Antonio's Training

Final Body Transformation 

Before                             After

After 12 weeks the results are finally in and Stephanie finished her body transformation in great shape. She will be 45 next month and there is no doubt she is in the best shape of her life. A lot people might ask why someone that was already in good shape would want to submit them-self to such a dedicated program but I think the answer is obvious. There is always room for improvement no matter who you are and its the drive and commitment that keep us focused and keeps us from slipping. If someone with so little to lose can make such a big difference in how they look just imagine what the average person can do with this program if they put their minds to it. Great job Stephanie!

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                                                      In the news

Schell Brothers start corporate fitness challenge

Chris giving a motivational speech to employees at a corporate meeting

For the fourth year in a row I’m offering my Corporate Fitness Challenge to Schell Brothers Companies and I promise this will be a very competitive event. To date I have trained 36 different employees and already have a lengthy list of people signed up for to start again this year. The competition will allow participants to do my 12 week body transformation while competing against each other for a substantial amount of prize money offered by their employers. They will also have the opportunity to get reimbursed for my program if they meet their goals so you can bet there will be some great transformations. Stay tuned for more information as I will be posting pictures, videos and results throughout the contest.

The above video was shown to members of Schell Brothers companies at their corporate meeting last Friday as a source of inspiration to anyone that wants to join this years fitness challenge. The video features people from the company that have already completed my program and achieved great results.

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 Ask the Trainer

How many sets and reps are best for getting in shape?

Q:. I’ve read many articles on weight training and have spent my fair share of time in the gym but the one thing I’m still unclear on is how many sets and repetitions are best for getting in shape. There seems to be a lot of different opinions out there wondering what your thoughts were on this issue.

A:.There are many things to consider when designing a  winning program such as experience level, genetics, nutrition and lifestyle but before you can make any intelligent decisions on how many sets and reps would be best you must first determine your goals.

Most people fall somewhere in between strength, size or general fitness. Determine which category works best for you and try the following suggestions but before we get started let’s make sure everyone knows what both terms mean.

A set is a group of consecutive repetitions performed in an exercise without rest and a repetition or rep is simply how many times you lift the weight in a set.

Strength (power lifter)

6-9 sets per body part and (1-8) reps per set

If you’re sole purpose is to get strong and you care less how you look you’re better off concentrating on (6-9) sets per body part and 1-5 reps per set.  This set rep scheme can be divided into a variety of different combinations to allow you to lift heavier loads to increase strength and generally focuses on core lifts that work larger groups of muscles such as bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows and dumbbell presses. Since strength athletes are only concerned with how much weight they can move its better to break sets into smaller rep ranges (5×5, 4×3, 3×3, 2×2) and rest periods between sets can be as long as 2-5 minutes so that one can properly recover to maintain strength. A good example would be 3 sets of bench presses for 3 reps each with a 5 minute rest between each set.

Size (bodybuilder)

8-12 sets per body part and (8-10) reps per exercise

Most people associate size and strength together but those who have spent time doing some serious strength training realize there is defiantly a difference. Don’t get me wrong strength training will defiantly get you bigger but it not the best way to put on size. To gain quality muscle mass you have to up the set rep range to (8-12) sets and 8-10 reps per set.

This set range works great for building bigger muscles for 2 main reasons. First it allows for more time under tension causing the muscle being worked to recruit and break down more muscle fibers and force them to adapt by growing larger.

Secondly the higher volume of sets and reps increases the body testosterone and growth hormone production. These key hormones help feed and repair muscles allowing them to grow to optimum size. Rest periods range from 1-2 minutes between sets on average.

Fitness (athlete/fitness buff)

(9-12) sets per body part and (8-15) reps per exercise

If you’re looking for a combination of size strength and fitness you’ll want your set rep scheme that falls between (9-12) sets per body part and (8-15) sets per exercise. This allows you to work through a variety of different set rep ranges while training for size, strength and endurance keeping your body off balance and continuously achieving results. For example you can cycle your repetitions by doing 3 weeks of 8-10 reps, 3weeks of 10-12 or 3 weeks of 12-15 reps. I do however suggest keeping sets mostly between 8-10 as anything more than 12 sets for long periods of time can cause overtraining.

As mentioned previously there are many other factors that contribute to a successful program but it makes good sense to find the set rep range that matches your goals and design a program that works best for you.

How do I stay on track with my fitness goals?

Q:.I am getting ready to start a fitness regimen and was wondering if you had any advice on how to be successful. I have no trouble working hard but sometimes have trouble coming up with a definitive plan. Do you have any helpful hints that might help me stay on track with both my diet and workouts?  

A:. Ask any accomplished person and they’ll tell you that planning is the key to success. The same principal holds true when deciding to get in shape. As I always tell my client’s fitness can’t be a grey area where you halfheartedly do a few things to lose weight but rather it should start with a specific goal and a plan that has the precision of a laser guided bomb. Here are 5 techniques I believe are fitness game changers when it comes to accomplishing your goals.

 Keep a food journal

People that see you keeping a diary of what you eat will probably call you obsessive but don’t let them bother you because keeping a food journal can be a very valuable tool. I have found that people have no idea how much or how little food they eat unless they write it down.  Once they see what the problem is all they have to do is make a plan to fix it. This doesn’t have to be a long term but keeping track of at least a week of what you put in your mouth can be an eye opening, or should I say mouth closing experience.

Prepare your meals ahead of time

If you think you can get away with going through the day hoping there will be healthy food choices for you to pick from I’ve got news for you, it’s not going to happen. If you don’t prepare your meals ahead of time you will surely end up eating those doughnuts someone dropped off in the office at work. One of the best investments I ever made was a collapsible cooler with an ice pack so I could prepare my meals ahead of time and keep them chilled and ready to eat at a moment’s notice.

Keep workout records

For most people working out is mindless experience where all they have to do is show up and do some reasonably hard work and the rest will take care of itself but they fail to realize that results depend on constantly challenging yourself with new and creative workouts? Keeping records of past routines will give insight on what you’ve done in the past and how to make the necessary changes to continue making progress in the future. As the old saying goes, “How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been”.

 Periodically evaluate your success

I find it extremely valuable to evaluate your success every 3-6 weeks. After you see where you are you can make new more ambitious goals you can strive to accomplish in the future. For people that are trying to tone up and lose weight I’d suggest taking measurements and testing body fat percentages. Once you see real concrete results on paper you will be motivated to work even harder to get to the next level. If the results aren’t good it can serve as a wakeup call to recommit to your goals and make the necessary changes to your routine.

 Challenge yourself with an annual fitness event

I strongly believe that having something specific to train for at least once a year does wonders to keep you fresh, motivated and on top of your game. This event can vary depending on your interest but a few good examples are 5k races, mud runs, triathlons or even a friendly fitness competition among friends or co-workers. I personally make it a point every January to do my own 12 Week Body Transformation program to keep myself in check and to lose any additional weight gained do to the holiday season.

Remember nobody ever said staying in shape is easy but once your there its well worth the effort.

We’re back!

If you are receiving this e-mail it’s because sometime during the last couple years you signed up for it. The problem is that I have been so busy training, writing and just living life that I haven’t sent out a newsletter for a long time. I have completely upgraded the website and periodically posted fresh material but that’s about it. Boy oh boy things are about to change. I am now gearing up to send this newsletter out monthly with the intent to provide interesting, educational, motivational and inspirational material to anyone willing to read it. There will be no spam, sales pitches or any other junk just valuable information for likeminded people who love working out and staying in shape. I encourage you to comment, write questions and even send pics and who knows you just might find yourself gracing the pages of Antonio’s Training or find your questions answered in the Cape Gazette. Ok, enough said, let’s get moving.

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In the News

Antonio’s Corporate Fitness clients move that bus

Shell Brothers Construction Company has participated in my corporate fitness challenge 3 times and was recently chosen to participate in ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. The show was chosen for this year’s Thanksgiving special and will air Friday November 18^th at 8:00 Pm. Be sure to tune in and check out the awesome job that they did building a soup kitchen for those in need while working through an earthquake, hurricane and a tornado all in one week. Also check out the video below featuring some of the best male body transformations from Schell Brothers Companies.

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Transformation

Many of you may recognize the woman you see in the picture below. Yep that’s right it’s my wife Stephanie. Stephanie has always been known for being one of the most in shape grandma’s in the area but at age 44 she wanted to take her fitness program to the next level so she has agreed to do my 12 week body transformation. We initially decided that she would only do 6 weeks because of her advanced fitness level but she’s doing so well she is already talking about extending. Stay posted for updates on her progress.

Week #1                   Week #5

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Ask the Trainer

Stick with the basics for best results

When I was young the most common question I heard at the local gym was how much you bench? Boy how things have changed. Today you’re more likely to hear how many box jumps, kettle bell swings and flying leg raises can you do in 30 seconds while standing single legged on a bosu balance ball?

Great exercise or accident waiting to happen? You be the judge.

Don’t get me wrong I too like change. After all it makes life interesting but don’t get so caught up in the hype that you forget about the basics that have been giving people great results for the past 75 years.

Here are 4 time tested oldie but goodies that every serious fitness enthusiast should consider adding to their training programs. Give them a try, you will be surprised at how simple and effective they are for helping you get in shape.

Barbell Squats

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a strength athlete, body builder or soccer mom if you want to reach your full potential barbell squats should be included in your program. Many people don’t like to do squat’s because they are just plain hard but the results you’ll get will be well worth the effort. No other exercise I can think of isolates the quads, glutes and hamstrings more effectively than the traditional back squat so if this exercise is not currently part of your program all I can say is get squatting!

Squats aren’t just for guys.

Dead lifts

Once thought only as an exercise for muscle heads and weightlifting behemoths dead lifts have found their way into the mainstream of fitness. I love deadlifts because there’s no real way to cheat it’s just you against the weight and you better be ready or the weight will win. Deadlifts are a great addition to any program because they work several larger muscle groups including the upper back, traps, hamstrings, quads, hips and a host of smaller muscles all at the same time.

If deadlifts were good enough for a 70 year old they are certainly good enough for you!

Military shoulder press

The thought of lifting a barbell overhead would normally be enough to make most orthopedic surgeons have a nervous breakdown but if you take the time to properly strengthen all 3 heads of the shoulders muscles- front, side and rear delts- as well as use proper form the military press can be a great shoulder exercise. The military press primarily works the shoulders but also hits the traps, triceps, upper chest, abs and lower back too. It can also be a great way to work on balance and it takes a lot of practice to stabilize the weight.

Bent over barbell rows

You can do all the fancy machines you want but nothing will isolate the bigger back muscles like doing a bent over barbell row. I consider this the meat and potatoes off all back exercises and teach it to my clients once they have mastered basic movements such as seated cable rows and lat pulldowns. Bent over barbell rows are great because they require upper body strength, core strength and stability to do them correctly.

Chest Dips

Most people associate bench presses for chest development but I’ll take bench dips any day of the week. Chest dips are a great way to isolate the chest and triceps without using a bench to support your body weight sharpening your core strength, balance and posture all in one shot.

chest dips are not a beginner’s exercise and most people will have to work up to them as they get stronger and lose excess body fat. Once you’re able to pound out 10 or more of these babies you might even want to strap a weight to your body for added resistance. Chest dips have been around forever and are still a great choice for any program.

So if your training routine is beginning to sounds more like an order of fancy Italian coffee than a workout it might be time to go with simpler more effective approach of time tested exercises that have been helping people achieve their fitness goals since 1932 when York barbell decided to forge pig iron into the first weightlifting sets.

Why everyone should get body fat tested

There are many ways to test the effectiveness of your training program but none as important as checking your body fat. You can be strong, fast or have bulging biceps but if you’re carrying a high percentage of body fat you’ll never reach your full potential. I personally guarantee that reducing your body fat to an optimal range will make you look, feel and perform in ways you never dreamed of so if you’re curious to see how you stack up against the competition get tested and adjust your program accordingly.

Getting Tested

It really doesn’t matter what method you use as long as you have a baseline you’ll be able to chart your progress but just in case I’ll break it down from least to most effective so that you can choose the method that works best for you.

Bio-electrical impendence

This method works by sending low level electrical currents through your body to determine your body fat usually through a scale or handheld device. It’s popular because it is quick and easy but is it’s not very accurate. Several factors including skin temperature, body hair and fluid retention make it even less perfect. On average the bioelectrical impedance has a margin of error of approximately 10-12%.

Skin fold calipers

This test uses a large set of calipers to lightly pinch the skin in several key areas. The calipers allow you to measure the thickness of fat on the outer layer of skin. You then compare the measurements to predetermined chart or do a fancy mathematical equation and you have your body fat percentage. This is a much more accurate way to check your body fat and is my personal favorite but it doesn’t test visceral body fat that lies between the organs so the more obese the person being tested the less accurate the test.  It also depends on the skill and consistency of the person administering the test. The average margin of error is about 3-4%.

Hydrostatic weighing

This test requires you’re body to be lowered into a giant tank of water and since muscle is denser than fat your body composition can be determined based on how much water you displace. People that have a low body fat will displace more water than those with a higher body fat percentage but very few facilities have the equipment to give this test except possibly some hospital’s or universities making the test unrealistic for the average person to get access.

Dexa scanner

The Dexa Scaner is latest and most accurate method of body fat testing because it takes into account muscle, fat and bone mass. It’s a very expensive piece of equipment that uses low level ex-rays and can be found at some imaging centers and doctors’ offices. To take this test you simply lay down on an open table while a computer generated arm slowly scans vertically from head to toe over your body. The end result is an accurate detailed spread sheet of overall body fat percentage as well as the body composition of all of our major body parts.

How do I measure up?

The only real way to know what kind of shape you’re in is to see what you’re made of and I mean literally. Here’s a chart to see how you measure up. Remember women naturally carry more body fat than men so don’t be upset if your boyfriend is lower than you are.

Where do I go from here?

Ok, chances are you won’t be as lean as you had hoped for but that’s the beauty of getting tested. First find out where you are and what your fitness level is and then make a better leaner version of your current self. As a wise historian once said, “How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you been”, and if you get tested you’ll know where you’ve been. The only real question left to answer is where are you going from here?

18% body fat                    8% body fat

Jay Nichols completed my 12 week body transformation and lost 9% body fat in 12 weeks and body fat testing was a great way for us to track his results.

Stay tuned next month for more valuable information, news and inspirational results!