m&f ultra month1 screen

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July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 157

MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH 1MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH 1

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H ere’s an article you won’t want to miss! Why? Becausewe’re embarking on a new ULTRA system that willdeliver results, even if you’re a hardgainer. If you

want to add muscle, get stronger, develop more endurance,feel more energetic and be healthier, read on. This year-long program can’t guarantee that you’ll look like an M&F

cover model, but it will transform your physique and getyou in the best shape of your life.

What makes this ULTRA system unlike anything we’veever done before in M&F is that it combines the variousfacets that affect muscle growth — like training, nutri-tion, supplementation and recuperation, aided by thelatest research from the world of sports science — andbrings them all together in one series of articles. Over12 months, we’ll cycle all the components that will helpyou get stronger, bigger, leaner and healthier. The planis extremely effective, intense, thorough, easy to follow,even fun. Interested?

Here’s the deal: We’ll walk you through eachand every step of the bodybuilding process, fromstart to finish, for the next 12 months. The pro-gram will vary from month to month, depending onthe goals during a particular period, to which you canmake simple modifications according to your specificgoals and gender. In this way, the ULTRA system canbe streamlined to your individual needs. It’s totallycustomized, and you’ll be working under the direc-tion of some of the world’s foremost authorities inexercise and sports science, nutrition, supplementa-tion and bodybuilding. No day will be left out, and nobodybuilding component untouched.

There is one catch, however. At the end of the year,whether you’ve achieved a truly awesome physical trans-formation is up to you. We’ll provide the know-how, butyou’re the one who’ll have to decide that this is somethingyou really want. Nobody (except late-night infomercialsmaking tons of bucks) said it’s going to be easy. Are you upfor the challenge?

In a NutshellLet’s fast-forward and see how the next 12 months of your

training life will play out. For starters, each month will focus oneach aspect of bodybuilding — weight training, cardiovascularconditioning, nutrition, flexibility and recovery. In an adjoiningsection, bodybuilding and nutrition writer Chris Aceto will escortyou down the road to eating for maximal gains and smart supple-mentation.

Ultimate Long-Term Resistance and Aerobic System

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

By Christopher M. Lockwood, MS, CSCS, Staff Writer

U.L.T.R.A.1 2 - M O N T H S Y S T E M

Chris Lydon

and John

Kesler enjoy

the benefits

of being

ULTRA fit!

Cory Sorensen

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158 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

Robert Reiff

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Program DesignThis yearlong training program is divided into multiple mini-

training cycles, each of which has markedly different training pro-tocols and goals. It’s called periodization, or cycling, and itspurpose is to increase your muscular development by not allow-ing your body to fully adapt to one training regimen and becomestale.1 For the first month, you’ll start off in a preparatoryphase (weeks 1 & 2) that will bring you up to speed, followed

by a growth phase for devel-oping muscle size. You’llthen work on increasingstrength and muscle size(weeks 3 –5), until yourtraining intensity finallyplateaus at a phase designedto promote power and explo-siveness. From there you’llbegin to utilize all of the size,strength and power thatyou’ve developed, and gradu-ally chisel a well-defined,shredded physique — just intime for summer.

Tudor Bompa, PhD, professor of theories of training at YorkUniversity in Toronto, Canada; trainer of 11 Olympic Gamesmedalists; and the Alexander Graham Bell, so to speak, of peri-odized training, schooled me on the importance of periodiza-tion. It boils down to this: Because training for muscle growth,strength, power or whatever your goal may be is stressful, youneed to alter your training so that your body and mind don’tbecome overtrained or bored. Bompa says he has foundthrough his own observation and study that one training phaseis too difficult to tolerate for more than 6 – 9 weeks, which iswhy he always keeps each phase shorter than nine weeks to takefull advantage of a maximal performance environment.

This month’s training cycle is broken down into twophases:

1) Preparatory (Prep) Phase: Depending on your experiencelevel, you’ll spend the first couple of weeks either preparing forheavier loads or allowing your body time to fully recuperate.According to Bompa, the prep phase, which he describes as theanatomical adaptation phase in his book, Serious StrengthTraining (Human Kinetics, 1998), has two main functions. First,he explains, “You’re trying to adapt the anatomy of the body [tothe upcoming training] so that you can create, or produce, aninjury-free environment.” Essentially, your tendons and liga-ments should be strong enough to support the higher-intensitywork that will follow. Second, the prep phase is a great time toaddress any instability or strength imbalance you may have. Oneway is by performing multijoint exercises using dumbbells.

If muscular imbalances and anatomical adap-tation aren’t issues, a prep phase is still a neces-sity — even if you’re the most well-trainedbodybuilder. In this case, the prep phase acts asa recovery period from all those months ofhard training in which you didn’t give yourbody much rest. This is called active rest, andit’s great for allowing your body time to fullyrefuel its energy stores, and for complete men-tal and physical recuperation. Without it, you’deventually run face first into burnout.

Although science hasn’t clearly defined onevariable as the culprit of burnout (or over-training), continued periods of heavy trainingwithout frequent periods of less-intense train-ing seem to be a major contributing factor.2

Besides, if you’ve been pushing yourself hard for even the last3 – 6 weeks, your body will benefit from the change.

2) Growth Phase: The purpose of a growth phase isn’t rocketscience — it’s to increase muscle size. Bompa says that a growthphase follows a prep phase so that you can increase the proteincontent of your muscles (make them larger). Okay, so I probablydon’t need to tell you why you’d want bigger muscles, butBompa adds that the timing of the growth phase is also a neces-sity for getting your body ready for next month’s transition intotraining for maximal strength.

Here you’ll increase your total volume of work and shortenyour rest periods. Specifically, your number of sets, reps andexercises are going up, and rest periods will be between 45 and120 seconds. The amount of weight you’ll use will represent theheaviest load that you can successfully lift for about 8 –12 reps.

You’ll do both single- and multijoint exercises, utilize intensity-increasing principles such as drop sets, and focus specifically ononly 1–2 muscle groups per workout. Beginning to see why wecall this the growth phase?

• Cardiovascular Conditioning: Gee, did you think you’dget leaner and healthier without it? You may have the biggest bi’son the block, but you still need cardio training. Here’s the plaintruth: If you want to get ripped, even while you add size andstrength, cardio work will help.

You have other, more important reasons to do cardio, too.Walt Thompson, PhD, FACSM, FAACPR, director of the Center forSports Medicine, Science and Technology and InterdisciplinaryResearch at Georgia State University in Atlanta, notes: “We cannever overlook the benefit of cardiovascular conditioning, par-ticularly in the 20 – 45-year-old age group. Cardiovascular train-ing is an excellent deterrent for some of the lifestyle diseases,such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease andsome of the metabolic diseases . . . and as you get older, itbecomes even more important.” Besides, he adds that few typesof exercise burn more calories than aerobic-type exercise.

Still concerned that any aerobic training will “waste” yourmuscle tissue? In reality, you’d have to train aerobically for a longduration and at a high frequency (think long-distance running)to lose muscle size. The bottom line: If you do 2–5 days of car-dio per week for no more than 60 minutes per session and eatenough calories, worrying about muscle “wasting” is nothingmore than a waste of time.

The killer news is that a well-conditioned cardiovascular systemmay help you in your bodybuilding workouts. One way it does so,Thompson suggests, is by increasing the number of certain aero-bic enzymes that may play a key role in delaying muscular fatigue.

What kind of aerobic exercise you do is up to you. Just makesure that it: 1) gets your heart rate up to the prescribed range, 2)

is enjoyable and comfortable to do, and 3) is an exercise that youcan continue to do for the prescribed length of time.

• Flexibility: Since this program is com-plete, we need to address flexibility, too.Bompa is adamant about the need for stretch-ing. He feels that if the muscles, tendons andother connective tissue aren’t prepared toaccommodate specific exercise angles, you’rejust asking for trouble: “Stretching is a ‘prehab’concept. Rather than going to a doctor torehabilitate, how about ‘pre-habilitate?’Flexibility, for strength training, is necessary allthe time.” You’ll find a stretching regimenlisted within the workout program.

REFERENCES1. Fleck, S.J. Periodized strength training: a critical review. Journalof Strength and Conditioning Research 13(1):82–89, 1999.2. Kuipers, K. Training and overtraining: an introduction.Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 30(7):1,137–1,139,1998.


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July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 159Reiff

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Customizing the ULTRA System

The ULTRA System effectively covers every aspect ofbodybuilding. Specifically, you’ll simultaneously build muscle,decrease bodyfat, increase strength and cardiorespiratoryendurance, and improve flexibility. If your goals are slightly dif-ferent from these, however, some slight modifications will benecessary. In both the training and nutrition sections, you canmanipulate certain variables to customize the route you’d liketo take, without changing the exercises, sets, reps and per-centages of one-rep max. All this can stay the same regardlessof your bodybuilding goals or gender.

If, for example, in Week 3 you begin working on increas-ing muscle size but you don’t want to get huge, simplycut back on the recommended caloric intake and decreaseyour rest between sets.

If you want to get stronger and don’t really care aboutgetting ripped and increasing your cardiovascular fitness,just decrease the amount of cardio you do and increase yourrest periods between sets.

Want more flexibility? That’s simple, too: Include stretchingmovements before your workouts (after warming up) andbetween sets.

For better cardiorespiratory endurance, simply increasethe frequency and duration of your cardio sessions.

Just to make the next 12 months a little more interesting, M&F wants you to document your progress. Take one picture of

yourself now, and then three more that coincide with your quarterlyfitness evaluations. At the end of the year, send us your pictures,copies of your fitness evaluations and a letter detailing the improve-ments or benefits that you’ve gained from the program. We’ll chooseseveral of the best fitness improvements and metamorphosizedphysiques, feature them in a future issue and include a short biodetailing some of the winners’ most significant gains. And remember,fitness isn’t simply about how you look, but how it makes you feel andwhat you do with it. In that sense, everyone’s a winner!


SuccessStoriesfor MUSCLE & FITNESS

WANTED

➔

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Nine Stretches for Better Flexibility

Tips for Better Stretching1) Perform your cardio warm-up or workout beforestretching.

2) Stretch your muscle(s) to a point where you feel onlyminor discomfort — don’t overdo it.

3) With each repetition, try to stretch slightly beyond what you were able to accomplish with the previous rep.

4) Hold the stretched position for the prescribed period;don’t bounce or perform any ballistic-type movements.

5) Refer to the accompanying photos to aid your form.

6) When, how often, which stretches and for how long youshould hold each stretch can be found within the ULTRAsystem training log.

ShoulderExternalRotators

Lats

Calf

Triceps

Low Back/Glute

Side Bend

Hamstrings

Hip Flexor

Photos of Lena Johannesen and John Kesler (at right) by Robert Reiff

Biceps/Chest


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Seated Dumbbell

Press

➔

DAY 1 DAY 5

MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH 1

U.L.T.R.A.

MONTH 11) Your workout intensities are based on a percentage of your one-

rep max (1RM). If you aren’t 100% certain of the maximum weightyou can lift for one rep, then guesstimate — I promise you won’t getin trouble. ( See “A Measure of Success” on page 166 for how todetermine your 1RM.) If you can’t successfully accomplish the pre-scribed number of reps, adjust the weight accordingly.

2) Begin each workout with a 7–10-minute cardio warm-up, get-ting your heart rate up to about 65% of your maximum heart rate

(MHR). (To estimate, subtract your age from 220 and multiply by 0.65.)3) Precede the first exercise of a given bodypart with 1– 2 warm-up

sets. Perform about 12–15 reps with about 35%–40% of your 1RM,then increase the weight by about 10%–15% for another 10–12-repwarm-up set. Don’t count these two sets as part of your workout.

4) Perform a full-body stretching routine at the end of each workout. The stretching routine is listed after each workout and tipsare shown at left.

Unless stated otherwise in the program (for all weeks):

Optional set

Exercises per bodypart: 1Sets per exercise: 2 – 3; 1 warm-upReps: 8–10

Intensity: 50% – 60% 1RMRest between sets: 2 – 21⁄ 2 minutes

The catch: You primarily use dumbbellsto promote greater muscular balance, stability and increased range of motion.

Advice for the ULTRASystem Beginner

The ULTRA System is designed forbeginning through advanced bodybuilders,but not necessarily for rank beginners. Ifyou’re a first-time weight trainer, you reallyneed a couple of extra weeks of preliminarytraining before you begin this routine.

Here’s how to get up to speed: Repeatworkouts for Weeks 1 and 2 as many times asneeded until you feel comfortable and strongenough to advance to Week 3. This will meanthat for your first couple of workouts youshould:• Decrease your intensity to about

30% –45% of your 1RM.• Do just one set.• Lower your reps to eight.

From there, you can begin to slowlyincrease your intensity and training volume.Also, if you don’t fully understand how to perform a specific exercise, make sure to have an exercise professional help you out.

1Exercise

2Rest

3Cardio

4Rest

5Exercise

6Rest

7Rest

DAYS OF WEEK 1

WEEK 1WEEK 1

Muscle Sets SetsGroup Exercise 1 2 3 1 2 3

Cardio Warm-up: 15 minutes at 45% –50% of your MHR

Chest Decline Dumbbell Press / / / / / /

Back One-Arm Dumbbell Row / / / / / /

Traps Dumbbell Shrug / / / / / /

Delts Seated Dumbbell Press / / / / / /

Biceps Dumbbell Curl / / / / / /

Triceps Dumbbell Overhead / / / / / /Extension

Quads/ Dumbbell Lunge / / / / / /Glutes

Hamstrings Lying Leg Curl / / / / / /

Calves Standing Calf Raise / / / / / /

Lower Back Back Extension / / / / / /

Abs Full-Range Crunch / / / / / /

Stretch: All stretches (see “Nine Stretches” at left) for five reps per stretch, holding 10 –15 seconds

DAY 3 Cardio: 20 minutes at 45%–50% MHRStretch: All stretches for five reps per stretch, holding 20–30 seconds

DAY 2, 4, 6, 7 Rest

How to fill in: Write your weight used and reps completed. Example: 40/15 is 40 pounds for 15 reps.

Chest Decline Dumbbell Press 40/15 50 /10 50 /8 40 /12 50 /10 50/10

P R E PA R AT O R Y P H A S E

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Exercises per bodypart: 1– 2Sets per exercise: 2 – 3; 1 warm-upReps: 10–12

Intensity: 60% –70% 1RMRest between sets: 11⁄ 2– 2 minutes

MONTH 1WEEK 2WEEK 2

U.L.T.R.A.P R E PA R AT O R Y P H A S E

1Exercise

2Exercise

3Rest

4Exercise

5Exercise

6Rest

7Rest

DAYS OF WEEK 2

Glutes

Optional set

One-LeggedLeg Press

One-ArmPreacher Curl

The catch: Your program splits into fourworkouts per week, and you’ll start to incor-porate unilateral (one side at a time) exercises.

Front Wide-Grip Pull-Down

Muscle Sets SetsGroup Exercise 1 2 3 1 2 3

Cardio Warm-up: 20 minutes at 50% – 55% of your MHR

Chest Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press / / / / / /

One-Arm Cable Flye / / / / / /

Back Front Wide-Grip Pull-Down / / / / / /

One-Arm Seated Row / / / / / /

Traps Dumbbell Upright Row / / / / / /

Delts Dumbbell Front Raise / / / / / /

Dumbbell Bent-Over / / / / / /Lateral Raise

Abs Seated Knee-Up / / / / / /

Full-Range Oblique Crunch / / / / / /

Stretch: All stretches (see “Nine Stretches” on page 160) for f ive reps per stretch, holding 10–15 seconds

Muscle Sets SetsGroup Exercise 1 2 3 1 2 3Cardio Warm-up: 20 minutes at 55% - 60% of your MHR

Biceps One-Arm Preacher Curl / / / / / /

Triceps One-Arm Cross-Body / / / / / /French Press

Quads/ One-Legged Leg Press / / / / / /

One-Legged Leg Extension / / / / / /

Hamstrings Standing Leg Curl / / / / / /

Calves One-Legged Standing / / / / / /Calf RaiseOne-Legged Seated / / / / / /Calf Raise

Stretch: All stretches for five reps per stretch, holding 10 –15 seconds

DAYS 3, 6, 7 Rest

DAY 1 DAY 4

DAY 2 DAY 5

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CARDIO WARM-UP 7–10 minutes at 65%of your MHR

Optional set

Take this set tomuscle failure

Do not do this exercise on this day

MONTH 1WEEKS 3, 4, 5WEEKS 3, 4, 5

U.L.T.R.A.G R O W T H P H A S E

DAY 1


InclineDumbbell

Press

Close-Grip Pull-DownInclineDumbbell

PressBack ExtensionBack Extension

1Exercise

2Exercise

3Rest

4Exercise

5Exercise

6Exercise

7Rest

DAYS OF WEEKS 3, 4, 5

➔

Muscle Sets Sets SetsGroup Exercise 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5

Cardio Warm-up: 7 minutes at 65% of your MHR

Chest Incline / / / / / / / / / / / / /Dumbbell Press

Flat-Bench / / / / / / / / / / / / /Dumbbell Press

Cable Crossover / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Smith-Machine / / / / / / / / / / / / /Incline Press

Back Wide-Grip / / / / / / / / / / / / /T-Bar Row

Reverse-Grip / / / / / / / / / / / / /Pull-Down

Straight-Arm / / / / / / / / / / / / /Pull-Down

Close-Grip / / / / / / / / / / / / /Pull-Down

Lower Back Extension / / / / / / / / / / / / /Back

Cardio: 25 minutes at 60% 25 minutes at 65% –70% 30 minutes at 70% MHR MHR MHR

Stretch: All stretches (see “Nine Stretches” on page 160) for three reps per stretch, holding 10–15 seconds

Photos by Robert Reiff

WEEK 3

Sets per exercise: 3–4Reps: 8–10Intensity: 70%–75% 1RMRest between sets:90–120 secondsThe catch: Progressivelyincrease the weight witheach set, keeping your reps 2–4 short of failure.

WEEK 4

Sets per exercise: 4Reps: 10Intensity: 75%–80% 1RMRest between sets:60–90 secondsThe catch: Again, increaseweight with each set, keep-ing your reps 2–4 short offailure; last set is to failure.

WEEK 5

Sets per exercise: 3–5Reps: 10–12Intensity: 80%–85% 1RMRest between sets: 45–90 secondsThe catch: Keep your first set about2–4 shy of failure; take all other setsto failure. On last set of each exer-cise, do a drop set to failure usingabout two-thirds of the weight.

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Optional set


Do not do this exercise on this day See page 163 for weekly instructions on sets, reps, rest and “the catch.”

MONTH 1WEEKS 3, 4, 5WEEKS 3, 4, 5DAYS 2, 3, 4

U.L.T.R.A..G R O W T H P H A S E

164 MUSC LE & FITNESS July 1999

DAY 2Muscle Sets Sets SetsGroup Exercise 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5

Cardio Warm-up: 7–10 minutes at 65% of your MHR

Traps Dumbbell Shrug / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Wide-Grip / / / / / / / / / / / / /Upright Row

Standing Calf- / / / / / / / / / / / / /Machine ShrugDelts Seated

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /Dumbbell PressDumbbell / / / / / / / / / / / / /Lateral RaiseDumbbell Bent- / / / / / / / / / / / / /Over Lat. RaiseSmith-Machine / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Front Press

Abs Cable Crunch / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Oblique Crunch / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Decline Knee-Up / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Stretch: All stretches for three reps per stretch, holding 10 –15 seconds

DAY 3 Rest



Biceps Low-Cable / / / / / / / / / / / / /Straight-Bar Curl

Concentration / / / / / / / / / / / / /CurlIncline / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Dumbbell Curl

Triceps Pressdown / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Overhead Exten- / / / / / / / / / / / / /sion w/ Rope

Low-Cable / / / / / / / / / / / / /Kickback

Cardio: 25 minutes at 60% – 65% 30 minutes at 65% –70% 30 minutes at 70% –75%MHR MHR MHR

Stretch: All stretches for three reps per stretch, holding 10–15 seconds


WEEK 5WEEK 3 WEEK 4

WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5

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Optional set


Do not do this exercise on this day See page 163 for weekly instructions on sets, reps, rest and “the catch.”

MONTH 1WEEKS 3, 4, 5WEEKS 3, 4, 5DAYS 5, 6, 7

U.L.T.R.A.G R O W T H P H A S E

REFERENCESBaechle, T.R. Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994.Bompa, T.O., Cornacchia, L. Serious strength training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998.Kenney, W.L. ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. (5th ed.) Baltimore, MD:

Williams & Wilkins, 1995.

1Exercise

2Exercise

3Rest

4Exercise

5Exercise

6Exercise

7Rest

DAYS OF WEEKS 3, 4, 5

HangingKneeRaise

w/Twist


➔



Quads/ Smith-Machine / / / / / / / / / / / / /Glutes Squat

Leg Press / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Smith-Machine / / / / / / / / / / / / /Reverse Lunge

Leg Extension / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Ham- Romanian / / / / / / / / / / / / /strings Deadlift

Lying Leg Curl / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Seated Reverse / / / / / / / / / / / / /Leg Curl

Calves Leg-Press / / / / / / / / / / / / /Calf Raise

Seated Calf Raise / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Stretch: All stretches for three reps per stretch, holding 10 –15 seconds



Abs Decline Crunch / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Crunch Machine / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Side-Lying / / / / / / / / / / / / /Oblique CrunchHanging Knee / / / / / / / / / / / / /Raise w/ Twist

Reverse Crunch / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Cardio: 30 minutes at 65% MHR 30 minutes at 70% MHR Off

Stretch: All stretches for three reps per stretch, holding 15–20 seconds

DAY 7 Rest

WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5

WEEK 3 WEEK 5WEEK 4

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A good gauge to quantify physical change is to measure thearea of specific bodyparts, or body regions. When measuring,don’t pull the measuring tape too tightly — simply lay it flatagainst your skin and in a straight line, either parallel or directlyperpendicular to the floor.

Chest: Place the measur-ing tape around your torsoacross your nipple line,directly parallel to the floor.Take two measurements; one after you maximally inhale andanother when you exhale.

Upper Arm: Take two measurements, one at maximal bicepscontraction and another with your elbow extended and relaxed.

Waist: Locate the crest ofyour hipbones (iliac crest), andwrap the tape around your body over these two points.

Hips/Glutes: Find the big-gest area of your glutes andpull the tape around to your front, parallel to the floor.

Thigh: With your kneeextended and muscles relaxed,take one measurement around the largest part of your thigh.

Calf: With your musclesrelaxed, take one measure-ment around the largest part of your calf.

You know the old saying, “You can’t know where you’re heading if you don’t know where you’ve been”? Okay,so maybe I didn’t get it exactly right, but you get the idea. Point is, you need some baseline measurementsbefore you begin the ULTRA System to better gauge your progress. You can also use this tool to measure yourprogress on a quarterly basis throughout the year.

PHOTOCOPY, FILL IN AND SAVE THE INFORMATION BELOW:

A Measure of Success

1

2

h e i g h t w e i g h t

Body-Size Measurements

i n h a l e

e x h a l e

re laxa t ion con t rac t ion

h ips /g lu tes measurement

ca l f measurement

t h i g h m e a s u r e m e n t

3 Sit and Reach Test

Flexibility (inches)

Men Women

Excellent > 19.5 > 22.5Very Good 17.25–19.5 19.5 – 22.5Good 15.5–17.25 18.25 –19.5Average 13.75–15.5 16.75 –18.25Below Average 11.5–13.75 15.25 –16.75Poor 9.0–11.5 12.5 –15.25Very Poor < 9.0 < 12.5

today ’s da te

This test measures flexibility in your low back andhamstrings.

Procedure: You’ll need either a measuring stick ortape, and some adhesive tape.

1) Lay the measuring stick on the floor and place a12-inch piece of adhesive tape long-ways across the 15-inch mark of the ruler.

2) Without your shoes on, sit on the floor with yourheels at the tape line, about 12 inches apart, and thezero mark of the ruler toward your body.

3) Keep your knees straight and hands together asyou reach forward.

4) Stretch as far as possible, holding the farthestposition for three seconds. Don’t bounce or allow onehand to reach farther than the other.

5) Do this three times, recording each effort.

1 2 3

4 Bodyfat Testing

Sit and

Reach Test

wais t measurement

➔

Bodyfat Percentages

Men Women

Essential Fat < 5 < 12Athletic 5 –13 12– 22Healthy 14– 30 23– 33Obese > 30 > 33

To get an accurate reading on this one,you really need to be tested by an exer-cise-science professional. With so many

options available, just make sure that thetest you choose is the same one you’llstick with over the course of the year. Try to have the same person test youeach time, and under similar circum-stances (such as time of day, menstrual cycle, etc.).


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• ALWAYS USE A SPOTTEROne-rep max (1RM) represents the heaviest amount of weight that youcan properly lift for only one repetition. That being said, 1RM testing isn’tfor everyone. If you’ve been working out for at least a year, have a thoroughknowledge of proper lifting technique and, most important, don’t want toguesstimate your 1RM, then go for it. If you’re still a beginner or intermediatebodybuilder, however, gauging your strength based upon a guesstimation isboth safer and equally effective.

Procedure: Once you’ve warmed up, take up to five attempts to determine yourcorrect 1RM weight, allowing yourself 3–7 minutes of rest between attempts.Always use a spotter, yet he or she shouldn’t help with the weight unless youabsolutely can’t lift it any farther. If the spotter does help during a 1RM lift, thatweight doesn’t represent your 1RM — decrease the weight and try it again, orestimate from that and previous attempts.

EXAMPLE:Exercise Warm-up 1 2 3 4 5 1RM

1) Bench Press 3–4 sets ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _____

2) Leg Press 3–4 sets ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _____

This tests your cardiovascular endurance.

Procedure: As long as you don’t have any major health or physical problems,this one’s a breeze — walk as fast as you possibly can for 1 mile, on either atrack or flat surface. This test can be performed using a treadmill, just don’t usethe handrails or elevation. Immediately upon completion of the mile, take a 15-second pulse count and note both your completion time and heart rate (HR).Use the following equation to get an estimate of your VO2 max (the maximalamount of oxygen your body utilizes).

Time: _______ minutes

15-second HR:

_______ x 4 = _______ beats/minute

VO2 max equation:

132.853 - (0.0769 x bodyweight) __________

- (0.3877 x your age) __________

+ (6.315 x gender*) __________

- (3.2649 x time) __________

- (0.1565 x HR in beats/minute) __________

* gender: 0 = female; 1 = male

VO2 max (in ml/kg/min)

Male FemaleExcellent > 51.3 > 45.7Very Good 45.0–51.3 38.3–45.7Good 37.7–45.0 35.3–38.3Fair 33.0–37.7 26.7–35.3Poor < 33.0 < 26.7

REFERENCESBaechle, T.R. Essentials of strength training and conditioning.

Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994.Kenney, W.L. ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and

prescription. (5th ed.) Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1995.

5 One-Rep Max Test

A Measure of Success (continued)

6 Rockport 1-Mile Fitness Walking Test



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Eating for bodybuilding used to be pretty simple: Add a couple of scoops of weight-gain powderto your favorite beverage twice a day, blend and pour the concoction down the hatch. Of course,the drinks weren’t all that was smooth — so were the physiques.

This simplistic approach to dieting is as outdated as some of your father’s training methods. Today’s moreadvanced approach to nutrition can help you smash through training and growth plateaus, prepare andrecover from intense training faster, give you greater physical and mental energy, and peak for an athletic

competition. How do you achieve these goals? As any successful bodybuilder will tell you, you need tocontinually alter your diet to reflect what you’re trying to accomplish in the gym.

Over the next 12 months, you’ll learn exactly how to mesh your training and diet togetherwith an eating plan as exacting as the sets and reps you do with the iron. You’ll know howmany calories and carbs, protein and fat grams to eat, choosing easy-to-make meals with high-quality nutrients based on your weight and training goals.

While the practice of cycling your workouts and diets isn’t all that new to bodybuilding, it’s onlynow being recognized by the “white coats” in the labs. Yet some experts and leaders in the field

of nutrition, such as Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, already attest that cycling your diet makesabsolute sense. In fact, Kleiner uses this same approach in her new book Power Eating (Human

Kinetics, 1998). “The basic concept in periodized (cyclic) nutrition is to build muscle while burningbodyfat,” she notes.

As explained in the main article, your training for the upcoming year will be divided intophases. Your goal and the training method will vary within each phase, so your nutrition

will also change to enhance the training you’ll be doing. Simply put, as yourtraining prescription moves from one phase to another, as you

make changes in the poundages you use, the reps you perform andthe total number of sets you complete, your total calorie intakeand ratio of carbs to protein to fat will also vary.

For example, when you’re trying to pack on mass, you’ll beeating more calories, especially protein and carbs. The body

grows better with a caloric surplus, and you’ll need moreenergy to bust it up in the gym. More than half of those calo-ries will come from carbs, the fuel for hard weight training,with roughly 25%–30% coming from protein, the materialrequired to build muscle size. As you move into an active restphase to maximize recuperation, you’ll decrease your proteinand replace it with a bit more fat. Kleiner explains, “You don’tneed as much protein or total calories when you’re exercis-ing with less intensity.”

Likewise, when it’s time to get ripped up, you’ll dropyour dietary fat as low as possible, cut back a bit on your

carbs and increase protein to prevent your body from burn-ing muscle mass. Kleiner adds: “When your goal is to lose fat,

you need to eat more protein to continue to build. You musthave enough carbs to train but not so many on board to add so

many calories that you just end up adding too much bodyfat. . . .The timing of your carb intake is also important. If you want to get

lean, you should not eat a lot of carbohydrates immediately before orduring exercising.”As good as this eating plan is, one of the surest ways to mess it

all up is to not keep track of what you’re consuming. You must have areally good idea of how many total calories your body needs each day. If youraim is to build lean muscle, keep a diet log and weigh and measure your food— at least for the first 4–5 weeks — to get the hang of it and identify exactlywhat you’re eating. After that, you can eyeball it and come pretty close.

Chris Aceto graduated summa cum laude from Springfield College in Massachusetts, earning a bach-elor’s degree in health sciences. Aceto and his wife Laura Creavalle run three-day fitness weekend

getaways in Maine and Florida. For more information on his instructional books titled ChampionshipBodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss, call 207-934-7812.

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ULTRA SYSTEM

EATINGBy Chris Aceto


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Eating forMuscle:

A YearlongStrategy

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How Many Calories Do You Need?To establish how many calories you need each day, followthis three-step method:

1) Estimate your basal metabolic

rate (BMR). BMR is the energy (calories)your body needs in a day with no activity.BMR =

your bodyweight (in pounds) x 12 =Example:

For a 200-pound male: BMR = 200 x 12 = 2,400

2) Energy cost of

exercise. Determine theapproximate number of calo-

ries burned during exercise. Use the followingcharts.

Exercise Cost =

[ (weightlifting cost ________ x minutes of exercise ________ ) +

(cardio cost ________ x minutes of exercise ________ ) ] x

your bodyweight (in pounds) ________

Exercise Cost Total:

Phase Weightlifting Cost Cardio CostStrength/Power .05 .09Growth .06 .09Shredding/Endurance .06 .10Active Rest /Preparatory .04 .06

Example: For the 200-pound male training an hour a day in thegrowth phase and doing 40 minutes of cardio, exercise cost =[(.06 x 60) + (.09 x 40)] x 200 = [(3.6) + (3.6)] x 200 = (7.2) x200 = 1,440 calories

3) Add steps 1 and 2 to approximate

your daily caloric expenditure =

Example:For the 200-pound man: 3,840 calories

Supportive SupplementsAnswering that perennial question, “What supple-

ments should I take, how much and when?” willdepend on what your monthly training goal is.When you’re cutting back on calories and try-ing to rip up, you may benefit from usinglarger quantities of supplements thatmight help retain muscle like branched-chain amino acids and HMB, andadding thermogenics such as caffeineand mahuang to keep your metabolismin high gear. You can also add pyruvateto the mix to possibly enhance fat loss.

During the growth and strengthphases, you’ll want supplements thatsupport energy production: Creatine andglutamine are awesome, meal-replacement

As ambitious as you may be feeling today, whathappens when you aren’t feeling well, or have

to travel for work? Maybe next week you’re fully bookedand you know you won’t be able to keep up with yourprogram. All of these events happen sooner or later, soyou’d best be prepared. Here’s how:

If you’re sick, or not feeling well: Flexibilitytraining is a great way to relax and keep your musclesactive when your body isn’t ready for the rigors of train-ing. After a brief warm-up, use the stretching programdescribed in the Week 1 workout ( Wednesday). If thesymptoms are in your head and not in your chest, mod-erate cardiovascular training won’t worsen your symp-toms or prolong the infection.1 Besides, low- tomoderate-intensity aerobic training can help boostblood circulation and is far better for your muscles thanlying on your couch, choking down mom’s chicken soup.

Traveling: This really shouldn’t be an excuse to misstoo many days of training because most hotels nowcome equipped with some kind of gym or have onenearby. If that’s not the case, use what’s available to geta workout — the stairwell or pool as your form of cardio;push-ups, dips, wall squats, lunges, crunches and backextensions for your resistance training; and, of course, itdoesn’t matter where you are to stretch.

Unexpected time restraints: If you miss a dayor two, no big deal — just pick up where you left off. Ifyou’re starting to see this as a trend, however, re-adjust your schedule. Consider training before work orduring your lunch hour. If you have only the weekends,then group all your bodyparts in a two-day split. Forexample, train your chest, back, shoulders, traps andabs on one day, and biceps, triceps, quads, hams andcalves on the other.

REFERENCE1. Weidner, T.G., et al. The effect of exercise training on the severity andduration of a viral upper respiratory illness. Medicine & Science in Sports& Exercise 30(11):1,578–1,583, 1998.

In Case of Emergency, Read This

packets and carb drinks are a convenientsource of carbs and protein when you’re onthe go, and glucosamine is a good supple-ment to protect your joints when you’rehoisting heavier weight in a low-rep rangeduring your strength phase.

During the coming year, we’ll discusswhat supplements to take, and when and

how much is best depending on the phaseyou’re in. For this first installment, the supple-

ments I recommend are included with the eat-ing plans.


John Kelly

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Ratio Goal Your nutritional needs during this phaseemphasize carbs and some fat to pro-

mote an energy surplus. Protein is stillimportant, yet because your training isn’texcessive, you’ll need only modestamounts to keep you in a growth state.

Choose any four of the 10 meals listed forapproximately 2,000 daily calories (average is

500 calories each), and add or subtract mealsand/or snacks to arrive at your daily goal. (See “How Many CaloriesDo You Need?” on page 172.)

The 10 meals listed at left follow this ratio and are approximately76 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat each.

S U P P L E M E N T SMultivitamin/mineral complex taken once daily with breakfast.

MEALS Cals Carb Pro Fat

4 egg whites, scrambled 60 0 12 01 cup oats, dry measure, cooked 300 54 10 63/4 banana 75 19 tr trTotals 435 73 22 6

2 eggs, scrambled 140 0 12 101 large bagel 250 49 8 28 oz. orange juice 100 25 1 0.5Totals 590 74 21 12.5

11/2 oz. cream cheese 150 1 3 141 large bagel, dry 250 49 8 23 egg whites, scrambled 36 0 9 01/2 cantaloupe 93 23 1 trTotals 529 73 21 16

2 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 46 0 8.5 1grilled

11/2 cups brown rice 300 66 9 11/4 cup avocado 100 4 1 10Totals 446 74 18.5 12

11/2 Tbsp. peanut butter 150 3.5 7 132 slices wheat bread 140 26 6 22 bananas 200 52 2 trTotals 490 81.5 16 15

11/2 cups frozen veggies, steamed 120 27 5 031/2 oz. beef (uncooked wt.), broiled 132 0 10 102 oz. cooked pasta 220 44 7 2Totals 472 71 22 12

3 oz. salmon (uncooked wt.), grilled 116 0 12 78 oz. baked potato 244 56 4 trsmall salad 50 12 1 tr2 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 70 4 0 6Totals 480 72 17 13

Stir fry: Heat together8 small shrimp 70 0 12 11 Tbsp. peanut butter 100 2.5 4.5 8.53 oz. rice noodles 300 75.5 3 1.52 Tbsp. chopped green onion 4 tr tr trTotals 474 75.5 19.5 11

3 oz. ground turkey (uncooked wt.), 130 0 13.5 8browned

9 oz. baked yam 297 69 3 11 cup asparagus tips, steamed 40 8 2 tr1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 2 0 3Totals 502 79 18.5 12

4 thin slices deli turkey 120 2 12 7.51 slice light cheese 70 1 6 41 large pita round 165 35 5 11 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 2 0 32 slices tomato, lettuce 30 4 tr tr2 medium apples 162 42 tr trTotals 582 86 23 15.5

REFERENCEUlene, A. The neutribase: nutrition facts desk reference.

Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1995.

Note: tr indicates trace amounts.

Eating in the Prep Phase: Weeks 1–2

60%Carbs

25%Fat

15%Protein

SNACKSThe following yield roughly 231 calories, 35 grams of car-bohydrate, 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat each toapproximate the carb, protein, fat ratio of 60/15/25 requiredin the prep phase.

Cals Carb Pro Fat

1 9-inch tortilla 130 23 3 31 slice light cheese 70 1 6 41 tsp. mustard 8 tr tr tr1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 50 12 tr trTotals 258 36 9 7

1 hard-boiled egg 70 0 6 51/2 large bagel 125 23 4 1Totals 195 23 10 6

2 Tbsp. whey protein 42 1 9 trmixed with water

4 apple rice cakes 160 36 4 tr2 tsp. peanut butter 50 1 2 5Totals 252 38 15 5

1/2 cup oats, cooked 150 27 5 31/2 Tbsp. whey protein 42 1 9 1

mixed with water1/2 banana 50 13 tr trTotals 242 40 14 4

2 slices wheat toast 140 26 6 21 slice fat-free cheese 30 3 5 01 plum 36 8 tr 0Totals 206 37 11 2

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Ratio Goal Your nutritional needs during this phase empha-size carbs, to provide your muscles with enough

fuel for pushing through intense workouts andpromoting an anabolic environment. Proteingoes way up, to provide enough amino acids tobuild rock-hard muscle tissue. Dietary fat, onthe other hand, decreases because its necessityin the overall caloric picture is overshadowed by

your body’s need for carbs and protein. Chooseany four of the 10 meals listed for approximately

2,500 daily calories (average 630 calories each), andadd or subtract meals and/or snacks to arrive at your daily goal. (See“How Many Calories Do You Need?” on page 172.)

The 10 meals at left fit this ratio and are approximately 94 grams ofcarbs, 39 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat each.

S U P P L E M E N T S B Y W E E K #3 4 5

Multivitamin/mineral complex taken once daily with breakfast.15–20 grams of creatine per day, split into 3–4 servings of 5 grams each. Take one serving directly after training.3–5 grams of creatine taken once daily immediately after training.2–4 grams of glutamine once daily immediately after training.



Eating in the Growth Phase: Weeks 3–5

60%Carbs

15%Fat

25%Protein

MEALS Cals Carb Pro Fat

2 whole eggs + 6 egg whites, 230 tr 30 11scrambled

3 oz. cooked cream of rice cereal 300 66 5 tr12 oz. orange juice 168 37 2 trTotals 699 103 37 11

8 egg whites, scrambled 120 tr 24 tr11/2 bagel 375 75 12 31 Tbsp. peanut butter 100 2 4 91/4 cantaloupe 45 12 tr trTotals 640 89 40 12

1 cup oats, cooked 300 54 10 61 cup 2% cottage cheese 204 8 30 4.53/4 cup canned pineapple 115 30 tr tr

(no sugar added)Totals 619 92 40 10.5

6 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 155 0 33 5grilled

11 oz. baked potato 341 77 5 tr1 cup asparagus tips, steamed 40 8 2 tr1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 2 0 3Totals 571 87 40 8

61/2 oz. swordfish (uncooked wt.), 220 tr 35 8broiled

11 oz. baked yam 363 85 3 tr1/2 cup peas, steamed 40 8 2 trTotals 623 93 40 8

5 oz. chicken breast, grilled 180 0 30 611/2 cups cooked rice 300 66 9 1.51 cup cauliflower, steamed 24 5 1 01 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 2 0 31 large pear 75 19 0 0Totals 614 92 40 10.5

5 oz. flank steak (uncooked wt.), 233 0 23 11broiled

1 slice fat-free cheese 30 3 5 01/2 cup kidney beans 100 20 6 tr1 cup green beans, steamed 40 8 2 tr11⁄ 2 cups cooked rice 300 66 9 3Totals 703 97 45 14

4 oz. water-packed tuna 100 0 24 231/2 oz. cooked pasta 385 72 10 41/2 cup tomato sauce 74 12 2 21 cup broccoli 44 10 4 trTotals 603 94 40 9

41/2 oz. eye round steak 141 0 24 4(uncooked wt.), broiled

2 9-inch tortillas 300 64 4 62 Tbsp. fat-free mayo 30 6 1 01 cup chopped onions and peppers 70 16 1 01 medium peach 37 9 tr trTotals 578 95 30 10

5 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 112 0 26 4grilled

2 cups prepared couscous 480 88 10 71 cup mixed peas & carrots, steamed 60 12 4 trTotals 652 100 40 11

SNACKSThe following yield roughly 305 calories, 47 grams of carbohydrate,19 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat each to approximate thecarb, protein, fat ratio of 60 / 25 /15 required in the growth phase.

Cals Carb Pro Fat1 bagel 250 47 9 22 slices fat-free cheese 60 6 10 0Totals 310 53 17 2

2 Tbsp. whey protein 84 1 17 1mixed with water

6 oz. baked potato 248 42 3.5 trTotals 332 43 20.5 1

3/4 cup low-fat cottage 165 18 15 4cheese with pineapple

4 rice cakes 140 28 3 trTotals 305 46 18 4

1/2 cup oats, cooked 150 27 5 33 Tbsp. whey protein powder 63 1 13 tr3/4 cup fruit cocktail 75 20 tr tr

(in own juice)Totals 288 48 18 3

3 slices raisin bread 210 30 9 63 egg whites, scrambled 45 0 9 tr1 small apple 75 18 0 trTotals 330 48 18 6

Blender drink:1 cup low-fat milk 100 12 8 21 cup orange juice 100 25 tr tr3 Tbsp. whey protein powder 63 1 13 trshaved ice 0 0 0 0Totals 263 41 21 2

Note: tr indicates trace amounts.

Photo of John Kessler and Chris Lydon by Cory Sorensen

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BLKYELMAGCYN

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Ultimate Long-Term Resistance and Aerobic System

A Word About Next MonthIfyou thought your workouts were getting tough in Week 5, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!Next month, under the guidance of Harvey Newton, CSCS, executive director of the

National Strength and Conditioning Association, you’ll make the transition from trainingwith higher reps and shorter rest periods to lower reps and increased rest periods. Youknow what that means — more weight! The reason you’ll be training heavier is so you’llreally stimulate those fast-twitch ( Type IIb) muscle fibers and stress your immediateenergy-producing systems. What the heck does that mean and why should you care?Simple: If you want to get huge, this kind of training is ideal. If your goal is to have lessbodyfat, the results will be just as effective. Either way, like a great suspense novel,you’ll have to wait to learn the whys, hows and whats of training for strength.

The focus of your nutrition strategy will shift toward an even higher proteinintake. Chris Aceto, along with Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, and Bonnie Modugno,

RD, will explain why you need so much protein, when the best timeto eat is and the best protein sources for

building strength. M&F

Look for more

easy-to-follow,

ready-to-use meal

plans for the full

month! Get psyched

for Month 2 of ULTRA:

the Ultimate Long-Term

Resistance and Aerobic

System. In the meantime,

train hard!

July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 177Photo of John Kesler and Chris Lydon by Cory Sorensen

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S


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