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Interestingly, when I made the comment that it's easy for me [to get in
shape], Shaun jumped into the conversation and emphatically stated...
"It's not easy. No way. It's simple!"
And you know what? He was right.
It's not easy to get into shape. To eat better. To train harder. To set
a plan in place. Rather, it's simple. It's simple to make such small
changes in your lifestyle. And as a result, create such incredibly
satisfying and rewarding changes in your physique.
I told Shaun he was right. Building a better body and getting into
tiptop shape isn't easy.
What I got from our conversation was a little perspective on this
subject. That is, whenever I decide I am going to get into better shape,
it is easy for me because I know what to do. That's the difference.
See, most people, when they make the decision to get into their best
shape (whether it's their first time or a second, third, or forth time
trying), simply don't know what to do. For that reason, for them, it's
not easy.
"It's simple to make such small changes in your lifestyle. And as a
result, create such incredibly satisfying and rewarding changes in your
physique."As Shaun and I talked more, we found there were many other
things we had in common. One of which was that we both agreed that most
people tend to make this topic more complicated than it needs to be. And
if people really knew how simple the changes they need to make to build
a better body are, many, many more people would do it.
So, after dinner I promised Shaun I would start by sharing my personal
view on building a leaner, healthier, more muscular body in our upcoming
newsletter. To help others understand how each lifestyle change works
together—along with how simple weight training, diet, and supplements
really can be.
Therefore, what I'd like to do is take you through a typical day for me.
Using specific examples, I'll guide you through how I follow my own
Maximum Growth Program. Basically, I'll show you how, when, and what I
eat; which supplements I use; and how I follow the exercise plan.
But before we start, there's something I need to tell you. There are
plenty of ways to gain muscle size and strength and build a head-turning
body, and in no way am I proclaiming that my way is the only way. (Far
too many self-professed "experts" do this already!) What I can honestly
say is these techniques and tools are simply what have worked for
me—year after year—and continue to work for countless others. And if you
follow them, for at least four weeks, you will absolutely, positively
achieve greater gains in strength and size and lose more bodyfat.
Results you can be damn proud of. I promise.
Are you ready? Great. Let's get started.
First, I can't understate the importance of planning. Before I even
consider anything else, I always, always make sure I have my entire day
planned in advance. For me, there could be nothing more integral to my
success. In fact, whenever I don't plan my days, I notice that
everything feels "out of control" the next day. And it is. (Maybe this
has happened to you?) That's why I always take about 15 to 20 minutes
each night, before I go to bed, and plan out my next day's workout,
prepare my meals, write my most important "To-Dos," and as corny as it
sounds, pick out my clothes to wear. I can't tell you how much time the
next day this nightly ritual saves me. I'd bet over ten times.
"...whenever I don't plan my days, I notice that everything feels "out
of control" the next day."If you're already good at planning, then
you'll certainly agree. If not, then I'd encourage you to start tomorrow
and adopt this results-producing, fantastic habit. Remember, the only
thing that separates those who are successful from those who are not are
habits. It's easy to see those who follow good habits are much more
likely to be successful, and those who follow haphazard, free-spirited
habits, are usually less successful. You get the point.
So now let's take a closer look at exactly how I apply these techniques
and tools to my new, improved Maximum Growth Program (which, by the
way... has been completely updated and revised with a full 8-week
Program, new diet plans, weight-training routines, and even a section
which provides explanations and pictures of each exercise. It is at the
printers right now, and I plan to produce only 1,000 to start. So, if
you'd like to reserve your copy today, so you don't get left behind,
please call us at 1-866-688-7679 and tell whoever answers that you are a
regular reader of Real SOLUTIONS and you want to reserve your copy of
Volume 2 of Maximum Growth. Like I said, there will only be 1,000 copies
printed, and since they are free—all we ask is a measly $5 to pay for
postage and handling—I expect these will go quickly. Don't get left
behind. Call us now. The number is 1-866-688-7679. Even the call is
free! Or, click here and fill out your information online: Maximum
Growth).
Luckily, a great deal of the planning "work" has already been done in my
new book. We've laid out the days you should work out. Pointed out
exactly which body parts to train. We've even planned the exact number
of sets, reps, and time to rest for each workout. On top of that, we
included seven full sample meals—from breakfast, to pre-and
post-workout, to nighttime meals—so you can easily put together your
daily eating plan.
Believe me, when you look at how much of the guesswork we've taken out
of building muscle and gaining strength with the Maximum Growth Program,
you'll realize it doesn't get much better than this. In fact, if someone
had offered me a Program like this one when I first started out, I would
have paid a couple of hundred dollars for it, easily.
(To me, it seems no one wants to really help you like this any longer...
they just want you to buy their supplement, shake your hand, say "good
luck," and send you on you way. I don't agree with this approach. I feel
it's much more important to provide a plan, a path, and every bit of
assistance I can to help you reach your goals. I honestly really care
about people).
Anyway, let's get back to how I put everything together as I follow the
Maximum Growth Program to build my best body:
Once I've planned my Weight-Training journal sheet, I move onto my
nutrition plan. From the first to the last meal, including the
supplements I'll take and how much water I plan to drink. I don't like
to leave anything to chance, and as a result, I usually stay right on
course each day. I've found the closer you follow your plan, the faster
you reach your goals. There are really no two ways about it. I've also
provided blank Daily Meal Plan Sheets here, so you can print out copies
and use them to plan and write out your meals each day.
If you read through the Maximum Growth Program, you'll notice my total
calories are somewhat higher than the examples I've provided in The
Meals section. That's because I weigh around 220 lbs and the examples
I've provided are for a 175-lb person. You might weigh more or less than
this, so you'll need to calculate your daily calorie and protein needs
for your desired weight. Once you do that, it's pretty easy to plan your
meals.
Or, you can simply look at the daily sample meal plans we've provided
for you. From there, you can pick and choose which meals most closely
match your likenesses for particular foods and then adjust the portion
sizes to meet your calorie and protein needs. If you have trouble
figuring out how to do this, I encourage you to give us a call
(anytime), and one of our friendly, qualified fitness experts will be
glad to help you out. We can be reached from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (MST). If we don't answer your call, please leave
a message, and we'll call you back right away. Our number is
1-866-688-7679.
Now that I've written out the meals I plan to eat the following day, I'm
about 50% done with my planning. Next I prepare the meals I am going to
eat. Since tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me (and I have a
luncheon meeting), I plan on eating two whole-food meals and three
nutrition shakes... so I'll need to make the meals in advance. After
preparing my tuna pita sandwich and putting my cooked brown rice in a
Tupperware bowl, I grab the rest of my fruits, bottled water, and
supplements and put them in my shoulder bag to take to work with me the
next day. I always double-check my supplement case to make sure I've got
enough supplements to last me the entire week.
Because I usually train in the mornings, I keep most of my breakfast
foods, like oatmeal and condiments like Splenda® sweetener, at the
office since that's where I eat after my morning workout. I also keep a
spare container of Eat-Smart (my favorite meal replacement shake) at the
office too, so I don't need to lug it back and forth—from home to work
and from work back to home. That can be annoying.
Now that I've written out my goal weights for my next workout; written
out and prepared the meals I plan to eat tomorrow; made sure I've got
the supplements I need to use, the final thing I do is prepare my
clothes. Since I work out in the morning, I make sure I've got a
comfortable T-shirt, a pair of track pants, some socks and underwear,
and my tennis shoes and baseball hat laid out. Then, I pack the clothes
I'll wear at work in my gym bag. Last, I make sure I've got my iPod (a
digital headphone/music system that helps keep my intensity up, while
working out in the early morning), wallet, keys, and cell phone... all
packed and ready to go. After this, I'm off to bed. It's usually around
10:00 or 10:30 p.m.
"There's nothing more refreshing, and important, than a tall glass of
water first thing in the morning."The next morning, just like I do every
day, I wake up at 5:15 a.m. Without hesitation, before getting dressed,
I head for the kitchen and pour a large glass of water. There's nothing
more refreshing, and important, than a tall glass of water first thing
in the morning. Especially considering your body hasn't had any food or
liquids for about seven to eight hours. Typically, most people would
make a cup of coffee at this point—to help them "get going." But I don't
feel this way. I think coffee actually robs your body of energy, instead
of really giving it to you. As you know, when you drink coffee, the
increase in energy only lasts about an hour, until it wears off, leaving
you feeling worse than you did before. This is called the "crash." I
hate the way this makes me feel.
That's why I helped create and use a supplement, instead, called
Energize. We developed this all-natural supplement with Dr. Mark Tallon.
He is a very bright person, earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry. He even
works with Olympic athletes as a nutrition consultant. Plus, he's an
IronMan triathlete himself. To say this guy is brilliant, and in great
shape, is an understatement.
He formulated Energize to work with your body's natural ability to
produce safe, long-lasting energy. And it works especially well, either
in the morning to really perk you up, or during the middle of the day to
avoid the fatal midday "crash" after lunch. I absolutely love using it
before I weight train. I find it clears my mind and cranks up my workout
intensity. This is helpful when you train, like I do, at 6:00 in the
morning!
I take two time-released tablets of Energize with my water (on an empty
stomach). I head back upstairs to my bedroom, get dressed... kiss my
wife and kids goodbye (while they're still sleeping), grab my gym bag,
and head off to the gym.
I usually arrive at the gym a few minutes before 6:00 and, after getting
my iPod headphones on with my favorite music, I'm ready to start
training by 6:00 a.m. sharp. Today I am going to work out my chest,
shoulders, biceps, and triceps. (See The Exercises section by clicking
here for a detailed explanation and demonstration photos for all of the
exercises I do.)
Today's weight-training workout should take no longer than my scheduled
goal of 45 minutes. While it's not my goal to always finish under my
scheduled time, it is important to stay within it by a couple of
minutes. After my workout, I sit down on a bench and take a couple of
minutes to record my final actual reps and then run a quick glance over
my goal to actual planned weights and reps for each exercise. Today
everything was pretty close.
Remember, when you do your workouts, you might use less or more weight
than I do. That doesn't really matter. What matters most is that you
keep a constant record of the actual weights and reps you did, and pay
close attention to the time you rest between sets. This way, you're sure
to keep your intensity levels up and make the most of your time spent in
the gym. I also use this time to jot down a few notes about the workout.
For instance, today I repeatedly noticed how pumped my arms felt. I got
a great burn, and I was very strong. In fact, I'll need to make a note
for the next time I train chest that I should increase the weights
used—since I hit a new six-rep max today! This is all very important
information to record.
And this is it for the weight-training portion of my day. Pretty simple,
eh? Not easy, but as you'll see in my new book, it's relatively simple
to follow!
"...there is absolutely, positively no better way to start your day than
with an intense, focused weight-training workout."After I finish my
early morning workout, it's usually around 6:50 a.m. and it's time to
get into the office and focus on my nutrition. I have to tell you,
though, there is absolutely, positively no better way to start your day
than with an intense, focused weight-training workout. By the time I
walk into my office, my mind is refreshed, and I'm ready to take on the
day's challenges.
Following the weight-training Program from Maximum Growth Volume 2 means
I train with weights four days a week. I follow the calendar to the
letter (which is contained in the new book as well). In fact, like I
said earlier, the closer I follow my plan, the faster I see results...
and the greater my progress.
Oh yeah, even though this Program doesn't suggest doing any cardio
exercise, if you want to perform it, I would encourage you to do it on
alternate days. On the days you don't weight train. Or, if you have the
time, you can always perform cardio after you train with weights. But
remember, never, ever perform cardio before your weight-training
workouts or the day after you train your legs.
By the way, there is really no need to do cardio exercise any more than
three times during the week and for no more than 30 minutes at a time.
Any more than this will only be harmful to your muscle-building
progress.
I arrive at my office at 7:00 a.m., and the very first thing I do is
head for the kitchen—to eat. But not any meal will do. Because I just
worked out, my body is primed for quality nutrients to help it recover
and start rebuilding new, lean muscle mass. (Besides that, I haven't
eaten now for nine hours, so I'm extremely hungry too!) This time is
called my "open window." My muscles will literally suck up anything I
feed them during this state. That's why it's critical we combine our
post-workout meal into a specific three-to-one ratio of carbohydrates to
protein.
I start off by making an Eat-Smart meal replacement shake. I simply
combine 20 oz of water into the blender, add three ice cubes and two
rounded scoops of my Eat-Smart Base formula. Then, because I'm going to
have my favorite post-workout Fruit Smoothie Maximum Muscle Shake, I add
one Strawberry Cheesecake Flavor Enhancer packet to the blender. Now,
for added carbohydrates, I add one-half cup of frozen strawberries. And
to top it off, I add two scoops of our orange-flavored
lean-mass-building supplement, Meta-CEL. Each serving of Meta-CEL
provides an effective dose of creatine and D-pinitol, two compounds
which have been shown in a recent study to increase absorption and
retention of creatine within the body. (The more creatine you have in
the body, and the longer it stays there, the more likely you are to
experience greater gains in muscle size and strength and retain it for
longer). The reason I use orange is because when it's mixed with the
strawberry flavors already in the blender, it gives the shake a fruity
taste—a lot like one of those frozen tropical fruit smoothies you get
while on vacation in Mexico or Hawaii.
While blending my special Maximum Muscle shake, I heat up a bowl of
water in the microwave and stir in one-half cup of old-fashioned oats.
After it's heated up, I stir in two packets of Splenda sweetener. And
now, for my "post-workout" meal, I've got a chilled, thick, rich
nutrition shake... and a bowl of complex, heart-healthy oats... in less
than a minute. That's what I call convenient. I've now provided myself
with the perfect three-to-one ratio of carbs to protein, which is
essential for supplying my body with the precise nutrients it needs to
reach my goals. This "meal" will keep me satisfied for another two and a
half hours, at least. So, I take a shower, get dressed, and start my
work day by 7:30 a.m.
In between my first and second meal, I'm continually drinking water from
a large bottle I keep at my desk. It is really important to stay
hydrated, especially since I just trained as well (and lost a great deal
of water through perspiration).
At 10:00 a.m. I'm ready for my second meal. I take a quick look at my
nutrition plan, and I've got "tuna pita sandwich, brown rice, and half
an apple" written down. So, I head back to the kitchen to eat just that.
(I like to take paperwork back with me to read while I eat. This way I
can be more efficient.) With this meal, I make sure I drink two tall
glasses of water as well.
I have a luncheon meeting today, so I won't need to prepare anything in
the kitchen for lunch. At 12:20 p.m., my appointment arrives 10 minutes
early. We head to lunch at a favorite nearby restaurant of mine in
Golden, called Blue Sky. I like this place because the servers,
managers, and owner know me very well. (Keep this in mind the next time
you go out to eat. Try to choose places where you can visit regularly
and employees can begin to become familiar with your healthy eating
habits.) I find this helps. A lot. They don't look at me like I'm crazy
when I ask for egg whites and extra chicken, with no butter. This is
important, because you don't want to miss out on being able to socialize
and have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with your family, friends, or
people you work with. It's easier to become familiar with restaurants
that will happily accommodate your "healthy" eating requests. If they
don't, then I wouldn't eat there any longer.
Today, just like most days when I visit Blue Sky, I order the Rambler
Skillet. This dish consists of sliced potatoes, diced chicken breast,
egg whites, topped with roasted pecans. It's a perfect combination of
complex carbs, good quality proteins, and even essential fats (from the
nuts). With lunch, I drink a glass of iced tea with a packet of Splenda
and a glass of water as well.
About 30 minutes after lunch, I typically take another two tablets of
Energize. This way, I am certain I won't get hit by the "mid-day crash,"
which no matter how hard you try, sometimes seems inevitable. I don't
always need this extra dosage of Energize, but I know I still have a lot
of work to do, and I'm going to be working late. Besides that, I have
several more important meetings today, and I really want to be
refreshed, clear-minded, and focused for them. Energize does that for me
and keeps me going strong all day.
At 3:00 p.m., I head for the kitchen to make an Eat-Smart nutrition
shake. Only this time, I make a different flavor. See, that's the great
thing about Eat-Smart: you can choose from a wide variety of flavors so
you never get bored with them—like I did with regular chocolate and
vanilla from other shakes I used to drink. This time I'm going to make a
Cinnamon Roll flavored shake. And to get another 50 grams of carbs, I'll
add a banana to the blender while I'm mixing it up. Man, these shakes
are tasty. I know I'm a little biased, but they're almost too good if
you ask me! A lot of people have emailed to tell me how much they love
the flavors of Eat-Smart and that it contains such high-quality
ingredients, like fiber and flaxseed oil. That makes me feel
good—because we worked really, really hard to develop such a fantastic
supplement.
As you can see, it's important to feed your body with protein,
carbohydrates, and essential fats it needs. That's why I eat every two
and half to three hours during the day.
At 5:30 p.m. I have what I call a "snack-meal." It's not really a full
meal, and it's definitely more than a snack. It's not really a part of
the Program I've put together for you, but I do this differently because
I know I'm going to be heading home from work in about an hour to 90
minutes, and my wife Julia... well, let's just say she's from the South
and loves to cook. So, while I don't want to spoil her fantastic dinner,
by eating too much too soon before we eat dinner, I don't like to go
home starving. My snack-meal consists of a bowl of low-fat cottage
cheese, some fruit, and a overloaded spoonful of Power Butter's peanut
butter. This gives me just the right amount of protein, carbs, and some
healthy fats. This type of meal will also digest more slowly and
therefore I won't feel as hungry when I get home, which keeps me from
overeating (which, if you ever come over to visit and eat at my house,
is easy to do, with my wife's glorious cooking).
I usually arrive home near 7:00 p.m. That's when we have dinner as a
family. Although my wife is a great cook, she is also very cautious of
how our food is prepared. While she doesn't douse our foods in butters
and unhealthy oils, she uses plenty of spices and healthy oils to really
make our food taste great! Plus, one of our goals as parents is to help
our children learn healthy eating habits, early on, so they can live
healthier lives too. Julia always makes sure protein is the center of
our meals, whether it's chicken, fresh fish, or red meat. Tonight she
has prepared her famous tuna steaks with fat-free wassabi mayonnaise. A
side dish of wild brown rice and asparagus accompanied the meal. (For
more of Julia's meals, you can read her regular column, by subscribing
to our Real SOLUTIONS magazine, or find them in The Lean System
Nutrition Guide.)
Finally, at 9:30 p.m., I have another Eat-Smart shake. Only this time, I
use less water than the label recommends, which makes it into a creamy
pudding. I use the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup flavor. This is my
absolute favorite flavor, only to a close second Cookies and Cream.
After I mix it up with a spoon in a bowl, I let it sit in the freezer
for about 10 minutes. Voila! It's instant dessert, only I know it's good
for me.
After I finish my Eat-Smart pudding nutrition shake, I drink another
serving of Meta-CEL, mixed with eight ounces of water. I always use a
second serving of Meta-CEL on the days when I weight train because I
know my body needs it (and will use it!). Now, with my Meta-CEL, I take
a multivitamin and mineral formula (it's made by GNC, called Mega Men).
"...there is nothing overcomplicated about my workouts, my eating
habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no magic."Now, it's close
to 10:00 p.m., so I sit down and review my notes from today and start my
planning for tomorrow. The next day, however, I won't be weight
training, so I only have to plan out my meals.
And that's it! That's how I put all of the basic pieces together to
build the best body my genetics will allow. It's pretty simple, and best
of all, it's worked well for me, and I'm certain it can work for you
too!
As you can plainly see, there is nothing overcomplicated about my
workouts, my eating habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no
magic. To be honest, I'd say most people make it way more complex than
it needs to be. Now, make no mistake about it, I'm not saying it's easy.
Rather, I believe it's simple. It's simple to follow a plan—as long as
you've carefully thought it out. The most important thing is to be
consistent and treat each day as another step closer toward reaching
your ultimate goals. Put enough steps together and you will not only
begin to feel better about yourself and the changes you're capable of
making, but you'll certainly look better too... as you steadily increase
your body's ability to build muscle size, strength, personal power, and
confidence.
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