of the best men’s fit-models in the industry. Max also competes in yearly fitness-model competitions: a side-by-side way to benchmark himself against other top models, and always places in the top 3 competitors. Lately Max has found his new niche as ‘subject-matter-expert’ for TV interviews and consulting, appearing on Spike-TV and TLC networks, and for independent fitness and nutrition companies .

The 300 Workout:

* Pullups – 25 reps
* Deadlifts with 135lbs – 50 reps
* Pushups – 50 reps
* 24-inch Box jumps – 50 reps
* Floor wipers – 50 reps
* Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36lbs Kettlebell – 50 reps
* Pullups – 25 reps

* 300 Reps Total

Work hard through out this circuit program. Use little to no rest between sets and time yourself! If you get under 20 minutes let us know! This workout is a blast to do and really works your metabolism up.

What are you waiting for? Go give it a try the next time your in the gym. Also see our modified version bellow.

Modified Version

Pull-ups: 25 reps
Push-ups: 50 reps (these are unstable push-ups)
Clean and Press: 50 reps (use a dumbell, 25 reps on each hand)
Turkish Get Up: 50 reps (25 reps on each hand)
Box jumps: 50 reps (box should be about knee level)
Burpees: 50 reps
Pull-ups: 25 reps

Furious Fitness: ” Note, the 300 workout is not meant to be done on a regular basis, it is a high-impact workout and involves alot of recover for not only your muscles but also your joints. Try to complete the workout at a fast pace…however, never sacrifice your form to perform ugly reps. Rest quickly, then solider on. “

The Epic Workout

In order for Brad Pitt to get ready for the role in the movie Troy, He dropped cigarettes and sharply cut back on beer and chips, although he did allow himself the occasional treat: McFlurry shakes from McDonald’s, “though it was more for a little taste of home, you know, a little Americana.”

Brad used a low-carb, high-protein diet during the training for his role. Physically, Pitt prepared for the role with a year of intense training. “The first three months were daunting and not fun at all.” His days included two to three hours in the gym, two additional hours of sword work and four high-protein, low-carb meals. As a result, he gained about 10 pounds of brawn.

The Breakdown:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Back & Legs
Wednesday: Calfs and Forarms (Furiously Fit recommends doing 20 minutes of abs on this day as well)
Thursday: Bicep and Tricep
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: 30 mins High intensity carido & 30 min of Abs to failure
Sunday: REST

Furiously Fit: ” This program focuses on muscle fatigue through mutiple sets.  After 3 sets your muscles will be pumped, the next 2-3 will be pushing your muscles to its limit…fatiguing them to exhaustion. The program is set up so each muscle group has a full week to recover. ”

The Workout:

Monday Chest:
Bench Press- 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Incline bench press – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable crossovers – 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Dips – 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers – 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Tuesday Back:

Front wide-grip chin-ups – 6 sets, to failure
T-bar rows – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated pulley rows – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts – 6 sets, 15 reps

Legs:
Squats – 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg presses – 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg extensions – 6 sets, 12-15 reps
Barbell lunges – 5 sets, 15 reps
Wednesday Calves:
Standing calf raises -10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises – 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells) – 6 sets,12 reps

Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) – 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls – 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine – to failure

Thursday Biceps:

Barbell curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses (for the all three heads) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Pushdowns (exterior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Friday Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Lateral raises (standing) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable lateral raises – 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Abs:
* 30 minutes straight until failure.