My Workout Regime

This is a little embarrassing for me, I only started training 6 months ago after about 3 years of absolutely no exercise and junk-eating having left school and never having to do P.E again!

However, a number of people have asked me what my training schedule is like so I thought I would post a blog about it; other people seem to do this and I know for a fact (after hours of research) that finding a correct answer to a 100% perfect regime is near impossible.

Firstly, I just want to make it clear that it is purely a matter of trial and error; especially in regards to diet. No two bodies are the same and no one workout should be copied to the 't.' Everyone else's opinions and advice should be taken as a guideline and tailored (through trial and error) to your own particular preference; what works best for YOU!

My Goal: Building lean muscle and reducing body fat...

Diet:


I try to eat 6-8 small meals a day, all nutritionally balanced. The general science behind this is:
If you only eat say, 3 big meals a day, your body says "I know I'm not going to get fed for 'X' number of hours, therefore, I need to hold onto any calories I am given in order to give me energy until that next meal."

However, if you eat 6-8 small meals a day, your body says "Okay, I know I'm going to be fed again soon, so I can quickly burn these calories and make space for my next fix."

What this does is it stops the glucose (found in all foods but especially carbohydrates like potato, pasta and rice) from sitting in your body as 'useless energy' essentially becoming fat.

I do not eat potato, rice or pasta because I am trying to reduce my body fat percentage however, it is vital that I still get energy through carbohydrate. Therefore, I eat foods with low GI (Glycemic Index)

There is a list of Low GI foods here which I used to devise my own diet plan:
(http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/)

My Diet: (Yes, it's boring but it works for me...)

Meal 1: Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)
             Ground oats in that shake (if done morning cardio)
             or bowl of Low GI rolled oats with water NOT milk (if no morning cardio)

Meal 2: x2 Lightly salted rice cake with RAW honey (Not runny) and raisins

Meal 3: (Pre-Workout) Apple or Banana

Meal 4: (Post-Workout) Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)
             Once back home - Friend (in low calorie spray) seasoned chicken breast with microwaved sweet potato and peas

Meal 5: x2 Lightly salted Rice cake with RAW honey and raisins

Meal 6: Oven cooked, seasoned chicken breast with microwaved sweet potato and peas

Meal 7: 1x Lightly salted rice cake with RAW honey and raisins

Meal 8: (Pre-bed) Whey Protein Shake (USN IGF-1 ultra low carbs)

In order to build lean muscle, weight-training is essential. However, reducing body fat at the same time requires a balance of weight-training and cardiovascular exercise.

Note: I swap the raw honey weekly with peanut butter. However, as standard peanut butter is high in saturated fat, I buy natural peanut butter from Holland and Barrett. See the link below. If possible, try to buy natural Almond butter, however, this is more expensive.

(http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=3617&prodid=3133&cid=477&sid=0)

My Workout Schedule:


Monday: Pre-breakfast run for 30 minutes
              Chest and Triceps

Tuesday: Back and Biceps

Wednesday: (If not hanging after Student Night) Interval Training (5km in 30 mins) and Abdominals

Thursday: Shoulders and Traps

Friday: Legs

Saturday: Day off

Sunday: Interval Training (5km in 30 mins)

Supplementation:


People don't always want to take supplements, and that's fine if you can meet your necessary calorific intake through natural diet alone. However, for maximum muscle growth and recovery, it is said you should have between 2.75g and 3g of protein per KG of weight.

I weigh 79kg and I try to eat about 240g of protein a day. Therefore, I take Protein supplements in order to reach this.

I take Jack3d before a cardiovascular workout. It is a stimulant which is largely caffeine based. What it does, for me, is boosts my energy levels; allowing me to run for longer and harder which promotes fat loss.

My Supplements:


USN IGF-1 Pure Protein
(http://www.musclefinesse.com/shop/category/Protein-Powders/22/USN-Pure-Protein-1kg/225/detail)

My Protein Instant Oats
(http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/instant_oats)

Jack3d
http://www.musclefinesse.com/shop/category/Pre-Workout-Formulas/21/USP-Labs-Jack3d-250g/743/detail