Workout # 2

Workout # 2, otherwise known as "The Workout from Hell"

All right, guys, this is the trim down workout, the workout you start after you've "bulked up" and want to trim off that excess fat that necessarily comes with adding on any significant muscle. Unfortunately, when you are a day or two into this you're going to realize that lifting those heavy weights, and doing one body part per day, is a cakewalk . . . compared to this.

There are several versions of this trim-down workout that I do, and I will try to get all of those on here. I'm just going to start out with a basic split I do which puts the back and biceps with abs one day, chest, shoulders and triceps the next, and legs separate. The leg workout in particular will be a drastic change to what you've been doing.

I'll list the exercises I do each day, then the specifics.

On back day I do four to five exercises. Generally, they are the following, or exercises that are similar. Pullups or machine pulldowns; Bent rows; dead lifts; pullovers; seated rows.

To that, I add barbell or dumbell curls; hammer curls; and one arm preacher curls for the arms. There are different variations of these, but until you really get into it it will be fine to stick to these basics. Believe me, they will put you through all the pain and suffering you desire.

On chest day, I will do the following, either with barbell or dumbells: flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press. Add to this some dumbell flyes or pec deck flyes and possibly cable crossovers. For the shoulders: Don't forget the overhead military press, with barbell or dumbells; side laterals, bent laterals, shrugs, and front raises. For triceps, pushdowns, single dumbell behind the neck raises; kickbacks. Please refer to either YouTube or Google to see photos/descriptions of each exercise. This information is all over out there if you look.

On leg day, I do what is called Hindu squats. These are squats with no weight, and I do from 500 to 1000 of these, which is an incredible leg burn and endurance/strength developer. You can see how to perform this exercise on YouTube. Just type in Hindu squats.

With this workout I will also start doing a lot more cardio. If you want, you can stick to half an hour to 45 minutes at a 4 mph hour fast walk or a 4 mph slow jog. Either way will burn some fat for you. You can also do intervals, if you're feeling frisky.

Now for the important part of these workouts: SPEED. Start out at a minute's rest between sets, and do your sets in the 10 to 15 repetition range. Do four sets of each. So to use your bench press exercise on chest day as an example, pick a weight you can stick to or even raise each set and do: 15 reps, wait a minute, 15 reps, wait a minute, 15 reps-one minute-15 reps. Wait another minute or two at most and go into your next exercise, in this case the incline press. You can change the order up, but I suggest doing your big muscle groups, back and chest, before the arms.

The key to this workout, as I said above, is SPEED. Don't let any grass grow under your feet. If you aren't sweating heartily throughout this workout, if you have time to stand around and gab, and if you don't at times look as if you're going to pass out from the strain, then you're doing it wrong. After a while, if you keep it up, you will probably get people commenting on your workout, and in another while they will start asking you how you've accomplished what you have in the gym. Believe me, they will if you stick to it. DON'T GIVE UP. The new you you find inside will blow you away.

In this segment, cut down drastically on your calories. For me, I'll go down to 2500 calories a day and slowly cut out from there. If I'm really trying to get cut for a photo shoot I might be eating as little as 1000 calories a day at times, which will cut your weights in the gym DRASTICALLY. So get ready to throw ego out the window. You will still be strong, but when you aren't taking in the calories it isn't going to be nearly as impressive.

Try to do this workout every three or four days. In other words, for example, back/biceps/abs on Monday and Thursday, Chest/shoulders/triceps on Tuesday and Friday, Legs on Wednesday and Saturday.

A word to the wise here: Until you know what this workout is going to do to you, don't get drastic. Start slow, as with all workouts. Don't get hurt trying to do something that I have been doing for many years. That will only frustrate you and make you want to quit, and that's the last thing I want you to do. Maybe start out with 2 sets of each of the exercises I listed. Work up from there.

DRINK 10 to 15 eight ounce glasses of water a day. DO NOT SCRIMP ON THE WATER. You will pay for it if you do, especially if you are eating a proper amount of protein. And don't forget to do the protein drink before, during and after your workout. Keep those muscles replenished. Down a handful of raisins and nuts after the workout to replace the glycogen you've been burning out of your muscles.