Before (March 2009)
After (October 2009)A number of your have asked me for my fitness and nutrition program that I used to lose 25 lbs in 5 months and to get myself in the best shape of my life. Honestly, I'm flattered by the attention, but I'll tell you that I had little idea of what I was doing when I started. I had a goal to drop 20 lbs and max my Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) by the time I took R&R in September. I used some that I'd learned years ago combined with some that I'd read in Mens Health Magazine and the rest I figured out as I went. The biggest key for me (other than eliminating alcohol) was just plain consistency or stubborness. I knew I had to show up every day no matter how I felt and I knew I had to stick to my dietary plan. Anyway, it worked for me, so here it all is for any interested. I will say that I'll challenge any and all to try this for 6 months. I promise that if you do that you'll get results that'll surprise you and impress everyone around you.
NUTRITION & WELLNESS
FIRST: We set our target weight goals, and then we calculate our caloric intake. Here is an example showing how I came up with my numbers using a standard formula.
Target Weight: 175 lbs
x Base Factor: 10
Weekly Intake: 1750 calories
We now modify our factor based on how often we work out. Add 1 for every hour you work out weekly. I work out about 8 hours a week.
Target Weight: 175 lbs
x Modified Factor: 18
Weekly Intake: 3150 calories
Please note this is the amount of calories that can be consumed to maintain the target weight. To lose the weight, we have to consume less than this number.
SECOND: Set-up daily dietary goals. You don’t have to take your calorie counting calculator to the grocery or to dinner. Just get to know the general numbers and shoot to go lower for each meal. One big issue that is easy for me to deal with while deployed, but not at home is…alcohol! Alcohol consumption can easily add 500-1000 calories to a day. Think about drinking wine instead of beer with dinners and limit consumption except on special occasions.
These are my daily diet goals.
Breakfast: [30%] 2 Eggs
Wheat Toast w/ Margarine
Oatmeal, Grits or Yogurt
Fruit
Glass of Orange Juice
Glass of Milk
Snack: [5%] Energy Bar or Granola Bar
Lunch: [25%] Sandwich or Salad
Chips or Rice
Fruit
Pudding, Jell-O or Yogurt
Glass of Juice
Snack: [5%]: Piece of Fruit or Granola Bar
Dinner: [35%] Steak, Chicken or Fish
Rice, Potato or Pasta
Vegetable
Small Salad
Low Fat Desert
Glass of Juice
Weekly Tips:
1) Once a week eat whatever you want.
2) Eat within 1 – 1 ½ hours of working out.
3) Watch the “business lunches”!
4) Be consistent!
5) Cut down on carb heavy meals.
Wellness Words of Wisdom:
1) Have sex as much as you can. :)
2) Work to lower daily stressors.
3) Don’t check your weight every day. Make a plan and give it time to work.
4) Laugh….a lot
5) Find an active hobby and do it every week!
WEEKLY WORK-OUT SCHEDULE
Work-out Words of Wisdom:
1) Show-Up Every Day
2) Set Goals
3) Plan to Work-Out at Least 1 Hour Each Day
Daily Tips:
1) Do 3 sets of each exercise with 10-15 repetitions per set. Increase weight to get resistance. Work to muscle failure at the end of each set. Try to use free weights as much as possible.
2) Work quickly. Allocate 7 minutes per exercise with just 30 sec rest to move to the next exercise. The goal is to complete 8 exercises in an hour. If you have less time, simply eliminate an exercise or two.
3) Feel free to substitute new exercises. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
DAY #1: Chest & Triceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of upper body stretching
2. bench press
3. triceps press with cables
4. incline bench press or incline machine chest press
5. curl bar overhead triceps press
6. decline bench press
7. dips
8. chest and triceps press down machine
[2 Mile Run]
DAY #2: Legs & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. squats or leg presses
3. incline sit-ups & crunches (40+ per set)
4. leg curls
5. crunches (75+ per set)
6. groin press
7. leg/knee lifts
8. calf raises
[15-20 min on Bike]
DAY #3: Back & Biceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. upper back pull down machine
3. bicep curl machine
4. lower back pull machine
5. bicep curl with cables or curl bar
6. rows
7. single arm dumbbell curls
8. dumbbell bent over row
[1.5 Mile Interval Run]
- Break the run into ¼ sections. Run ¼ as fast as you can and then jog a ¼ mile. Do this for 1.5 miles. Work to increase the intervals over time.
DAY #4: Shoulders & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. shoulder bench press
3. swiss ball jack knife
4. lat pull downs
5. ab machine or crunches with weight on chest
6. single arm dumbbell shoulder lifts
7. lower back exercise (inverted, right side, left side)
8. chin-ups
[15-20 min on Bike Intervals or Elliptical]
- A tip for the bike intervals is to do it to music. Ride as hard as you can for an entire song. Slow down and rest on the next song. Repeat.
DAY #5: Mega Stretch and 5K [1hr 20min]
1. stretch entire body for 15-20 minutes
2. joint exercise – neck rolls, wrist rolls, knee rolls, etc.
3. run a 5K (approx 3.2 miles)
DAY #6: Sport / Aerobic Activity [1hr]
1. go for a swim
2. play a game of pick-up basketball
3. go for a hike or a climb
4. ride a “real” bike
5. play tennis
6. Do something fun, but get the heart rate up!
DAY#7: Rest
Work-out Words of Wisdom:
1) Show-Up Every Day
2) Set Goals
3) Plan to Work-Out at Least 1 Hour Each Day
Daily Tips:
1) Do 3 sets of each exercise with 10-15 repetitions per set. Increase weight to get resistance. Work to muscle failure at the end of each set. Try to use free weights as much as possible.
2) Work quickly. Allocate 7 minutes per exercise with just 30 sec rest to move to the next exercise. The goal is to complete 8 exercises in an hour. If you have less time, simply eliminate an exercise or two.
3) Feel free to substitute new exercises. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
DAY #1: Chest & Triceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of upper body stretching
2. bench press
3. triceps press with cables
4. incline bench press or incline machine chest press
5. curl bar overhead triceps press
6. decline bench press
7. dips
8. chest and triceps press down machine
[2 Mile Run]
DAY #2: Legs & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. squats or leg presses
3. incline sit-ups & crunches (40+ per set)
4. leg curls
5. crunches (75+ per set)
6. groin press
7. leg/knee lifts
8. calf raises
[15-20 min on Bike]
DAY #3: Back & Biceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. upper back pull down machine
3. bicep curl machine
4. lower back pull machine
5. bicep curl with cables or curl bar
6. rows
7. single arm dumbbell curls
8. dumbbell bent over row
[1.5 Mile Interval Run]
- Break the run into ¼ sections. Run ¼ as fast as you can and then jog a ¼ mile. Do this for 1.5 miles. Work to increase the intervals over time.
DAY #4: Shoulders & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. shoulder bench press
3. swiss ball jack knife
4. lat pull downs
5. ab machine or crunches with weight on chest
6. single arm dumbbell shoulder lifts
7. lower back exercise (inverted, right side, left side)
8. chin-ups
[15-20 min on Bike Intervals or Elliptical]
- A tip for the bike intervals is to do it to music. Ride as hard as you can for an entire song. Slow down and rest on the next song. Repeat.
DAY #5: Mega Stretch and 5K [1hr 20min]
1. stretch entire body for 15-20 minutes
2. joint exercise – neck rolls, wrist rolls, knee rolls, etc.
3. run a 5K (approx 3.2 miles)
DAY #6: Sport / Aerobic Activity [1hr]
1. go for a swim
2. play a game of pick-up basketball
3. go for a hike or a climb
4. ride a “real” bike
5. play tennis
6. Do something fun, but get the heart rate up!
DAY#7: Rest
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