M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

MUSCLE & FITNESS

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

Ultimate Long-Term Resistance and Aerobic System

By Christopher M. Lockwood, MS, CSCS, Staff Writer
eres an article you wont want to miss! Why? Because were embarking on a new ULTRA system that will deliver results, even if youre a hardgainer. If you want to add muscle, get stronger, develop more endurance, feel more energetic and be healthier, read on. This yearlong program cant guarantee that youll look like an M&F cover model, but it will transform your physique and get you in the best shape of your life. What makes this ULTRA system unlike anything weve ever done before in M&F is that it combines the various facets that affect muscle growth like training, nutrition, supplementation and recuperation, aided by the latest research from the world of sports science and brings them all together in one series of articles. Over 12 months, well cycle all the components that will help you get stronger, bigger, leaner and healthier. The plan is extremely effective, intense, thorough, easy to follow, even fun. Interested? Heres the deal: Well walk you through each and every step of the bodybuilding process, from start to finish, for the next 12 months. The program will vary from month to month, depending on the goals during a particular period, to which you can make simple modifications according to your specific goals and gender. In this way, the ULTRA system can be streamlined to your individual needs. Its totally customized, and youll be working under the direction of some of the worlds foremost authorities in exercise and sports science, nutrition, supplementation and bodybuilding. No day will be left out, and no bodybuilding component untouched. There is one catch, however. At the end of the year, whether youve achieved a truly awesome physical transformation is up to you. Well provide the know-how, but youre the one wholl have to decide that this is something you really want. Nobody (except late-night infomercials making tons of bucks) said its going to be easy. Are you up for the challenge?

Chris Lydon and John Kesler enjoy the benefits of being ULTRA fit!

In a Nutshell
Lets fast-forward and see how the next 12 months of your training life will play out. For starters, each month will focus on each aspect of bodybuilding weight training, cardiovascular conditioning, nutrition, flexibility and recovery. In an adjoining section, bodybuilding and nutrition writer Chris Aceto will escort you down the road to eating for maximal gains and smart supplementation.
Cory Sorensen
July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 157

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

Program Design
This yearlong training program is divided into multiple minitraining cycles, each of which has markedly different training protocols and goals. Its called periodization, or cycling, and its purpose is to increase your muscular development by not allowing your body to fully adapt to one training regimen and become stale. 1 For the first month, youll start off in a preparatory phase ( weeks 1 & 2 ) that will bring you up to speed, followed by a growth phase for developing muscle size. Youll then work on increasing strength and muscle size (weeks 3 5 ), until your training intensity finally plateaus at a phase designed to promote power and explosiveness. From there youll begin to utilize all of the size, strength and power that youve developed, and gradually chisel a well-defined, shredded physique just in time for summer. Tudor Bompa, PhD, professor of theories of training at York University in Toronto, Canada; trainer of 11 Olympic Games medalists; and the Alexander Graham Bell, so to speak, of periodized training, schooled me on the importance of periodization. It boils down to this: Because training for muscle growth, strength, power or whatever your goal may be is stressful, you need to alter your training so that your body and mind dont become overtrained or bored. Bompa says he has found through his own observation and study that one training phase is too difficult to tolerate for more than 6 9 weeks, which is why he always keeps each phase shorter than nine weeks to take full advantage of a maximal performance environment. This months training cycle is broken down into two phases: 1) Preparatory (Prep) Phase: Depending on your experience level, youll spend the first couple of weeks either preparing for heavier loads or allowing your body time to fully recuperate. According to Bompa, the prep phase, which he describes as the anatomical adaptation phase in his book, Serious Strength Training (Human Kinetics, 1998), has two main functions. First, he explains, Youre trying to adapt the anatomy of the body [to the upcoming training] so that you can create, or produce, an injury-free environment. Essentially, your tendons and ligaments should be strong enough to support the higher-intensity work that will follow. Second, the prep phase is a great time to address any instability or strength imbalance you may have. One way is by performing multijoint exercises using dumbbells. If muscular imbalances and anatomical adaptation arent issues, a prep phase is still a necessity even if youre the most well-trained bodybuilder. In this case, the prep phase acts as a recovery period from all those months of hard training in which you didnt give your body much rest. This is called active rest, and its great for allowing your body time to fully refuel its energy stores, and for complete mental and physical recuperation. Without it, youd eventually run face first into burnout. Although science hasnt clearly defined one variable as the culprit of burnout (or overtraining), continued periods of heavy training without frequent periods of less-intense training seem to be a major contributing factor.2
158 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

Besides, if youve been pushing yourself hard for even the last 3 6 weeks, your body will benefit from the change. 2) Growth Phase: The purpose of a growth phase isnt rocket science its to increase muscle size. Bompa says that a growth phase follows a prep phase so that you can increase the protein content of your muscles (make them larger). Okay, so I probably dont need to tell you why youd want bigger muscles, but Bompa adds that the timing of the growth phase is also a necessity for getting your body ready for next months transition into training for maximal strength. Here youll increase your total volume of work and shorten your rest periods. Specifically, your number of sets, reps and exercises are going up, and rest periods will be between 45 and 120 seconds. The amount of weight youll use will represent the heaviest load that you can successfully lift for about 8 12 reps. Youll do both single- and multijoint exercises, utilize intensityincreasing principles such as drop sets, and focus specifically on only 12 muscle groups per workout. Beginning to see why we call this the growth phase? Cardiovascular Conditioning: Gee, did you think youd get leaner and healthier without it? You may have the biggest bis on the block, but you still need cardio training. Heres the plain truth: If you want to get ripped, even while you add size and strength, cardio work will help. You have other, more important reasons to do cardio, too. Walt Thompson, PhD, FACSM, FAACPR, director of the Center for Sports Medicine, Science and Technology and Interdisciplinary Research at Georgia State University in Atlanta, notes: We can never overlook the benefit of cardiovascular conditioning, particularly in the 20 45-year-old age group. Cardiovascular training is an excellent deterrent for some of the lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and some of the metabolic diseases . . . and as you get older, it becomes even more important. Besides, he adds that few types of exercise burn more calories than aerobic-type exercise. Still concerned that any aerobic training will waste your muscle tissue? In reality, youd have to train aerobically for a long duration and at a high frequency (think long-distance running) to lose muscle size. The bottom line: If you do 25 days of cardio per week for no more than 60 minutes per session and eat enough calories, worrying about muscle wasting is nothing more than a waste of time. The killer news is that a well-conditioned cardiovascular system may help you in your bodybuilding workouts. One way it does so, Thompson suggests, is by increasing the number of certain aerobic enzymes that may play a key role in delaying muscular fatigue. What kind of aerobic exercise you do is up to you. Just make sure 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 you can continue to do for the prescribed length of time. Flexibility: Since this program is complete, we need to address flexibility, too. Bompa is adamant about the need for stretching. He feels that if the muscles, tendons and other connective tissue arent prepared to accommodate specific exercise angles, youre just asking for trouble: Stretching is a prehab concept. Rather than going to a doctor to rehabilitate, how about pre-habilitate? Flexibility, for strength training, is necessary all the time. Youll find a stretching regimen listed within the workout program.
REFERENCES
1. Fleck, S.J. Periodized strength training: a critical review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 13(1):82 89, 1999. 2. Kuipers, K. Training and overtraining: an introduction. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 30(7):1,1371,139, 1998.
Robert Reiff

WANTED
U.L.T R.A. .
12-MONTH SYSTEM

Success Stories
for
MUSCLE & FITNESS
ust 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 quarterly fitness evaluations. At the end of the year, send us your pictures, copies of your fitness evaluations and a letter detailing the improvements or benefits that youve gained from the program. Well choose several of the best fitness improvements and metamorphosized physiques, feature them in a future issue and include a short bio detailing some of the winners most significant gains. And remember, fitness isnt simply about how you look, but how it makes you feel and what you do with it. In that sense, everyones a winner!

Customizing the ULTRA System

The ULTRA System effectively covers every aspect of bodybuilding. Specifically, youll simultaneously build muscle, decrease bodyfat, increase strength and cardiorespiratory endurance, and improve flexibility. If your goals are slightly different from these, however, some slight modifications will be necessary. In both the training and nutrition sections, you can manipulate certain variables to customize the route youd like to take, without changing the exercises, sets, reps and percentages of one-rep max. All this can stay the same regardless of your bodybuilding goals or gender. If, for example, in Week 3 you begin working on increasing muscle size but you dont want to get huge, simply cut back on the recommended caloric intake and decrease your rest between sets. If you want to get stronger and dont really care about getting ripped and increasing your cardiovascular fitness, just decrease the amount of cardio you do and increase your rest periods between sets. Want more flexibility? Thats simple, too: Include stretching movements before your workouts (after warming up) and between sets. For better cardiorespiratory endurance, simply increase the frequency and duration of your cardio sessions.

Reiff
July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 159

Nine Stretches for Better Flexibility

Tips for Better Stretching
1) Perform your cardio warm-up or workout before stretching. 2) Stretch your muscle(s) to a point where you feel only minor discomfort dont 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; dont 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 you should hold each stretch can be found within the ULTRA system training log. Shoulder External Rotators Lats Side Bend Biceps/Chest

Triceps

Calf

Hamstrings

Hip Flexor

Low Back/Glute

160 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

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

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

U.L.T R.A. .

MONTH 1
WEEK 1
Unless stated otherwise in the program (for all weeks):
(MHR). (To estimate, subtract your age from 220 and multiply by 0.65.) 1) Your workout intensities are based on a percentage of your onerep max (1RM). If you arent 100% certain of the maximum weight 3) Precede the first exercise of a given bodypart with 1 2 warm-up sets. Perform about 1215 reps with about 35% 40% of your 1RM, you can lift for one rep, then guesstimate I promise you wont get then increase the weight by about 10% 15% for another 10 12-rep in trouble. ( See A Measure of Success on page 166 for how to warm-up set. Dont count these two sets as part of your workout. determine your 1RM.) If you cant successfully accomplish the pre4) Perform a full-body stretching routine at the end of each scribed number of reps, adjust the weight accordingly. workout. The stretching routine is listed after each workout and tips 2) Begin each workout with a 7 10-minute cardio warm-up, getare shown at left. ting your heart rate up to about 65% of your maximum heart rate Exercises per bodypart: 1 Sets per exercise: 2 3 ; 1 warm-up Reps: 8 10 Intensity: 50% 60% 1RM Rest between sets: 2 2 1 2 minutes The catch: You primarily use dumbbells to promote greater muscular balance, stability and increased range of motion.

P R E PA R AT O R Y

PHASE

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
Optional set Muscle Group Exercise

DAY 1
Sets

DAY 5
Sets

Advice for the ULTRA System Beginner

3
The ULTRA System is designed for beginning through advanced bodybuilders, but not necessarily for rank beginners. If youre a first-time weight trainer, you really need a couple of extra weeks of preliminary training before you begin this routine. Heres how to get up to speed: Repeat workouts for Weeks 1 and 2 as many times as needed until you feel comfortable and strong enough to advance to Week 3. This will mean that for your first couple of workouts you should: 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 slowly increase your intensity and training volume. Also, if you dont fully understand how to perform a specific exercise, make sure to have an exercise professional help you out.

Cardio Warm-up: 15 minutes at 45% 50% of your MHR Chest Back Traps Delts Biceps Triceps Decline Dumbbell Press One-Arm Dumbbell Row Dumbbell Shrug Seated Dumbbell Press Dumbbell Curl 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% MHR Stretch: All stretches for five reps per stretch, holding 20 30 seconds Rest
Seated Dumbbell Press

DAY 2, 4, 6, 7

1 Exercise

2 Rest

DAYS OF WEEK 1 3 4 5 Cardio Rest Exercise

6 Rest

7 Rest

July 1999 MUSCLE & FITN ESS 161

U.L.T R.A. .
Exercises per bodypart: 1 2 Sets per exercise: 2 3 ; 1 warm-up Reps: 10 12 Optional set Muscle Group Exercise

MONTH 1
WEEK 2
Intensity: 60% 70% 1RM Rest between sets: 1 1 2 2 minutes

P R E PA R AT O R Y

PHASE

The catch: Your program splits into four workouts per week, and youll start to incorporate unilateral (one side at a time) exercises.
One-Arm Preacher Curl

DAY 1
Sets

DAY 4
Sets

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 Delts Dumbbell Upright Row 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 five reps per stretch, holding 10 15 seconds

DAY 2
Muscle Group Sets Exercise

DAY 5
Sets

1
/ / / / / / /

2
/ / / / / / /

3
/ / / / / / /

1
/ / / / / / /

2
/ / / / / / /

3
/ / / / / / /

Cardio Warm-up: 20 minutes at 55% - 60% of your MHR Biceps Triceps Quads/ Glutes One-Arm Preacher Curl One-Arm Cross-Body French Press One-Legged Leg Press One-Legged Leg Extension Hamstrings Standing Leg Curl Calves One-Legged Standing Calf Raise One-Legged Seated Calf Raise

One-Legged Leg Press Front WideGrip PullDown

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

DAYS 3, 6, 7
1 Exercise 2 Exercise

Rest DAYS OF WEEK 2 3 4 5 Rest Exercise Exercise

6 Rest

7 Rest

162 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

U.L.T R.A. .

MONTH 1
WEEKS 3, 4, 5
DAY 1
Optional set Take this set to muscle failure Do not do this exercise on this day CARDIO WARM-UP 710 minutes at 65% of your MHR Muscle Group

GROWTH

PHASE

WEEK 3
Sets per exercise: 34 Reps: 810 Intensity: 70%75% 1RM Rest between sets: 90120 seconds The catch: Progressively increase the weight with each set, keeping your reps 24 short of failure. Sets 1 2 3 4

WEEK 4
Sets per exercise: 4 Reps: 10 Intensity: 75% 80% 1RM Rest between sets: 6090 seconds The catch: Again, increase weight with each set, keeping your reps 24 short of failure; last set is to failure. Sets 1 2 3 4

WEEK 5
Sets per exercise: 35 Reps: 1012 Intensity: 80% 85% 1RM Rest between sets: 4590 seconds The catch: Keep your first set about 24 shy of failure; take all other sets to failure. On last set of each exercise, do a drop set to failure using about two-thirds of the weight. Sets 1 2 3 4 5

Exercise

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 Cardio: Back Extension / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

25 minutes at 60% MHR

25 minutes at 65 % 70 % MHR

30 minutes at 70 % MHR

Stretch: All stretches (see Nine Stretches on page 160) for three reps per stretch, holding 10 15 seconds
Incline Dumbbell Press Close-Grip Pull-Down Back Extension

1 Exercise
Photos by Robert Reiff

2 Exercise

DAYS OF WEEKS 3, 4, 5 3 4 5 Rest Exercise Exercise

6 Exercise

7 Rest

July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 163

U.L.T R.A.. .
Optional set Take this set to muscle failure Do not do this exercise on this day

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

GROWTH

PHASE

See page 163 for weekly instructions on sets, reps, rest and the catch.
WEEK 3
Sets 1 2 3 4 1 2

DAY 2
Muscle Group Exercise

WEEK 4
Sets 3 4 1 2

WEEK 5
Sets 3 4 5

Cardio Warm-up: 710 minutes at 65% of your MHR Traps Dumbbell Shrug Wide-Grip Upright Row Standing CalfMachine Shrug Seated Dumbbell Press Dumbbell Lateral Raise Dumbbell BentOver Lat. Raise Smith-Machine Front Press Cable Crunch Oblique Crunch Decline Knee-Up / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Delts

Abs

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

DAY 3 DAY 4

Rest

WEEK 3
Sets 1 2 3 4 1

WEEK 4
Sets 2 3 4 1 2

WEEK 5
Sets 3 4 5

Muscle Group Exercise

Cardio Warm-up: 710 minutes at 65% of your MHR Biceps Low-Cable Straight-Bar Curl Concentration Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Triceps Pressdown Overhead Extension w/ Rope Low-Cable Kickback Cardio: / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

25 minutes at 60% 65% 30 minutes at 65% 70% MHR MHR Stretch: All stretches for three reps per stretch, holding 10 15 seconds

30 minutes at 70% 75% MHR

164

MUSC LE & FITNESS July 1999

Photos by Robert Reiff

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

U.L.T R.A. .
Optional set Take this set to muscle failure Do not do this exercise on this day

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

GROWTH

PHASE

See page 163 for weekly instructions on sets, reps, rest and the catch.
WEEK 3
Sets 1 2 3 4 1 2

DAY 5
Muscle Group Exercise

WEEK 4
Sets 3 4 1 2

WEEK 5
Sets 3 4 5

Cardio Warm- up: 710 minutes at 65% of your MHR 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

DAY 6
Muscle Group Exercise 1

WEEK 3
Sets 2 3 4 1

WEEK 4
Sets 2 3 4 1 2

WEEK 5
Sets 3 4 5

Cardio Warm-up: 710 minutes at 65% of your MHR

Abs

Decline Crunch Crunch Machine Side-Lying Oblique Crunch Hanging Knee Raise w/ Twist Reverse Crunch

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / / Off

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

/ / / / /

Cardio:

30 minutes at 65% MHR

30 minutes at 70% MHR

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

DAY 7
REFERENCES

Rest
Hanging Knee Raise w/Twist

Baechle, 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. ACSMs guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. (5th ed.) Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1995.

1 Exercise

2 Exercise

DAYS OF WEEKS 3, 4, 5 3 4 5 Rest Exercise Exercise

6 Exercise

7 Rest

July 1999 MUSCLE & FITNESS 165

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

A Measure of Success
You know the old saying, You cant know where youre heading if you dont know where youve been? Okay, so maybe I didnt get it exactly right, but you get the idea. Point is, you need some baseline measurements before you begin the ULTRA System to better gauge your progress. You can also use this tool to measure your progress on a quarterly basis throughout the year. PHOTOCOPY, FILL IN AND SAVE THE INFORMATION BELOW:

height

weight

todays date

2 Body-Size Measurements
A good gauge to quantify physical change is to measure the area of specific bodyparts, or body regions. When measuring, dont pull the measuring tape too tightly simply lay it flat against your skin and in a straight line, either parallel or directly perpendicular to the floor. Chest: Place the measuring tape around your torso i n h a l e across your nipple line, directly parallel to the floor. e x h a l e Take two measurements; one after you maximally inhale and another when you exhale. Upper Arm: Take two measurements, one at maximal biceps contraction and another with your elbow extended and relaxed.
relaxation contraction

3 Sit and Reach Test

This test measures flexibility in your low back and hamstrings. Procedure: Youll need either a measuring stick or tape, and some adhesive tape. 1) Lay the measuring stick on the floor and place a 12-inch piece of adhesive tape long-ways across the 15inch mark of the ruler. 2) Without your shoes on, sit on the floor with your heels at the tape line, about 12 inches apart, and the zero mark of the ruler toward your body. 3) Keep your knees straight and hands together as you reach forward. 4) Stretch as far as possible, holding the farthest position for three seconds. Dont bounce or allow one hand to reach farther than the other. 5) Do this three times, recording each effort.
1 2 3

Waist: Locate the crest of your hipbones (iliac crest), and w a i s t m e a s u r e m e n t wrap the tape around your body over these two points. Hips/ Glutes: Find the biggest area of your glutes and h i p s / g l u t e s m e a s u r e m e n t pull the tape around to your front, parallel to the floor. Thigh: With your knee extended and muscles relaxed, t h i g h m e a s u r e m e n t take one measurement around the largest part of your thigh. Calf: With your muscles relaxed, take one measure- c a l f m e a s u r e m e n t ment around the largest part of your calf.

Sit and Reach Test

4 Bodyfat Testing
To get an accurate reading on this one, you really need to be tested by an exercise-science professional. With so many options available, just make sure that the test you choose is the same one youll stick with over the course of the year. Try to have the same person test you each time, and under similar circumstances (such as time of day, menstrual cycle, etc.). Bodyfat Percentages Essential Fat Athletic Healthy Obese
166 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

Flexibility (inches) Men > 19.5 17.2519.5 15.517.25 13.7515.5 11.513.75 9.0 11.5 < 9.0 Women > 22.5 19.5 22.5 18.25 19.5 16.75 18.25 15.25 16.75 12.5 15.25 < 12.5

Men <5 5 13 14 30 > 30

Women < 12 12 22 23 33 > 33

Excellent Very Good Good Average Below Average Poor Very Poor

Photos by Robert Reiff

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

A Measure of Success (continued)

5 One-Rep Max Test
ALWAYS USE A SPOTTER One-rep max ( 1RM) represents the heaviest amount of weight that you can properly lift for only one repetition. That being said, 1RM testing isnt for everyone. If youve been working out for at least a year, have a thorough knowledge of proper lifting technique and, most important, dont want to guesstimate your 1RM, then go for it. If youre still a beginner or intermediate bodybuilder, however, gauging your strength based upon a guesstimation is both safer and equally effective. Procedure: Once youve warmed up, take up to five attempts to determine your correct 1RM weight, allowing yourself 37 minutes of rest between attempts. Always use a spotter, yet he or she shouldnt help with the weight unless you absolutely cant lift it any farther. If the spotter does help during a 1RM lift, that weight doesnt represent your 1RM decrease the weight and try it again, or estimate from that and previous attempts. EXAMPLE: Exercise Warm-up 1 ___ ___ 2 ___ ___ 3 ___ ___ 4 ___ ___ 5 ___ ___

1RM

1) Bench Press 34 sets 2) Leg Press 34 sets

_____ _____

6 Rockport 1- Mile Fitness Walking Test

This tests your cardiovascular endurance. Procedure: As long as you dont have any major health or physical problems, this ones a breeze walk as fast as you possibly can for 1 mile, on either a track or flat surface. This test can be performed using a treadmill, just dont use the handrails or elevation. Immediately upon completion of the mile, take a 15second 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 maximal amount of oxygen your body utilizes).

Time: _______ minutes 15-second HR: _______ x 4 = _______ beats /minute VO 2 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 Female Excellent > 51.3 > 45.7 Very Good 45.051.3 38.345.7 Good 37.745.0 35.338.3 Fair 33.037.7 26.735.3 Poor < 33.0 < 26.7
REFERENCES
Baechle, T.R. Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994. Kenney, W.L. ACSMs guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. (5th ed.) Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1995.

Rick Schaff

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

168 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

Reiff

Reiff

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

EATING
By Chris Aceto

U LT R A S Y S T E M

Eating for Muscle: A Yearlong Strategy

Eating for bodybuilding used to be pretty simple: Add a couple of scoops of weight-gain powder to your favorite beverage twice a day, blend and pour the concoction down the hatch. Of course, the drinks werent all that was smooth so were the physiques. This simplistic approach to dieting is as outdated as some of your fathers training methods. Todays more advanced approach to nutrition can help you smash through training and growth plateaus, prepare and recover 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 to continually alter your diet to reflect what youre trying to accomplish in the gym. Over the next 12 months, youll learn exactly how to mesh your training and diet together with an eating plan as exacting as the sets and reps you do with the iron. Youll know how many calories and carbs, protein and fat grams to eat, choosing easy-to-make meals with highquality nutrients based on your weight and training goals. While the practice of cycling your workouts and diets isnt all that new to bodybuilding, its only now 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 makes absolute 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 burning bodyfat, she notes. As explained in the main article, your training for the upcoming year will be divided into phases. Your goal and the training method will vary within each phase, so your nutrition will also change to enhance the training youll be doing. Simply put, as your training prescription moves from one phase to another, as you make changes in the poundages you use, the reps you perform and the total number of sets you complete, your total calorie intake and ratio of carbs to protein to fat will also vary. For example, when youre trying to pack on mass, youll be eating more calories, especially protein and carbs. The body grows better with a caloric surplus, and youll need more energy to bust it up in the gym. More than half of those calories will come from carbs, the fuel for hard weight training, with roughly 25%30% coming from protein, the material required to build muscle size. As you move into an active rest phase to maximize recuperation, youll decrease your protein and replace it with a bit more fat. Kleiner explains, You dont need as much protein or total calories when youre exercising with less intensity. Likewise, when its time to get ripped up, youll drop your dietary fat as low as possible, cut back a bit on your carbs and increase protein to prevent your body from burning muscle mass. Kleiner adds: When your goal is to lose fat, you need to eat more protein to continue to build. You must have 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 or during 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 youre consuming. You must have a really good idea of how many total calories your body needs each day. If your aim is to build lean muscle, keep a diet log and weigh and measure your food at least for the first 45 weeks to get the hang of it and identify exactly what youre eating. After that, you can eyeball it and come pretty close.
Chris Aceto graduated summa cum laude from Springfield College in Massachusetts, earning a bachelors 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 Championship Bodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss, call 207-934-7812.

170 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

Photo of Roland Kickinger by Robert Reiff

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1 How Many Calories Do You Need?

To establish how many calories you need each day, follow this 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 the approximate number of calories burned during exercise. Use the following charts. 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 Strength/Power .05 Growth .06 Shredding/Endurance .06 Active Rest /Preparatory .04 Cardio Cost .09 .09 .10 .06
Reiff

In Case of Emergency,

Read This
ambitious as you may be feeling today, what happens when you arent feeling well, or have to travel for work? Maybe next week youre fully booked and you know you wont be able to keep up with your program. All of these events happen sooner or later, so youd best be prepared. Heres how:

As

If youre sick, or not feeling well: Flexibility training is a great way to relax and keep your muscles active when your body isnt ready for the rigors of training. After a brief warm-up, use the stretching program described in the Week 1 workout ( Wednesday). If the symptoms are in your head and not in your chest, moderate cardiovascular training wont worsen your symptoms or prolong the infection.1 Besides, low- to moderate-intensity aerobic training can help boost blood circulation and is far better for your muscles than lying on your couch, choking down moms chicken soup. Traveling: This really shouldnt be an excuse to miss too many days of training because most hotels now come equipped with some kind of gym or have one nearby. If thats not the case, use whats available to get a workout the stairwell or pool as your form of cardio; push-ups, dips, wall squats, lunges, crunches and back extensions for your resistance training; and, of course, it doesnt matter where you are to stretch. Unexpected time restraints: If you miss a day or two, no big deal just pick up where you left off. If youre starting to see this as a trend, however, readjust your schedule. Consider training before work or during your lunch hour. If you have only the weekends, then group all your bodyparts in a two-day split. For example, train your chest, back, shoulders, traps and abs on one day, and biceps, triceps, quads, hams and calves on the other.
REFERENCE
1. Weidner, T.G., et al. The effect of exercise training on the severity and duration of a viral upper respiratory illness. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 30(11):1,5781,583, 1998.

Example: For the 200-pound male training an hour a day in the growth 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) x 200 = 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 Supplements
Answering that perennial question, What supplements should I take, how much and when? will depend on what your monthly training goal is. When youre cutting back on calories and trying to rip up, you may benefit from using larger quantities of supplements that might help retain muscle like branchedchain amino acids and HMB, and adding thermogenics such as caffeine and mahuang to keep your metabolism in high gear. You can also add pyruvate to the mix to possibly enhance fat loss. During the growth and strength phases, youll want supplements that support energy production: Creatine and glutamine are awesome, meal-replacement
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172 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

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packets and carb drinks are a convenient source of carbs and protein when youre on the go, and glucosamine is a good supplement to protect your joints when youre hoisting heavier weight in a low-rep range during your strength phase. During the coming year, well discuss what supplements to take, and when and how much is best depending on the phase youre in. For this first installment, the supplements I recommend are included with the eating plans.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

Eating in the Prep Phase: Weeks 1 2

MEALS
4 egg whites, scrambled 1 cup oats, dry measure, cooked 3 /4 banana Totals 2 eggs, scrambled 1 large bagel 8 oz. orange juice Totals 11/2 oz. cream cheese 1 large bagel, dry 3 egg whites, scrambled 1/2 cantaloupe Totals

Cals Carb Pro

60 300 75 435 140 250 100 590 150 250 36 93 529 0 54 19 73 0 49 25 74 1 49 0 23 73 0 12 10 tr 22

Fat
0 6 tr 6

12 10 8 2 1 0.5 21 12.5 3 8 9 1 21 8.5 14 2 0 tr 16 1 1 10 12 13 2 tr 15 0 10 2 12 7 tr tr 6 13

our nutritional needs during this phase emphasize carbs and some fat to pro25% mote an energy surplus. Protein is still Fat important, yet because your training isnt 60% excessive, youll need only modest Carbs 15% amounts to keep you in a growth state. Protein Choose any four of the 10 meals listed for approximately 2,000 daily calories (average is 500 calories each), and add 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 listed at left follow this ratio and are approximately 76 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat each.

Ra

tio Go al

SUPPLEMENTS
Multivitamin/mineral complex taken once daily with breakfast.

2 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 46 grilled 1 1/2 cups brown rice 300 1/4 cup avocado 100 Totals 446 1 1/2 Tbsp. peanut butter 2 slices wheat bread 2 bananas Totals 150 140 200 490

66 9 4 1 74 18.5 3.5 26 52 81.5 27 0 44 71 0 56 12 4 72 7 6 2 16 5 10 7 22 12 4 1 0 17

SNACKS
The following yield roughly 231 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrate, 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat each to approximate the carb, protein, fat ratio of 60/15/25 required in the prep phase.

Cals Carb Pro

1 9-inch tortilla 1 slice light cheese 1 tsp. mustard 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce Totals 1 hard-boiled egg 1/2 large bagel Totals 2 Tbsp. whey protein mixed with water 4 apple rice cakes 2 tsp. peanut butter Totals
1/2 1/2

Fat
3 4 tr tr 7 5 1 6 tr tr 5 5 3 1 tr 4 2 0 0 2

1 1/2 cups frozen veggies, steamed 120 3 1/2 oz. beef (uncooked wt.), broiled 132 2 oz. cooked pasta 220 Totals 472 3 oz. salmon (uncooked wt.), grilled 116 8 oz. baked potato 244 small salad 50 2 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 70 Totals 480 Stir fry: Heat together 8 small shrimp 1 Tbsp. peanut butter 3 oz. rice noodles 2 Tbsp. chopped green onion Totals

130 70 8 50 258 70 125 195 42 160 50 252 150 42 50 242 140 30 36 206

23 1 tr 12 36 0 23 23 1 36 1 38 27 1 13 40 26 3 8 37

3 6 tr tr 9 6 4 10 9 4 2 15 5 9 tr 14 6 5 tr 11

70 100 300 4 474

0 12 2.5 4.5 75.5 3 tr tr 75.5 19.5 0 13.5

1 8.5 1.5 tr 11 8 1 tr 3 12

3 oz. ground turkey (uncooked wt.), 130 browned 9 oz. baked yam 297 1 cup asparagus tips, steamed 40 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 Totals 502 4 thin slices deli turkey 120 1 slice light cheese 70 1 large pita round 165 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 2 slices tomato, lettuce 30 2 medium apples 162 Totals 582
174 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

69 3 8 2 2 0 79 18.5 2 1 35 2 4 42 86

cup oats, cooked Tbsp. whey protein mixed with water 1/2 banana Totals 2 slices wheat toast 1 slice fat-free cheese 1 plum Totals

12 7.5 6 4 5 1 0 3 tr tr tr tr 23 15.5

REFERENCE
Ulene, A. The neutribase: nutrition facts desk reference. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1995.

Note: tr indicates trace amounts.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S ULTRA S Y S T E M MONTH 1

Eating in the Growth Phase: Weeks 3 5

MEALS
2 whole eggs + 6 egg whites, scrambled 3 oz. cooked cream of rice cereal 12 oz. orange juice Totals 8 egg whites, scrambled 11/2 bagel 1 Tbsp. peanut butter 1/4 cantaloupe Totals 1 cup oats, cooked 1 cup 2% cottage cheese 3/4 cup canned pineapple (no sugar added) Totals

Cals Carb Pro

230 300 168 699 120 375 100 45 640 300 204 115 619 tr 66 37 103 tr 75 2 12 89 54 8 30 92 0 77 8 2 87 tr 85 8 93 0 66 5 2 19 92 0 3 20 8 66 97 0 72 12 10 94 0 64 6 16 9 95 0 88 12 100 30 5 2 37 24 12 4 tr 40 10 30 tr

Fat
11 tr tr 11 tr 3 9 tr 12 6 4.5 tr

our nutritional needs during this phase emphasize carbs, to provide your muscles with enough fuel for pushing through intense workouts and 15% Fat promoting an anabolic environment. Protein goes way up, to provide enough amino acids to 25% 60% build rock-hard muscle tissue. Dietary fat, on Protein Carbs the other hand, decreases because its necessity in the overall caloric picture is overshadowed by your bodys need for carbs and protein. Choose any four of the 10 meals listed for approximately 2,500 daily calories (average 630 calories each), and add 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 of carbs, 39 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat each.

Ra

tio Go al

SUPPLEMENTS BY WEEK # 3 4 5
Multivitamin/mineral complex taken once daily with breakfast. 1520 grams of creatine per day, split into 34 servings of 5 grams each. Take one serving directly after training. 35 grams of creatine taken once daily immediately after training. 24 grams of glutamine once daily immediately after training.

40 10.5 33 5 2 0 40 35 3 2 40 5 tr tr 3 8 8 tr tr 8

6 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 155 grilled 11 oz. baked potato 341 1 cup asparagus tips, steamed 40 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 Totals 571 6 1/2 oz. swordfish (uncooked wt.), broiled 11 oz. baked yam 1/2 cup peas, steamed Totals 220 363 40 623

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

5 oz. chicken breast, grilled 180 11/2 cups cooked rice 300 1 cup cauliflower, steamed 24 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressing 35 1 large pear 75 Totals 614 5 oz. flank steak (uncooked wt.), broiled 1 slice fat-free cheese 1/2 cup kidney beans 1 cup green beans, steamed 11 2 cups cooked rice Totals 4 oz. water-packed tuna 3 1/2 oz. cooked pasta 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1 cup broccoli Totals 233 30 100 40 300 703 100 385 74 44 603

30 6 9 1.5 1 0 0 3 0 0 40 10.5 23 5 6 2 9 45 24 10 2 4 40 24 4 1 1 tr 30 26 10 4 40 11 0 tr tr 3 14 2 4 2 tr 9 4 6 0 0 tr 10 4 7 tr 11

Cals Carb Pro

1 bagel 2 slices fat-free cheese Totals 2 Tbsp. whey protein mixed with water 6 oz. baked potato Totals cup low-fat cottage cheese with pineapple 4 rice cakes Totals
1/2 3/4

Fat
2 0 2 1 tr 1 4 tr 4 3 tr tr 3 6 tr tr 6

250 60 310 84 248 332 165 140 305 150 63 75 288 210 45 75 330

47 6 53 1

9 10 17 17

42 3.5 43 20.5 18 28 46 27 1 20 48 30 0 18 48 15 3 18 5 13 tr 18 9 9 0 18

4 1/2 oz. eye round steak 141 (uncooked wt.), broiled 2 9-inch tortillas 300 2 Tbsp. fat-free mayo 30 1 cup chopped onions and peppers 70 1 medium peach 37 Totals 578 5 oz. chicken breast (uncooked wt.), 112 grilled 2 cups prepared couscous 480 1 cup mixed peas & carrots, steamed 60 Totals 652
176 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 1999

cup oats, cooked 3 Tbsp. whey protein powder 3/4 cup fruit cocktail (in own juice) Totals 3 slices raisin bread 3 egg whites, scrambled 1 small apple Totals Blender drink: 1 cup low-fat milk 1 cup orange juice 3 Tbsp. whey protein powder shaved ice Totals

100 100 63 0 263

12 25 1 0 41

8 tr 13 0 21

2 tr tr 0 2

Note: tr indicates trace amounts.

MUSCLE & FITNESS

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

Ultimate Long-Term Resistance and Aerobic System

A Word About Next Month

you thought your workouts were getting tough in Week 5, you aint seen nuthin yet! Next month, under the guidance of Harvey Newton, CSCS, executive director of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, youll make the transition from training with higher reps and shorter rest periods to lower reps and increased rest periods. You know what that means more weight! The reason youll be training heavier is so youll really stimulate those fast-twitch ( Type IIb) muscle fibers and stress your immediate energy-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 less bodyfat, the results will be just as effective. Either way, like a great suspense novel, youll 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 protein intake. Chris Aceto, along with Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, and Bonnie Modugno, RD, will explain why you need so much protein, when the best time to eat is and the best protein sources for building strength. M&F

If

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