The 12-Month Program
The 12-Month Program
| Peak Points * Set short-term fitness goals. * Factor nutrition into your fitness program. * Vary your workout to ward off boredom. * Think. Plan. You can''t reach your peak without a strategy. |
Maybe it was a New Year''s resolution. Or a landmark birthday. Whatever the milestone, it''s given you a chance to look back over the year, and the view ain''t pretty. Long hours at work, short hours at the gym, one too many beers or big meals and—why be delicate?—sheer laziness have conspired against you. You feel dull and sluggish. Gazing into the mirror, you see that you look dull and sluggish.
Something in you snaps. With steely resolve, you stare down the corpulent apparition in the mirror. Your mind is made up: By this time next year, that lackluster leadbutt looking back at you will be gone, replaced by the image—no, replaced by the reality—of a firmer, fitter you.
Twelve months is a nice chunk of time to get in terrific shape, but it''s also a long time in which you could lose your way. If you''re going to stay committed to a year of fitness, you''ll need a month-by-month plan, one that''s flexible enough that you can build in your own goals and favorite exercises, yet specific enough that you won''t have to wonder what to do next to stay in shape.
Scoring with Goals
Since you should be working out year-round anyway—not just doing crash training where you give yourself a month to get in shape—most experts agree that a 12-month regimen is one of the best formats for planning a lifetime of fitness. There are some motivational pitfalls to this approach, however.
"Most men want to see results right away—a year is too long for them. The danger here is doing too much too soon and injuring yourself. Or worse, you slog along aimlessly for a few weeks, and you don''t see any results, so you give up," says Anthony D. Mahon, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise physiology in the Human Performance Lab at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
That''s why it''s important to set some goals in the short term, says Doug Lentz, Pennsylvania state director of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and owner of the Chambersburg Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Pennsylvania. If you go off saying, "This time next year, I''m going to be 40 pounds lighter and have 10 pounds of new muscle," you''re setting yourself up to fail, says Lentz.
"It''s too long a time from setting the goal to achieving it. You''ll go for weeks without seeing a definitive landmark. And that''s why so many men just give up," he says. Instead, give yourself interim goals and reach for those. "Some people set weekly or monthly goals. At the very least, set a quarterly goal," says Lentz. Build a program that pays incentives often and early, and you''ll keep yourself on the fitness payroll this year and beyond.
Re-tooling Your Fueling
As you embark on your yearlong quest, don''t just think exercise—think nutrition. "If you''re eating badly, you''re sabotaging your own fitness goals," says Peter Lemon, Ph.D., professor of applied physiology at Kent State University in Ohio. Fatty foods will clog the heart you''re trying to improve. Or if you''re not getting the recommended daily amounts of essential foods—6 to 11 servings of grains, 2 to 4 servings of fruit, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables—you''re robbing those hardworking muscles of the fuel they need for exercise. Make sure your workout mentality extends from the gym to the kitchen.
Goal-setting, nutrition-balancing, exercising— they are all part of the 12-month exercise plan we''ve designed with input from some of the top fitness experts in the country. Although different experts have different theories about how much weight training and aerobic exercise you should be doing every week, we''ve grounded this program in a simple, standard format—the three-day-a-week plan. At varying points in the exercise routine, we''ll suggest a certain number of reps and sets to help you build strength, size or muscle endurance. Do your best to stay in the ranges we recommend, or at least adhere to the principles, suggests John Graham, director of the Human Performance Center at the Allentown Sports Medicine and Human Performance Center in Pennsylvania.
* Warm-up (5 to 10 minutes)
* Weight training (30 minutes minimum, or as prescribed in the program)
* Aerobic workout (15 minutes minimum, or as prescribed in the program)
* Cooldown and stretching (5 minutes of each)
For obvious reasons, we''ve built this program on the January-through-December calendar year. If you''re reading this in July, though, that doesn''t mean you have to wait until the new year to start the regimen. Most of the routines and goals you''ll be setting can be accomplished year-round, so feel free to jump in at any time—starting with the January workouts, of course.
The First Quarter
Goals
Fitness: Building cardiovascular fitness by getting your heart operating comfortably in the aerobic training zone—65 percent of your maximum heart rate; building basic muscle tone.
Nutrition: Start working to cut fat consumption to 30 percent or less of your daily calorie intake. Keep your diet high in carbohydrates—they''re your muscles'' preferred fuel. Spread your meals out, too. Instead of three big ones, eat five or six smaller ones over the course of the day. "This keeps your energy levels more consistent. That will help your performance," says Dr. Lemon. Otherwise, you could "bonk"—lose energy in the middle of the workout. Do that a couple of times, and pretty soon you won''t feel like hitting the gym.
Got More Time? Every once in a blue moon, it happens: You find yourself with a few extra hours during the week—could be a lunch hour, could be an afternoon off. If you find yourself with some time to spare and want to build that time into your workout, you can. It won''t throw your month-by-month schedule off, and you won''t overtrain or injure yourself. Here are two great things to do. * Abs-work. The one area of the body most men would like to improve can be worked out on a daily basis. If you have a few extra minutes to spare every day, say first thing in the morning, spend about five minutes doing crunches. "Abs take longer to strengthen, so if you can, really try to work them out every day," says John Porcari, Ph.D., executive director of the LaCrosse Exercise and Health Program and professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin in LaCrosse. Strong abs are important for good posture and strengthening your back. * Aerobic exercise. Expand your aerobic workouts to five days a week. "It doesn''t have to be a lot—just an extra 15 or 20 minutes. But you''ll build your cardiovascular base that much faster—and you''ll feel great," says Dr. Porcari. |
January
For the first month of your fitness program, the important thing is to just go and do what you can. "Don''t rush in and overdo it. You''ll either end up injuring yourself or feel so sore that you''ll give up. Either way, you''re finished before you''ve started," warns Dr. Mahon. Instead, make this your orientation period. First, spend some time getting familiar with the machines and finding out what your maximum lift levels are—especially your one-rep max. By knowing the most you can lift in one rep, you''ll be able to determine what percentage of this max you need to be lifting later in the program.
"The idea is to start laying a solid foundation that you can build on for the rest of the year," says John Porcari, Ph.D., executive director of the LaCrosse Exercise and Health Program and professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin in LaCrosse. Spend at least half your allotted time doing aerobic exercise—stair-climbing, stationary cycling, running, whatever you like. The important thing is to get your heart rate up and keep it to at least 55 percent of your max.
At first, you''ll be spending a minimal amount of time lifting weights. "Start off easy," says Graham. Focus on light weights—about 50 to 60 percent of your max—and one to two sets of 12 to 20 reps. To maximize strength gains over the next year, we''ve modified the Core Routine slightly, adding a couple of extra exercises and making it a little more involved. Here''s the workout.
| * Legs: Dumbbell lunges | page | 96 |
| * Legs: Leg press | page | 95 |
| * Chest: Bench press | page | 69 |
| * Back: One-arm dumbbell rows | page | 88 |
| * Shoulders: Lateral raises | page | 123 |
| * Arms: Barbell curls | page | 48 |
| * Arms: Overhead triceps extensions | page | 51 |
| * Abs: Crunches | page | 77 |
| * Abs: Oblique twists | page | 82 |
February
Aerobic exercise will still be the mainstay of your workout, but now you should be upping the intensity so your heart rate is at 65 percent of your max. You should still be lifting relatively light weights, but make some slight increases. Lift at 50 to 60 percent of your max, and do two sets of 12 to 20 reps.
March
Keep increasing the intensity of your aerobic exercise; by now you should be at 70 percent of your maximum heart rate—well into the aerobic training zone. Now that you''re familiar with the weights and are comfortable with pumping iron, start working on enhancing muscle development. Do that by dropping the number of reps while increasing the weight you lift. Start doing three to five sets of 8 to 12 reps of moderate weights—Graham says that''s roughly 60 to 70 percent of your max.
To keep things interesting, Lentz recommends varying your workout a little. "It doesn''t matter what you do, as long as you''re still working out the same major muscle groups." Consider trying these exercises—rotate them with the exercises in the January workout.
| * Legs: Squats | page | 96 |
| * Legs: Leg curls | page | 100 |
| * Chest: Dumbbell flies | page | 71 |
| * Back: Back extensions | page | 85 |
| * Shoulders: Shoulder shrugs | page | 64 |
| * Arms: Inclined alternating |
| dumbbell curls | page | 129 |
| * Arms: One-arm triceps pull-downs | page | 52 |
| * Abs: Frog-leg crunches | page | 79 |
| * Abs: Oblique crunches | page | 83 |
The Second Quarter
Goals
Fitness: Start gaining weight—in the form of muscle. Shoot for five pounds of new muscle, and look for signs of muscular definition in your arms, shoulders and chest. Begin training for summer sports.
Nutrition: Continue to squeeze fat out of your diet. Focus more on proteins, which Dr. Lemon says help you build muscle. You''ll find protein in lean meats and fish, beans and legumes, and low-fat dairy products.
But as a reward for reaching your first quarter goals, go ahead and have that burger or beer you promised yourself. Just don''t go crazy.
April
As you sense the first hint of spring, you''ll be tempted to blow off your workouts. Don''t give in to spring fever—instead, start transferring your aerobic workout to the outdoors. Instead of stair-climbing, try speed-walking or running. Instead of stationary cycling, do the real thing. Just remember that you''re out there with a specific goal in mind—to keep your heart rate in the aerobic training zone. By now, you should be working firmly at 70 to 75 percent of your max.
Weight-wise, do three sets of eight reps at 65 to 80 percent of the one-rep max you set at the beginning of this program, says Graham. To keep your strength gains from leveling off, vary your exercise program by using the exercises listed in the January and March programs. Alternate the exercises with each workout session. By working the same muscles differently every time you work out, you''ll increase your strength gains. "Not only that, you''ll keep the workout from becoming too boring—that could kill any workout," says Dr. Mahon.
May
Now''s the time to start training for your favorite summer sports. Using the sport-specific chapters in this book as your guide, start adding at least a couple of new sport-specific exercises to your routine every week. Ideally, these are exercises that will increase your lateral movement, explosive power and general strength, speed and mobility. Here are some examples.
| * Legs: Box jumps | page | 235 |
| * Legs: Tuck jumps | page | 224 |
| * Chest: Alternating dumbbell press | page | 71 |
| * Back: Back extensions with weights | page | 87 |
| * Shoulders: Alternating front lateral |
| raises | page | 65 |
| * Arms: Wrist rolls | page | 56 |
| * Arms: Forearm curls | page | 59 |
| * Abs: Raised-leg crunches | page | 78 |
| * Abs: Vacuums | page | 80 |
June
You''ve spent the spring building muscle, now you can start relaxing your building regimen and focus more on maintenance. Cut back your weight training to twice a week. During that time, do two sets of 12 reps at 55 to 65 percent of your max. Then devote your third day entirely to an activity with some aerobic component—your favorite sport, for example (continue to do the minimum 15 minutes of aerobic exercise on your weight-training days, too).
Got Less Time? If work deadlines and family obligations are squeezing your workout time down to a minimum, there are some proven ways to safely cut a few corners. * The one-set workout. Carlos DeJesus, a fitness trainer and bodybuilding champion, recommends that his time-pressed clients do one set of 8 to 12 reps of heavy weights for each exercise in their workout routine. "I''ve seen the studies, and I''ve seen the strength gains in my clients. If you go all out on one set of reps, it''s better than if you pace yourself for three traditional sets," he asserts. But be aware, this is an intense workout, cautions DeJesus. The key is to go all out, to work to momentary exhaustion. That means you''ll probably need a spotter on some of your lifts. Before you start, you should be completely warmed up and stretched out. Finally, don''t do a one-set workout more than three times per week. * Merge warm-ups with aerobic exercise. You can cut 5 or 10 minutes out of your routine by combining your warm-up and your aerobic workout. This will require some minor re-ordering of your routine—instead of the 10-minute warm-up, weight-training, 15 minutes of aerobic exercise, then a cooldown, do 15 to 20 minutes of aerobic exercise at the start of the workout. Begin at a slow pace for the first 5 minutes, then get your heart up into the training zone (the exact intensity will depend on what point you''re at in the program). Then do your weight training as usual and a 10-minute cooldown. "The aerobic activities get the heart pumping and warm up the muscles for weight training just as a warm-up would. And you''ll still get the benefit of your normal aerobic workout," says Anthony D. Mahon, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise physiology in the Human Performance Lab at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. |
Third Quarter
Goals
Fitness: Work toward a specific sporting or athletic event that''s going to put all the gains you''ve made to the test—a 10-K race, a bicycle century, a swim meet.
Nutrition: Stay the course with less fat and more carbohydrate. In the warmer months, be sure that you''re getting enough fluids, says Dr. Lemon. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go, and especially during a workout.
July
Increase the time of your aerobic workout so you''re doing 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every time you work out. And just as you were varying your weight training to keep from getting bored, vary the aerobic exercise—cycling one day, running the next, maybe some tennis or racquetball thrown in for good measure. To give yourself an excellent short-term goal, Dr. Porcari suggests working toward a specific sports event in late summer—a 10-K running race or a 40-mile bicycling ride, for example.
Move your weight training back up to three days a week, 30 minutes per session. Focus on maintenance—three sets, 12 to 20 reps, 50 to 60 percent of your max. For a benchmark, compare how much you can lift now to what you were lifting in January.
August
More of the same. But now, begin tailoring your aerobic workout to the event you''re planning to compete in. If you''ve signed up for a road race, make sure you''re doing plenty of running. If it''s a long bike ride, work on your cycling. You get the idea.
September
Extend your aerobic exercise a little more each week—try to add 10 minutes by the end of the month. By now, you''re doing at least 40 minutes of aerobic exercise each session. Of course, you may have an actual life to lead, so go ahead and move one of your workout days to the weekend, if you haven''t already. Keep working toward that event. Visualize the medal hanging on your wall or the framed eight-by-ten of your gasping self crossing the finish line. Now that''s an accomplishment.
Fourth Quarter
Goals
Fitness: Prepare for the winter by packing on a couple of extra pounds of muscle and keeping your aerobic fitness well into the aerobic training zone.
Nutrition: You''re approaching the holiday season, a time of stuffed birds, rich desserts and holiday parties. In other words, a fat orgy. Steady on, man. Try to keep your eating habits consistent. For example, don''t starve before a big holiday feed, otherwise you''ll pig out on all the wrong foods, Dr. Lemon advises. And should you indulge, don''t sit around feeling slovenly about it; get to the gym that much earlier the next day.
October
What with all your fun-in-the-summer antics, you have probably missed a few weight-training workouts, so you''ll want to work on muscle development for the remainder of the year. When the holidays roll around, you''re going to need that extra muscle to help burn off all the extra food you''ll probably be eating. Keep your weight-training schedule at three days a week—three sets of 12 to 20 reps at 50 to 60 percent of your max. And while the weather is still nice, keep doing your aerobic exercise outdoors. Continue doing 40 or more minutes per session.
November
Build up your weight-training intensity—three sets, three to eight reps at 70 to 80 percent of your max. With your emphasis shifting to muscle building, you can reduce your aerobic exercise to 15 to 20 minutes per workout, though more is fine, too. Be sure to keep your heart rate around 75 percent of your max. To keep a little variety in your weight-lifting workout, add these exercises to your repertoire and alternate them with the other exercises for the various muscle groups.
| * Legs: Front squats | page | 99 |
| * Legs: Leg curls | page | 100 |
| * Chest: Inclined bench press | page | 70 |
| * Back: Rumanian dead lifts | page | 86 |
| * Shoulders: Alternating press |
| with dumbbells | page | 66 |
| * Arms: Concentration curls | page | 50 |
| * Arms: Seated triceps press | page | 51 |
| * Abs: Crossover crunches | page | 78 |
| * Abs: Hanging single-knee raises | page | 79 |
December
As you finish up the year and the holidays start to take a big bite out of your schedule, you may find it tougher and tougher to stick to a workout. Sure, it would be easy to skip a few workouts. But we don''t call this the ultimate plan for nothing. Do your best to get to the gym three times a week. Try to push the envelope this month—shoot for three sets of six to eight reps at 70 to 80 percent of your max. That way, when the New Year rolls around and you gaze in the mirror again, you won''t have to resolve to get fit—you''ll only have to resolve to stay fit.
