A Program for a Healthier You Part 1

Hey Fitness friends,

With the title of this tip being “a free program for a healthier you” you can tell that I’m in a giving spirit this week. Maybe it’s holy week having an effect on me but I’m also offering a special free month of training with me if you can tell me in 100 words or less why you really need it. I’ll be picking a winner within the next week out of those people that respond. This person will receive a full month of training, 3-4 days a week, plus a nutrition plan all for free. No catches or anything, just let me know why you need it in 100 words or less. Man, Melissa’s going to kill me for this one.

Now, onto the free program for a healthier you. Without knowing your particular goals, if you have any existing conditions or imbalances or asymmetries, what your fitness level is, etc. this is a pretty darn good program. It’ll have you shedding body fat, building muscle, optimizing your hormones, getting healthier, moving better, and looking great; If you pull the trigger with it. Keep in mind, with the training section I want you performing each exercise with (on a scale from 1-10) a technique level of 7 or higher. If you don’t know the technique, I know a great coach that’ll teach you. He can be reached at my phone number, my email address, or my facebook account. I also want you to perform each training session with an exertion level of a 7 or higher, in other words kick your own booty at each session. But, I also want you to have a pain level of a 4 or lower, discomfort is awesome and you should get comfortable with it, but true injury sucks. So here we go with the program:

Part 1: The training:
For the first few weeks follow this template:
Monday: You’re going to squat hard. It can be front squats or back squats, but load up the bar with as much weight as you can handle with good form and kill it. 5 sets of 5 reps (I’ll explain more of that later). Then move on to Neutral Grip (palms facing each other) chin-ups. 5 sets of 5 reps again. Really push it. If you can’t do chin-ups pick up Lifeline USA’s Power Pull-up and use it to master the movement without having to use your full bodyweight. Work up to your bodyweight and then start adding weight, use a belt or rope to add weight plates to yourself. Then, hit Abdominal Roll-outs, this time hit 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Really push it. If you need to start out with a kneeling version, start there. If you need to start out with just the eccentric portion of the move, go for it. But keep working your way up to the standing version and then add weight with a weight vest. There’s only three moves here, so really push it for all your worth on all three.

Wednesday: Today your going to start out with either a bench press or a floor press. Perform this powerlifting style rather than bodybuilding style as you’ll get the same results without the injuries. Again 5 sets of 5 and really kill it while using great technique. Follow that up with Bent Over Barbell Rows. Keep your tummy and butt tight, arch your back, keep your body at about a 45 degree angle, pull your shoulder blades together and really drive your elbows back hard. Drive the bar to your navel. Again, 5 x 5. Finish up by using your hands to add resistance to neck exercises. Think 2-3 sets of 10 in each direction. Tipping forward, backwards, ear to the left shoulder, ear to the right shoulder, looking over the left shoulder, and looking over the right shoulder. Your neck is important, train it hard. Then hang from a bar for 2 sets of as long as you can. When it gets easy, add weight or switch to one arm hangs. Again, high technique and high exertion on each exercise. Really kick your own butt.

Friday: To finish out the week you’re going to start with deadlifts. Not Romanian or stiff-leg deads, but real deadlifts. Keep your back arched, and your upper body upright the entire time. Squat down, grab the bar, straighten the legs and rip the bar from the floor to lock out. You can use a Sumo or conventional deadlift. Again, 5 x 5. Then move on to strict standing Military Presses. Keep your heels together, feet pointed out at 45 degree angels. Tighten your thighs, booty, and tummy. Keep strict upright military posture (it’s a military press for a reason) and drive the bar without any type of body English or leg drive (just push through with your upper body strength and power) from your clavicles to complete lock-out. Again, 5 x 5. Follow this with 3 sets of Abdominal roll-outs for 6-8 reps again. Again, really exert. Push yourself beyond what you think you’re capable of.

For your 5 x 5 scheme, think about starting out with 4 progressively heavier warm-up sets and 1 true work set. So, if your work set on an exercise is 205 pounds; start your 1^st set of 5 at 165, your 2^nd at 175, your 3d at 185, your 4^th at 195, then hit your 5^th set at your working weight of 205. This is a great way to train, and it won’t shock your body. As you get in better shape try 3 warm-ups sets followed by 2 working sets. Eventually, when your body’s ready you can hit 2-3 warm-up sets and then nail 5 sets with your working weight. This is a wonderful progression to work on your conditioning as well.

After a month or so, when your body is ready for a little bit more, add in a Tuesday of sprints. Find a big hill that’s nice and steep and sprint it as many times as you can in 10-15 minutes. Then progress to 15-20 minutes. Then progress to 20-25 minutes. Make sure to warm up with some leaping, bounding, crawling, mobility work, and dynamic stretches first.

After another month or so, add in a Saturday hill sprint session. Why are you sprinting on Tuesday and Saturday. Simple, you’re squatting on Monday and deadlifting on Friday, putting your sprints on the day after these training days will help your body recover faster.

Add some joint mobility drills in before and after each training session, and some other dynamic warm-ups as well. Stick with this for a year and you won’t be the same person 12 months from now. But there’s still a few more things to hit for the entire program.

Part 2: Living a physical life:
Our bodies are designed to be physical. Our ancestors used to walk about 10-20-30 miles everyday just to find food and shelter. Then they’d sprint, leap and bound to catch the food (or to get away from predators and tribes that may be hostile towards them). Then, they’d lift and carry the heavy carcasses back to their village. Also, they’d chop logs and break rocks for tools. They’d lift and carry, drag and push heavy logs and stones to create shelter. They were incredible athletes. It’s in your genes to be physical everyday; to be strong and conditioned. So honor this by living a physical lifestyle. You’ll thank me as your health goes through the roof.

Besides you normal training day, add physical activities to your days. There’s no reason on Earth why you can’t train five days a week plus, I don’t know; train in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu on Monday, study Ballroom and Latin dancing on Tuesday, go for a wilderness hike with your spouse on Wednesday, train some more jiu-jitsu on Thursday, study more dance on Friday, go kayaking or rock climbing on Saturday, and take another hike on Sunday. Get out and move each day of the week. Go for walks, play some pick-up basketball, study Gymnastics, train in circus performance, get in on a local Rugby league. Our bodies are extremely adaptable and being physically active everyday is a good thing.

At the very least, walk every day, follow the five day’s of training that I’ve outlined above, and add daily joint mobility to your activities.


Part 3: The nutrition:
This part is simple, but it’s the hardest part for most people. Eat naturally and cleanly. Don’t eat it if it comes in a bag or box. If it’s processed, stay away from it.

Start out your eating 14-16 hours after finishing your last meal the night before. For your first meal, have some raw veggies and maybe a couple of eggs or some turkey. For your second meal, have some more veggies (raw or steamed, or both) and some chicken. For your main meal have a large salad, throw in 10-16 ounces of steak, chicken, or fish, have some kimchi and some more veggies. On your Monday or Friday (the hardest training days) have a small potato or a sweet potato. On Wednesday (your next hardest day) have a small amount o brown rice. On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday avoid starches, grains, and legumes. After your three training sessions, finish them off with a good quality protein shake. Cycle your calories each day and your carbs. Drink a sheet ton of water, and maybe add in a little green tea and one or two cups of coffee max.

Keep this going and you’ll shed fat, build muscle, optimize hormones, and feel much better, look much better, and be much better.