Denise inviting you on my journey to get toned body through weight training along with trying something new, blogging my experience. What started me on this journey happened when I had come across photos on the internet of women fitness and bodybuilding competitors of the 80′s and 90′s. Madonna Grimes, Rachel McLish, Corey Everson, and many others which looked phenomenal. Along with looking phenomenal I admire their work ethic, strong determination, and always striving for the best possible.
Well I’m looking to gain a similar physique, challenging myself. Right now I have an ok body but I know it coud be better. Currently at the moment I work out to a few exercise video sets which are not bad at all, helpful in keeping me trim with a little definition. Also sometimes I just grab my dumbbells and do a total body workout for about 30-40 minutes. As for my current eating and supplement plan, it”s ok… Right now I eat about 3 full meals and snack here and there and have a protein shake after workout. I try my best to stay away from heavy sugar, salt, and fried foods. But now with the new challenge I have come up with a exercise, eating, and supplement plan I’ll be using to achieve my goal.
The most important part of any fitness plan is creating a healthy eating plan. My lean muscle diet plan will consist of cycling carbs. On the days that I will be lifting I will consume more carbs to keep my energy level up throughout my training. On the days that I’m not lifting I will be cutting back on the carbs and increasing the protein and fat just a little to help in feeding the muscle after training to grow. As for finding what you need to consume caloric wise on a daily basis you will need to do a little research on this. For myself I’m just looking at the moment to build muscle so with my activity level and weight I need to consume 2700 calories daily. The rule of thumb I keep hearing about and reading is 30-40 is protein, 40-60 carbohydrates, and 10-20 fats of your daily caloric intake. Also to make sure your consuming the right intake of protein, carbs, and fats per meal it’s best to weigh out your food with a food scale . Calories per gram: protein-4, carbs-4, and fats-9. I myself actually use a caloric counting book to see how much protein, carbs, and fats are in what I’m thinking about eating. Also there are several good books to choose from that make it alot easier to keep track of your caloric plan along with your fitness routine. If possible try to feed your body several times throughout the day to grow and to keep sugar levels in good standing.
As for supplements I will be using whey protein to consume when I’m really short on time and after I’m done with my training. Also every now and then I grab a RTD(ready to drink) when I’m low on protein powder to hold me over or when too short on time to consume a meal. But mostly I try to eat quality meals.
Finally the exercise plan. To start out I’m looking to just take on compound exercises to start to build strength and also this is the fastest way to gain muscle. The exercises I will be incorporating Sun, Tues, and Thurs are:
Pushups
Military press
Dips
Pulldowns
Crunches w/side twist
Squats
Seated calve raises
All I use for equipment: adjustable bench, weights, resistance anchor and bands. The weights I use are standard adjustable weight plates with 1″ bar . The adjustable weights are nice because you can increase/decrease weight easily as needed and the plates are versatile to use. Also you can go with the Powerblock style weights which are easier and quicker to adjust etc…whatever your preference. As for the resistance bands I have a 12 piece set that’s very durable and works with a door attachment system which makes it very versatile to use.
As far as how many reps, sets, and weight-example:
75pds-5reps-3sets
55pds-2reps-1set
25ods-5reps-1set
10pds-5reps-2sets
This routine will be done 3 times a week. I’m looking to stick with this routine for about 4 weeks and then change.
ALWAYS ALWAYS keep a journal to check your progress of your plan. Journaling your progress helps you to see how it is coming along and if any changes should be made. One more thing, grab a body tape measure and bodyfat scale which also helps in seeing your progress.
One thing I must state is that I’m not a professional trainer or the like, just someone that likes the look and feel of being fit/healthy. So if you have any questions of me I will answer according to what I know works to the best of my knowledge. Also as always have a physical, etc…done before starting any exercise program. Well I guess that is it for now. I will probably within the next couple days post recipes of foods I’m eating throughout the week.
Bye for now 
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