Mix Up Your Reps for Great Results

So I read something interesting the other day and I’ve been meaning  to write about it but sadly I have been neglecting my blog lately, and for the one or two of you that actually read it, I am sorry!  The article was on Bodybuilding.com, which, if you have never been on that site it is full of knowledge for everyone from teenagers to senior citizens on how to get in shape.  Check it out, cause they have great articles about workouts, nutrition, and supplements.  Anyways, the article I was reading was about how to put on mass in 4-5 weeks.  Studies have shown that mixing low reps with high reps in one workout or workout program triggered significant gains in muscle and strength, and then it hit me…every time I have ever plateau’d, I just switched up my workout by changing the reps I did and viola, improvement!  So reading this article just confirmed to me, that it can be that simple.  So here is what I suggest for a 5 week plan, not just for mass, but sculpting muscle and creating a leaner body, and depending on how you eat, you could either gain size or tone up:

Week 1

This week, you will start with high reps and lighter weight to get you geared up for the next 5 weeks.  Try 4 sets with reps of 12-15 and single out a body part each day.  Use a training split like Chest (Mon), Arms (Tues), Legs (Wed), Shoulders (Thurs), Back (Fri).  Stick with about 4 exercises per body part, hitting all the different heads of each muscle.  Cardio every day for 30 mins after your workout with a low impact, fat burning heart rate of around 120-140bpm.

Week 2

This week, switch it up and increase your weight poundage and drop your reps to 8-10, and do 5 sets per exercise.  We are shocking the body by increasing weight, changing the reps, and adding one more set.  Same cardio plan.

Week 3

Again, add more weight, and drop your reps to 4-6.  Stick with 5 sets and the same cardio plan.

Week 4

Okay, big change this week by doing a full body workout on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Pick just one exercise for each body part and do 5 sets of 10-12 reps.  Although you are only weight training Mon, Wed, and Fri, we are going to do cardio every day, and on Tues, and Thurs, I want you to do an hour of cardio.

Week 5

Finish up the program with a workout that incorporates the 4 weeks prior.  Go back to the 5 day training split, one body part per day and do 4 sets with different rep ranges.  First set do 12-15 reps, Second do 8-10, Third do 4-6, and Fourth do 10-12.  Basically, it is week 1’s workout but with alternating rep ranges from  the four weeks.  This will completely shock the muscles and finish up an awesome 5 week workout to help put you in great shape.

Subsequently, I am using this plan to get ready for my wedding on May 6^th, and I am excited about showing up in the best shape of my life.  Stick with a healthy diet and throw in a killer ab routine twice a week and I guarantee you will love your results!  It’s all about sticking with a plan and succeeding both physically and mentally, see you in the gym!

Motivation

So I can’t really explain it, but there is no greater feeling than accomplishing one of those earth shattering, unbelievable workouts that puts you in  a state of i-can-do-anything mentality.  Having a bad day?  Go to the gym to work out some stress and frustration and 99.99% of the time you will come out feeling refreshed and ready to begin a new day.  I’ve found that if I am in a really bad mood, and just don’t even feel like working out, I can drag myself to the gym and sloth up to a treadmill…what follows is one of the greatest reactions hardwired in the human body.  My heart rate slowly rises, my body begins to heat up, bad thoughts go away, and the world seems right as I quicken my pace…7 mph, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10!!  I just sprinted for about 2 minutes straight and completed the best warm up I’ve had in years!  And to think, just 7 minutes ago, I was having an awful day.  We are wired for activity, it releases endorphins  and awakens happy thoughts and rewards us with a sense of accomplishment that no other activity can do.  I hop off the treadmill and hit the weights, and they’ve never felt lighter…I increase the poundage with each set, blaring some Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311, and Tech9; no one is in the gym but me, I have a tunnel vision of intense focus to facilitate each movement with explosive power and strength.  An hour passes by, I am dripping sweat, breathing hard, and completely exhausted…yet I’ve never felt so alive and energetic!  This is the power of fitness, and a feeling I want everyone to know and love. 

Fitness is infectious, so pair up with a friend and motivate each other to get results, because staying motivated is the mental part of the game and its more times than not the reason people give up on their goals.  Hopefully I motivated some of you today to hit the gym and have one of the best workouts of your life…stay fit and stay happy!