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Training

Since my initial transformation back in 2003 I’ve done all kinds of cardio and weight training programs and have utilized many different splits; as you might expect, there is a lot of information to digest on this page!

In an effort to make the information you’re interested in reading easier to locate, I’ve grouped everything into distinct sections based on my various training phases. In each section you’ll find detailed information about the splits, cardio workouts and weight training programs I used during that particular training phase.

I’ve also included some of my favorite exercises, general training information and other helpful training resources at the bottom of the page.

MY CARDIO AND WEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAMS: 2003 – PRESENT

Click on the date of any section you’re interested in viewing to display the associated information; click again to hide it.

• 2012 Cut : January 9, 2012 - March 17, 2012

  Training split

  My goal on this cut was to get extremely light while maintaining strength and improving muscle endurance (I reached 171.6 pounds @ 5.7% body fat). Cardiovascular training and balance for mountain biking were also top priorities.

  Monday: Legs
  Tuesday: 45-minutes LISS cardio
  Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
  Thursday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio
  Friday: Back, Biceps & Abs
  Saturday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio
  Sunday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio

  Cardio Workouts

  My cardio sessions are a mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) and extended sessions of medium-high intensity cardio (45-60 minutes @ 170-175 BPM) on the recumbent bike, as well as plenty of “real world” training mountain biking.

  The indoor HIIT cardio sessions progress in difficulty, as follows (intervals are expressed as maximum effort/active recovery, in seconds).

  Week 1: 14 minutes 30/45
  Week 2: 18 minutes 30/45
  Week 3: 22 minutes 30/45
  Week 4: 14 minutes 45/45
  Week 5: 18 minutes 45/45
  Week 6: 22 minutes 45/45
  Week 7: 14 minutes 60/45
  Week 8: 18 minutes 60/45
  Week 9: 22 minutes 60/45
  Week 10: 14 minutes 60/30
  Week 11: 18 minutes 60/30
  Week 12: 22 minutes 60/30

  …and so on.

  Weight Training Workouts

  • Lots of compound lifting. Almost no isolation exercises.
  • A mix of moderate weight/high reps and heavy weight/low reps.
  • Primary objective is extreme intensity.
  • Use any and all techniques to increase intensity: supersets, giant sets, rest-pause sets, drop sets…
  • 1 minute rest between sets (max), 2 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Workouts need to be quick (less than 45 minutes), absolutely relentless and totally brutal.

• 2011 Cut : January 3, 2011 - April 9, 2011

  Training split

  For the first time ever, my goal on this cut was not to simply cut body fat (goal was 7%, I hit 6.9%); I also wanted to get in the best cardio shape of my life and improve my muscle endurance for mountain biking. There was lot of cardio in this cut, and it was very challenging cardio.

  Monday: Legs
  Tuesday: 45-minutes LISS cardio
  Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
  Thursday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio
  Friday: Back, Biceps & Traps
  Saturday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio
  Sunday: Mountain biking, extended medium-high intensity cardio or HIIT cardio

  Cardio Workouts

  My cardio sessions are a mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) and extended sessions of medium-high intensity cardio (45-60 minutes @ 170-175 BPM) on the recumbent bike, as well as plenty of “real world” training mountain biking.

  The indoor HIIT cardio sessions progress in difficulty, as follows (intervals are expressed as maximum effort/active recovery, in seconds).

  Week 1: 14 minutes 30/45
  Week 2: 18 minutes 30/45
  Week 3: 22 minutes 30/45
  Week 4: 14 minutes 45/45
  Week 5: 18 minutes 45/45
  Week 6: 22 minutes 45/45
  Week 7: 14 minutes 60/45
  Week 8: 18 minutes 60/45
  Week 9: 22 minutes 60/45
  Week 10: 14 minutes 60/30
  Week 11: 18 minutes 60/30
  Week 12: 22 minutes 60/30

  …and so on.

  Weight Training Workouts

  • Moderate weight and higher reps (in the 12-20 range) for most exercises.
  • Some heavy, low-rep compound work (squats, deads, bench)
  • Primary objective is extreme intensity.
  • Use any and all techniques to increase intensity: supersets, giant sets, rest-pause sets, drop sets…
  • 1 minute rest between sets (max), 2 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Workouts need to be quick (less than 45 minutes), absolutely relentless and totally brutal.

• 2010 Cut : January 4, 2010 - May 2, 2010

  Training split

  Monday: Legs
  Tuesday: HIIT cardio or 45 mins LISS cardio
  Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
  Thursday: HIIT cardio or 45 mins LISS cardio
  Friday: Back, Biceps & Traps
  Saturday: HIIT cardio or 45 mins LISS cardio
  Sunday: Off

  Cardio Workouts

  A mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State). The HIIT workouts progressed in difficulty over the weeks, as follows::

  Week 1: 10 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 1 minute at moderate pace.
  Week 2: 12 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  Week 3: 14 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  Week 4: 16 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.

  …and so on.

  Weight Training Workouts

  I mixed it up and just had some fun in the gym as I dieted down to 7% body fat. There was no set training program, but I usually did a mix of medium volume intensity training and heavy “core” compound exercises.

• 2008 Bulk: September 29, 2008 - January 25, 2009

  Training split

  In order to keep fat gains to a minimum, I’d planned to do several weeks of bulking followed by short periods of cutting. On October 22nd I decided to forgo the cutting weeks and do a straight bulk the entire time. This turned out to be a good decision: my fat gains were minimal and it was, by any measure, my most successful bulk yet.

  Monday: Quads & Hamstrings
  Tuesday: Chest & Triceps
  Wednesday: Off
  Thursday: Back & Biceps
  Friday: Delts, Traps & Calves
  Saturday: Off
  Sunday: Off

  Cardio Workouts

  No cardio.

  Weight Training Workouts

  • Primary objective is extreme intensity.
  • No set structure to these workouts–be inventive and use imagination.
  • Use any and all techniques to increase intensity: supersets, giant sets, rest-pause sets, drop sets…
  • Workouts need to be quick (less than 45 minutes), absolutely relentless and totally brutal.
  • Incorporate Olympic exercises into these workouts.

• 2008 Cut: March 24, 2008 - June 30, 2008

  Training split

  Monday: Weight training: back & biceps
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings
  Friday: Weight training: delts, traps & calves
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)

  Cardio Workouts

  A mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State). The HIIT workouts progressed in difficulty over the weeks. Here’s the schedule:

  • Week 1: 12 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 2: 14 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 3: 16 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 4: 14 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 5: 16 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 6: 18 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 7: 16 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.
  • Week 8: 18 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for my 2008 cut:

  • 3 exercises per body part, except biceps, calves & triceps which was 2 exercises per body part.
  • 3 sets per exercise.
  • First three sets of body part: 5-7 reps.
  • Second three sets of body part: 10-12 reps.
  • Final 3 sets of body part: 12-16 reps.
  • The first exercise is a big compound movement (squats, BB rows, deadlifts, military press, etc).
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 4 weeks.

• 2007 Bulk: October 1, 2007 - January 20, 2008

  Training split

  I did something different for this bulk, and alternated 1 week of “core” training with one week of “intensity” training (see “Weight Training Workouts”, just below).

  I also did several weeks of bulking followed by short periods of cutting. The plan was to bulk/cut for a total of 16 weeks, as follows:

  • 5 weeks of bulking (October 1, 2007 – November 4, 2007)
  • 2 weeks of cutting (November 5, 2007 – November 18, 2007)
  • 3 weeks of bulking (November 19, 2007 – December 9, 2007)
  • 1 week of cutting (December 10, 2007 – December 16, 2007)
  • 5 weeks of bulking (December 17, 2007 – January 20, 2008)

  I alternated “core” and “intensity” weeks the entire time, but also performed HIIT cardio during the cutting weeks.

  BULKING WEEKS
  October 1, 2007 – November 4, 2007; November 19, 2007 – December 9, 2007; December 17, 2007 – January 20, 2008.

  [CORE]
  Monday: Legs
  Tuesday: Off
  Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
  Thursday: Off
  Friday: Back & Biceps
  Saturday: Off
  Sunday: Off

  [INTENSITY]
  Monday: Quads & Hamstrings
  Tuesday: Chest & Triceps
  Wednesday: Off
  Thursday: Back & Biceps
  Friday: Delts, Traps & Calves
  Saturday: Off
  Sunday: Off

  CUTTING WEEKS
  November 5, 2007 – November 18, 2007; December 10, 2007 – December 16, 2007.

  [CORE]
  Monday: Legs; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Tuesday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
  Thursday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Friday: Back & Biceps; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Saturday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Sunday: Off

  [INTENSITY]
  Monday: Quads & Hamstrings; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Tuesday: Chest & Triceps
  Wednesday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Thursday: Back & Biceps
  Friday: Delts, Traps & Calves; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Saturday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Sunday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)

  Cardio Workouts

  HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) several time per week (cutting weeks only).

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the general training principles I followed for my 2007 bulk. I alternated between fairly structured “core” training weeks, which are designed to increase strength, and free-form “intensity” training weeks, which are geared towards hypertrophy.

  CORE

  • Just one or two exercises for each muscle group.
  • Up to 5 warm-up sets.
  • Up to 5 working sets.
  • Each working set will (generally speaking) increase in weight and decrease in reps.
  • Final 1 or 2 working sets to be 1-2 reps, often ending in failure.
  • Very heavy weights.
  • 2-4 minutes rest between sets, up to 5 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Strive to increase the weights used from one core week to the next.

  INTENSITY

  • Primary objective is extreme intensity.
  • No set structure to these workouts–be inventive and use imagination.
  • Use any and all techniques to increase intensity: supersets, giant sets, rest-pause sets, drop sets…
  • Higher volume workouts as compared to the Core workouts.
  • Workouts need to be quick (less than 45 minutes), absolutely relentless and totally brutal.
  • Incorporate Olympic exercises into these workouts.

• 2007 Maintenance: July 1, 2007 - September 30, 2007

  Training split

  Monday: Weight Training: Back, Traps & Rear Delts
  Tuesday: 12-20 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
  Wednesday: Weight Training: Chest & Side Delts
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Friday: Weight Training: Legs
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Sunday: Off

  Cardio Workouts

  A mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State).

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for my 2007 Summer Maintenance phase. The goal here was to build strength in preparation for my upcoming bulk:

  • Focus on big compound lifts.
  • For the compound lifts, 3 exercises per muscle group. 1 or 2 exercises for any isolation moves (side/rear delts and traps).
  • 3 sets per exercise.
  • 4-6 reps per set.
  • Very heavy weights.
  • 2 minutes rest between sets, 3 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Change exercises every 4 weeks.

• 2007 Cut : January 1, 2007 - June 30, 2007

  Training split

  I was working with personal trainer Aram “Mastover” Hamparian on this cut. This was a complicated and dynamic cut, but the effort was worth it: I reached an all-time low of 6% body fat and was in phenomenal shape.

  My training split changed many times over the course of this cut. Each split is provided below along with the dates it was utilized.

  January 1, 2007 – February 11, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 20 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves; Stationary bike, 20 mins (aerobic, post-workout)
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 20 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 20 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)

  February 12, 2007 – March 11, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)

  March 12, 2007 – April 1, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 40 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 40 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 40 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)

  April 2, 2007 – May 20, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM); Stationary bike, 10-18 mins (HIIT, PM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM); Stationary bike, 10-18 mins (HIIT, PM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 30 mins (aerobic, fasted AM); Stationary bike, 10-18 mins (HIIT, PM)

  April 21, 2007 – June 10, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM); Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM)

  June 11, 2007 – June 30, 2007
  Monday: Weight training: back, biceps & calves
  Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 14-18 mins (HIIT, PM)
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
  Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 14-18 mins (HIIT, PM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 14-18 mins (HIIT, PM)*

  Cardio Workouts

  A mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State). The HIIT workouts progress in difficulty over the weeks. Here’s the schedule:

  Week 1: 10 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 1 minute at moderate pace.
  Week 2: 12 mins per session–30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  Week 3: 14 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
  Week 4: 16 mins per session–45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.

  …and so on.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for my 2007 cut:

  • 3 exercises per body part, except biceps, calves & triceps which was 2 exercises per body part.
  • 3 sets per exercise.
  • First three sets of body part: 5-7 reps.
  • Second three sets of body part: 10-12 reps.
  • Final 3 sets of body part: 12-16 reps.
  • The first exercise is a big compound movement (squats, BB rows, deadlifts, military press, etc).
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 4 weeks.

• 2006 SUP2 Bulk: September 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006

  Training split

  “SUP2″ was the name of the bulking program designed by the personal trainer I was working with at the time.

  Monday: Weight training: chest & abs
  Tuesday: Weight training: back
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)
  Thursday: Weight training: delts, calves & traps
  Friday: Weight training: biceps & triceps
  Saturday: Weight training: quads & hamstrings
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio two times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed while I was bulking:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2006 SGX Cut: February 1, 2006 - July 1, 2006

  Training split

  “SGX” was the name of the cutting program designed by the personal trainer I was working with at the time.

  Monday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: chest & abs (PM)
  Tuesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: back & traps (PM)
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: legs (PM)
  Friday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: delts & arms (PM)
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio seven times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for this bulk:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2006 Maintenance: July 1, 2006 - August 31, 2006

  Training split

  Monday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: chest & triceps (PM)
  Tuesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: back & biceps (PM)
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Friday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: delts & traps (PM)
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: legs (PM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio seven times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed while I was maintaining:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2005 SUP2 Bulk: November 1, 2005 - January 31, 2006

  Training split

  “SUP2″ was the name of the bulking program designed by the personal trainer I was working with at the time.

  Monday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)
  Tuesday: Weight training: back & traps
  Wednesday: Weight training: chest & abs
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)
  Friday: Weight training: legs
  Saturday: Weight training: delts & traps
  Sunday: Weight training: biceps & triceps

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio two times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for this bulk:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2005 SGX Cut: August 15, 2005 - October 31, 2005

  Training split

  “SGX” was the name of the cutting program designed by the personal trainer I was working with at the time.

  Monday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Tuesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: chest & abs (PM)
  Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: back & traps (PM)
  Friday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM)
  Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: legs (PM)
  Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM); Weight training: delts & arms (PM)

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio seven times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for this cut:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2005 Cut: January 1, 2005 - August 14, 2005

  Training split

  Monday: Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)
  Tuesday: Weight training: back, biceps & traps
  Wednesday: Abs; Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)
  Thursday: Weight training: legs
  Friday: Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)
  Saturday: Weight training: pecs, delts, triceps
  Sunday: Abs; Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio four times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for this cut:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2004 Bulk: August 20, 2004 - December 31, 2004

  Training split

  Monday: Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)
  Tuesday: Weight training: back, biceps & traps
  Wednesday: Abs
  Thursday: Weight training: legs
  Friday: Elliptical, 50 mins (aerobic)
  Saturday: Weight training: pecs, delts, triceps
  Sunday: Rest, no workout

  Cardio Workouts

  LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio a couple times per week.

  Weight Training Workouts

  These are the training principles I followed for this bulk:

  • 3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
  • 4 sets per exercise.
  • 10-12 reps per set.
  • Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take two minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
  • Strict form.
  • Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
  • Mind/muscle connection at all times – FOCUS.
  • Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

• 2003-2004 (Injured): September 6, 2003 - August 19, 2004

  Training split

  This was my aborted 2003 bulking program. I was not able to do upper body workouts due to a shoulder injury for most of this phase.

  Monday: Elliptical, stationary bike or stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT) or 50 mins (aerobic); Abs
  Tuesday: Weight training: back & biceps (injured, could not do)
  Wednesday: Elliptical, stationary bike or stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT) or 50 mins (aerobic); Abs
  Thursday: Weight training: legs
  Friday: Elliptical, stationary bike or stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT) or 50 mins (aerobic); Abs
  Saturday: Weight training: pecs, delts, triceps (injured, could not do)
  Sunday: Rest, no workout

  Cardio Workouts

  A mix of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State).

  Weight Training Workouts

  I started doing the MAX-OT training method during this phase. MAX-OT can not be explained in a couple of paragraphs. If you are interested in learning more, check out the MAX-OT Training Course (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

  If you are using MAX-OT, I created a Excel spreadsheet that I print out to track my workouts. The spreadsheet is formatted for my personal splits, but it can be modified easily to suit your own training schedule.

• 2003 Maintenance: June 18, 2003 - September 5, 2003

  Training split

  Monday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT)
  Tuesday: Weight training: back & biceps
  Wednesday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT); Abs
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, calves, hamstrings
  Friday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT); Abs
  Saturday: Weight training: pecs, delts, triceps
  Sunday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT); Abs

  Cardio Workouts

  HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio almost exclusively. Sometimes (maybe once a week), I’d substitute a 50-minute aerobic-level cardio (80% of my maximum heart rate — 152 BPM for me) workout for my normal 23-minute HIIT cardio workout. I did this just to shake things up a bit.

  Weight Training Workouts

  Same as my initial transformation: “Pyramid Training”. This style of weight training was popularized by Bill Phillips in his book Body For Life. The basic principles of Pyramid Training are as follows:

  • 12 reps with relatively light weight.
  • Increase the weight and perform 10 reps.
  • Further increase the weight and perform 8 reps.
  • Further increase weight and perform 6 reps (or lift to failure).
  • Finally, increase or keep the same weight as the previous set and do another set of 6 (or lift to failure).
  • Chose another exercise for the same muscle group and repeat the whole process (basically doing two complete exercise rotations for each body part).
  • Rest one minute between each set, 2 minutes between exercises.

  Other Training Notes: Use explosive force and breathe out for the lift, and for the negative breathe in while lowering the weight slow and controlled (about 2 seconds). Between the positive and the negative portion of each rep, contract the muscle(s) you are working as hard as a can for a second or so. While performing the exercises, mentally focus on the muscle(s) you are working and concentrate on perfect form for every rep.

• 2003 Initial Fat Loss: January 6, 2003 - June 17, 2003

  Training split

  Monday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT)
  Tuesday: Weight training: back & biceps; Stationary bike or Stair climber, 12 minutes (HIIT)
  Wednesday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT); Abs
  Thursday: Weight training: quads, calves, hamstrings; Stationary bike or Stair climber, 12 minutes (HIIT)
  Friday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT)
  Saturday: Weight training: pecs, delts, triceps; Stationary bike or Stair climber, 12 minutes (HIIT)
  Sunday: Stationary bike or Stair climber, 23 mins (HIIT); Abs

  Cardio Workouts

  I spent the first 6 weeks doing aerobic level cardio (also know as “LISS” cardio: Low Intensity Steady-State), gradually working my way up to 45 minutes at 80% of my maximum heart rate. Once I could do that, I started doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio. The HIIT cardio I did was a slightly modified version of the HIIT cardio program that is recommended in Bill Phillips’ book Body For Life. This is what I did:
  
  3 minute warmup at 60% effort
  1 minute at 70% effort
  1 minute at 80% effort
  1 minute at 90% effort
  1 minute at 60% effort
  1 minute at 70% effort
  1 minute at 80% effort
  1 minute at 90% effort
  1 minute at 60% effort
  1 minute at 70% effort
  1 minute at 80% effort
  1 minute at 90% effort
  1 minute at 60% effort
  1 minute at 70% effort
  1 minute at 80% effort
  1 minute at 90% effort
  1 minute at 100% effort
  4 minute cool-down at 50-60% effort
  

  Weight Training Workouts

  For my initial transformation I did what is known as “Pyramid Training”. This style of weight training was popularized by Bill Phillips in his book Body For Life. I feel BFL is a pretty good program for someone who is a total beginner (as I was).

  The basic principles of Pyramid Training are as follows:

  • 12 reps with relatively light weight.
  • Increase the weight and perform 10 reps.
  • Further increase the weight and perform 8 reps.
  • Further increase weight and perform 6 reps (or lift to failure).
  • Finally, increase or keep the same weight as the previous set and do another set of 6 (or lift to failure).
  • Chose another exercise for the same muscle group and repeat the whole process (basically doing two complete exercise rotations for each body part).
  • Rest one minute between each set, 2 minutes between exercises.

  Other Training Notes: Use explosive force and breathe out for the lift, and for the negative breathe in while lowering the weight slow and controlled (about 2 seconds). Between the positive and the negative portion of each rep, contract the muscle(s) you are working as hard as a can for a second or so. While performing the exercises, mentally focus on the muscle(s) you are working and concentrate on perfect form for every rep.

  Using this program along with a very strict diet and a lot of hard work I managed to lose a significant amount of fat in a relatively short period of time.

MY FAVORITE EXERCISES

I’m always switching my exercises around, but here are a few of my favorites (listed in no particular order):

Pecs: barbell bench press, bb incline/decline press, dumbbell bench press, db incline/decline press, dips
Delts: seated dumbbell/barbell/smith machine shoulder press, db lateral raises, bent-over db raises
Triceps: lying dumbbell extensions, standing db extensions, close-grip bench press, weighted bench dips, pressdowns, rollovers
Back: deadliffts, one-arm dumbbell rows, barbell rows, t-bar rows, dumbbell pullovers, weighted pull-ups, low cable rows, lat pulldowns
Biceps: barbell curls, dumbbell curls, hammer curls, concentration curls, weighted chin-ups, preacher curls, ez-bar curls
Quads: barbell squats, smith machine squats, leg extensions, leg presses, vertical leg presses
Hamstrings: lying leg curls, one-leg leg curls, dumbbell lunges, barbell lunges
Calves: one-leg calf raises, angled calf raises, seated calf raises w/ smith machine
Abs: Crunches, reverse crunches, decline weighted crunches, decline reverse crunches, lying leg raises, hanging leg lifts

My favorite lift is deadlifts. I feel the deadlift is the single most beneficial weight training exercise one can do. The back squat is a close second.

GENERAL TRAINING RESOURCES

Here are some links to various resources (on and off this site) that may be of use.

Fat loss and muscle building information for beginners – John Stone Fitness Forums
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio for fat loss and overall conditioning – John Stone
Exercise & Muscle Directory – ExRx
Extensive exercise database with instructional videos – Bodybuilding.com
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding – Book by Arnold Schwarzenegger
My home gym – My home gym over the years, with pictures and detailed equipment lists

If you know of a book or online resource that would be a useful addition to this list, please let us know!