Exercise routines, tips and chatter?

[C~Q]

Ok I'm back!

Right i'm going to assume that you can work out 5 times a week. If you can do more or it has to be less then let me know. You need to be doing resistance training at least 2-3 times a week (so we're going to make you do it 3 times ) and cardio at least 200 - 300 minutes a week. Lets aim for 250. It's up to you how you break that down, if you want to do 4 x 1 hour runs then cool. If you want to do less runs and a few step sessions - cool. As long as when you are doing your own step sessions you are working hard enough. By hard enough I mean 50-85% of your Predicted Maximal Heart Rate (PMHR) how old are you and do you know your resting heart rate? If not just let me know how old you are and i'll work out your PMHR. Till then use the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale. Think of how you feel on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being nothing at all, 5 being strong and 10 being very strong - maximal. You want to be working between 5-8.5.

It sounds like a lot of cardio but remember the initial loss is known as the "conditioning phase" and once ideal weight is achieved then maintenance is a lot easier. You can break up the cardio however you want to as long as you're using your major muscle groups (more KJ's burned). When you're doing your runs try and introduce some interval training elements to it (heart rate peaks and drops down ((slightly)) at regular intervale) some good ways to do this outside is by picking power poles and sprinting between one or two and then joggin between the next two. Or by using stairs or hills.

K so thats the cardio. Now for the resistance training. I'm assuming that you will be by yourself so here we go...

Start with a warm up, maybe on the step - just 5 mins to get your hr up a little and your muscles warm - don't forget to include your arms. Then start with the larger muscle groups and end with back and abs. I'm going to to program you somewhere between Hypertrophy (bigger muscle) and muscular endurance (help with Pump). This means that for all exercises you should be lifting a weight that is about 75% of your 1RM (one repition maximum - the heaviest weight you could possible lift, only once for that particular muscle). I can't work that out for you without seeing you but your DP prob can even if you can only make use of the weights that you have.

I'm also going to "super set" you. That means instead of doing a set then waiting and doing the next set we are going to put 2 exercises together and smash them! No, you do a set of one exercises then straight on to a set of the next ones, then rest. This saves time and makes you feel like you're working harder So for example one set of squats followed by one set of lunges. Then 2nd set of squats/2nd set of lunges...make sense?

You should rest for 30 secs inbetween each superset. And the tempo you do the exercises should be 2/2.


Please get your DP to look over this first as I really shouldn't be giving you a program without seeing you!

Legs
1. Weighted squats - 3 sets of 15 reps
1. Lunges - 3 sets of 15 reps (up to you to use weights or the bench if you want )
(So for this you do 1st set squats-1st set lunge right leg-1st set lunge left leg. Then 2nd set squat-2nd set lunge right leg-2nd set lunge left leg)

Chest
2. Barbell pullovers - 3 sets of 15 reps
(lie on somewhere that has space behind you, maybe accross the bed with your head at the end. With arms extended hold barbell in overhand grip, hands shoulder width apart. Inhale lowering the barbell behind the head bending slightly at the elbows ((not bent like a tricep ext)). Exhale and return to initial position.)
2. Pushups - 3 sets of 15 reps - I WANT TOES!!!

Shoulders
3. Seated front press - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Sit with back straight and hold bar with an overhand grip resting on chest. Inhale and extend the bar vertically, exhale an return to starting position)
3. Barbell front raises - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Stand with legs slightly apart and back straight inhale and raise the barbell with arms extended to eye level, exhale and return)

Back
4. Bent rows - 3 sets of 15 reps
(you know these from Pump. They're just 15's not triples or singles!)
4.Upright row - 3 sets of 15
(you know these from Pump too - let me know if you're not sure)

Arms
5. Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 15
5. Tricep dips - 3 sets of 15
(Do them off your sofa or something else that feels like the right level. Knees bent or straight legs for harder. Hardest - put one foot on top of the other in straight leg position?

Abs - If you've been bracing your abs properly the who session you shouldn't need to do abs but if you are so inclined

6. Crunches 3 sets fo 15
(make sure your knees are up at 45 * angle, this dissengages (sp?) your hip flexors)
6. Side plank - each side for 45 secs, only once per side cause i'm pretty sure you're now knackered! (longer if you can or less if you have to).

Ok, reading back this is quite a lot so if you want to only do one exercise per body part! If you can then go smash it!!!! And don't forget to stretch - stretch is so important and often gets overlooked. Stretch each body part for 30-45 secs at a level of slight discomfort but not pain.


Some things to remember - 1. Never lock your joints out in the middle of a movement. You can straighten your limb but don't lock out the joints. 2. Shoulders back and down (you know this from Pump). 3. Neutral spine. 4. Chin in. 5. Brace the abs and back (by doing this you turn on your TA ((transverse abdominals)) which do not get worked enough and cause that fat band under your belly!).


Ok, now i'm knackered! It's so much harder to program for home using only a barbell then it is in the gym with all the equipment!

Let me know how you go...Good luck!

PS Just thought I should add that 6 portions of fruit is waaaay too much! I know that the sugar found in fruit is natural but it's still sugar and a lot of it! My dietician told me about a lady who developed diabetes and the only treats she had were fruit You shouldn't really have more than 2-3 servings of fruit per day.

Also on nutrition, you said you eat lots of cakes, biscuits and stuff. You'll definatly see the best results if you combine the exercise plan with healthy eating