The Entry-Level Muscle Express

Are you new to fitness? Do you just need to get your program back on track. This No-Nonsense Action Plan will get you started immediately!

By Steve Colescott
No Nonsense Newsletter Volume 11 #4

  My father (William Colescott) made a point of reading every article I have ever written. I recall on one occasion he took a keen interest in one of them (I could tell by the questions he asked), and he told me that he was thinking about starting some type of fitness program.

Neither he or my mother were particularly health-conscious, both smoked, would drink recreationally on a fairly regular basis and healthy, nutritious eating seemed to only happen for them by accident. My father was a man of hidden strengths. He never spoke of his past or childhood so it wasn’t until after I graduated from high school that I learned (through my mother) that he played semi-pro basketball and held most of the county track records as a young man. He shocked my teenage nephews once by showing moves on the basketball court that seemed impossible for one that had not handled a basketball in at least three decades.

But now in his mid-seventies, he was beginning to see the deleterious effects of poor eating and lack of exercise. He suffered from diabetes and the associated blood pressure conditions that tend to follow it and was amassing numerous aches and pains (most of which I’m sure he didn’t mention to anyone until they became severe enough to warrant intervention.

Unfortunately, my mother’s poor health (including a three-month hospital stay) quickly took precedence in his life. He died in his sleep shortly after she was released and never got a chance to start that fitness program. My mother passed away earlier this month (just over three years after his death) and I have no doubt they both would have extended their lives by at least a decade had they placed more importance on their health.

It has been said that the function of death is to remind us of the value of life and the opportunities we have in the time allotted us. Life becomes more precious because of its limited duration. As a reader of this publication it is doubtful that you need to be convinced of the benefits of the bodybuilding lifestyle. If you have been casually looking into it but have not begun the fitness lifestyle, or if you just need a kick in the butt to get started again, then this is the perfect article to get you started. Commit yourself to a fresh start. Begin living the life you have always wanted now!

This program has three distinct parts: 1) time management, 2) the nutrition program, and 3) the workouts. We will now delve into each of these topics in detail.

Time Management: Design Your Life

When making a major adjustment to your life, the first step should be to take a few minutes to sit down and arrange your schedule. If you were to really look at how you spend your non-working hours you might be surprised at how easily it could be altered.

The average American spends nearly twenty hours a week watching television so you should be able to find time to pursue your fitness goals. If you are a TV junkie consider getting TiVo or DVR (services through your cable company that automatically record the programs you choose). This will allow you to fast forward over commercials (so you can watch a one-hour program in 43-minutes) and allow you to avoid mindless channel flipping. One trick I used when I had a treadmill at home was to only watch TV while doing my cardio. This both limited my TV time and turned it into time well spent.

You will need to allot roughly an hour a day for the workout (less in these early sessions) plus whatever travel time is required if you choose to train at a gym. You also will need to set aside two to three hours for food preparation. Having your food ready the night before is very important to eating healthy meals the following day. Consistency is key. For this reason, I suggest that you train at the same time every day. It doesn’t matter if it is early in the morning before work, on your lunch hour or in the evening. Just make the time and set aside that time for yourself.

We will be doing four strength-training workouts a week and they should only take 30-40 minutes to complete. In order to stay on track, I also recommend that you do a 20-30 minute cardio workout on your non-strength training days. This will make your 6:00AM (or whatever time you choose) appointment a regular thing and you will find, within a relatively short amount of time, that your body will respond to those consistent sessions by providing you with more energy for that time period. Where you may have needed a forklift to drag you butt from bed at the beginning, you may find yourself at your most energized and strongest within a week or two (provided you are consistent and follow the guidelines in the nutrition section).

You will also need to schedule time for food preparation. You will find it is well worth it to wake up fifteen to twenty minutes earlier so that you can eat a warm, wholesome breakfast rather than grabbing a coffee, doughnut and greasy breakfast burrito at the drive-thru on your way to work. Lastly, you will need to make time to sleep so that you regularly get seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night. If you are training hard and eating right you may find that your sleep improves since you will be more physically tired and able to better handle stress. A consistent schedule will be essential here, as a regular bedtime will train your body to slip into a restful state easily.

The Nutrition Program: Basic Eating Principles 

Here are the basics:
1) Eat five to six meals a day. This will stimulate your metabolism, provide a constant flow of protein and nutrients and create an environment that deters against bodyfat.
2) Two to three of your meals will consist of protein shakes.
3) Two to three of your meals are whole food.
4) Every meal contains a fairly high dose of quality protein, 30-50 grams (depending on your bodyweight).
5) Eat two to three servings of salad or fibrous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, etc.) daily.
6) Always drink a Muscle Provider shake immediately after a workout to encourage growth and recuperation.
7) Limit your carbs to slowly absorbed, low-sugar sources, such as rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.
8) Eliminate sweets, pastas, baked goods, sugary coffee drinks and sodas, saturated fats, trans fats and junk food. Concentrate on nutrient-rich foods that will enhance your physique.
Following just those basic rules would dramatically improve the diets of 99.5% of the population. While I am going to list an example diet below, the important thing is that you are able to incorporate those basic principles into your schedule. This will require some planning. I recommend you read my “Grocery Shopping Guide” and “Practical Food Prep” in order to learn about how to fit good nutrition into your lifestyle. (Email bevnut@aol.com with Food Prep in the subject line to receive advance copies of these two articles.)

Supplements are an important part of your daily nutrient intake but at this level it does not take much. We are going to be focusing on a few of Beverly’s most basic (but result-producing) products: Lifters with more disposable income can enhance their supplement program with Glutamine Select (2 scoops mixed into 18-24 ounces cold water) and 10-15 Muscle Mass BCAA capsules during your workout. This will help with recuperation but is not required. These two products are only optional because, at this level, the intensity of your workouts will not be extreme enough to make them a necessity.

Here is a sample diet for a man around 185-200 pounds. Adjust quantities based on your personal needs: 
Meal #1
Six egg white omelet
with diced chicken and spinach
1/2 cup oatmeal
Super-Pak
Ultra 40 (4 tablets)
3 EFA Gold

—	workout —

Meal #2 
Muscle Provider Shake

Meal #3
8 oz chicken or turkey breast
1/2 cup brown rice or small sweet potato
2 cups salad or vegetable
Ultra 40 (4 tablets)

Meal #4
Ultimate Muscle Protein Shake

Meal #5
8 oz. lean beef or fish
2 cups vegetables
Ultra 40 (4 tablets)

Meal #5 
Fat-free cottage cheese w/ diced pineapple
Ultra 40 (4 tablets)

Meal #6 
Ultimate Muscle Protein Shake
EFA Gold (3 caps)
The Workout It doesn’t matter where you train. The workout can be done anywhere with basic equipment. The exercises are simple to perform and will strengthen the basic functions of your body. We are going to be training four times a week, with a schedule similar to what you see below (two days in a row followed by one or two days off). The program is simple but works all of the basic functions of the body, creating a foundation for lifelong strength. 
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
—	A	B	—	C	D	—
I recommend that you do a 20-30 minute cardio session (such as a fast walk) on the days that you are not strength training. This will build your endurance and your tolerance for the high-intense interval sessions that will be a part of your later training.

We need to perform a warm-up before every training session. For a warm-up, perform 8-10 minutes of aerobic exercise (fast walk/jogging, jumping rope, etc.), then do a series of the following exercises, each for 12 reps, with no rest in between: 1) Bodyweight Squats, 2) Push-ups, 3) Burpees (or alternate toe touches) and 4) Leg Raises. If that doesn’t leave you feeling warmed-up and limber, repeat the four exercises for a second series.

As you can see from the chart below, this is a six-week introductory program in which the set and rep scheme changes every two weeks in order to slowly break you in to higher volume and heavier poundages.

BEGINNER PROGRAM

Weeks 1 and 2

Weeks 3 and 4

Weeks 5 and 6

Workout A

1)      Quad-dominant movement

Barbell Squats

3 sets of

10-15 reps

4 sets

8-12 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises — Front Squats, Dumbbell Back Squats, Kettlebell Rack Squats, Leg Press)

2)      One-legged Exercise

DB Lunges

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises — Step-ups, Bulgarian Split Squats, Walking Lunges)

3)      Calf Exercise

1-Legged Calf Raise

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises — Calf Press on Leg Press machine, Standing Calf Machine, Donkey Calf Raise)

 

Workout B

1)      Upper Body Press

Bench Press

3 sets of

10-15 reps

4 sets

8-12 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises — Incline or Flat DB Press, Pec Dips

2)      Triceps Exercise

DB Floor Triceps Ext.

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises —Seated French Press, Close-grip Bench, Triceps Dips

3)      Abdominal Exercise

Reaching Crunches

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises —Abdominal Bicycling, Knee Raises

 

Workout C

1)      Hip-dominant movement

DB Stiff-legged Deadlift

3 sets of

10-15 reps

4 sets

8-12 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises — Hexbar Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings, Romanian Deadlifts, Arched-Back Good Mornings)

2)      Hamstring exercise

Leg Curl

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises —Glute-Ham Raises, DB Leg Curl)

3)      Calf Exercise

Seated Calf Raise

2 sets of

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

 

 

Workout D

1)      Upper Body Pull

DB 1-Arm Row

3 sets

10-15 reps

4 sets

8-12 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises —Front Chin, Undergrip Barbell Row, Front Lat Pulldown

2)      Upward Row

High Pull

2 sets

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises — Upright Row, Hang Clean, Power Shrug

3)      Bicep Curl

Seated DB Curl

2 sets

10-15 reps

3 sets

8-12 reps

3 sets

6-10 reps

(Alternate exercises — Undergrip Chins, Barbell Curls

The above workout can be done with very limited equipment. All you would need would be an adjustable bench and a few pairs of dumbbells. Women can begin with 15s, 20s, 25s, and 35s. Men might want to buy 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. If you wanted to expand your equipment beyond this point, I would recommend a solid power rack and Olympic weight set. With just these simple pieces you can do 85% of the productive work needed to reach your goals. In fact, you might find that limited equipment may cause you to skip the non-functional, overly-isolated nonsense equipment that clutters most gyms and focus your efforts on the proven muscle-building basics.

The program is very basic but, after following it for six weeks, you have built up a very solid foundation. You should also be noticeably more muscular, leaner and capable of using heavier poundages. While the program may seem simple compared to most you may see in fitness magazines, it focuses on the basic movement patterns required for overall strength.

For an intermediate program, I recommend that you choose new exercises from the list of alternate movements. You may then include a second exercise from the alternate exercises listed for the first exercise of the workouts and include it for 2-4 sets. This will make for a total of four exercises.

INTERMEDIATE  PROGRAM

Weeks 7-10

Weeks 11-14

 

Workout A

 

1)      Quad-dominant movement

Front Squats

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — Barbell Squats, Kettlebell Rack Squats, Leg Press, DB Squats)

 

2)      Quad-dominant movement

          Leg Press (wide stance)

2-3 sets of 6-10 reps

4 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — see the above list)

 

3)      One-legged Exercise

Bulgarian Split Squats

3 sets of 8-12 reps

3 sets of 8-12 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — Step-ups, Walking Lunges, Single-legged Leg Press)

 

4)      Calf Exercise

45° Calf Press

3 sets of 6-10 reps

4 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — Standing Calf Machine, Donkey Calf Raise, 1-Legged Calf Raise)

 

 

 

Workout B

 

1)      Upper Body Press

Incline DB Press

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10/ 8/ 6/ 6/ 6/ 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises — Incline or Flat BB Bench, Incline or Flat DB Press)

 

2)      Upper Body Press

Pec Dips

2-3 sets of max reps

4 sets of 8-12 reps

 

(Do sets of Feet-elevated Push-ups if you are not able to get at least 6 reps in the Pec Dip in good form. Add weight once you can reach twelve reps on all the sets of Pec Dips.)

 

3)      Triceps Exercise

DB Floor Triceps Ext.

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises —Seated French Press, Close-grip Bench, Triceps Dips

 

4)      Abdominal Exercise

Cable Pulldown Crunches

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises —Abdominal Bicycling, Knee Raises, Crunches, Reverse Crunches or any abdominal exercise you choose. Feel free to change these as often as you wish.)

 

 

 

Workout C

 

1)      Hip-dominant movement

Romanian Deadlift

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10/ 8/ 6/ 6/ 6/ 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercises — Hexbar Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings, Arched-Back Good Mornings, DB Stiff-legged Deadlift.)

 

2)      45° Hyperextension

2-3 sets of 8-12 reps

4 sets of 8-12 reps

 

(Choose an exercise that works the low back without compressing the spine, such as Hyperextensions or Reverse Hyperextensions.)

 

3)      Hamstring exercise

DB Leg Curl

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises —Glute-Ham Raises, Leg Curl Machines.)

 

4)      Calf Exercise

Seated Calf Raise

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

 

 

 

 

Workout D

 

1)      Upper Body Pull

Front Lat Pulldown

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 3-4 reps

6 sets of 10/ 8/ 6/ 6/ 6/ 3-4 reps

(Alternate exercise —Front Chin)

 

2)      Upper Body Pull

Undergrip BB Row

2-3 sets of 8-12 reps

4 sets of 8-12 reps

 

(Alternate exercise —Seated Cable Row, T-bar Row, DB Row)

 

3)      Upward Row

DB Clean

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — Upright Row, Hang Clean, Power Shrug)

 

4)      Bicep Curl

Incline DB Curl

3 sets of 6-10 reps

3 sets of 6-10 reps

 

(Alternate exercises — Undergrip Chins, Barbell Curls)

 


Good luck with the program. You should be very proud that you have made the commitment to make a positive change in your health and physique. You are beginning a journey that is among the most rewarding that life has to offer. I look forward to seeing some of you gracing the pages of this magazine with new, improved bodies and enriched lives. If you have any questions, send them to s_colescott@yahoo.com. Train hard!

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