THE STERN SKULL

20-30 minutes Cardio

As you can see, you should start with 20-30 minutes of cardio.  Any type of cardio will do.  Find something that you don’t mind doing.  The key with cardio is to be active to the point where you really don’t want to talk.  You will want to remain free of distraction.  Do not check your social media during this time.  Do not read a book during this time.  A lot of people use this time to self-reflect or to “zone out” or to daydream.  You can do that, just make sure you maintain a moderate to intense effort during your session.  If you're concerned, pick up a heartrate monitor.

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Types of cardio common at gyms are: elliptical runners, treadmills, upright bikes, recumbent bikes, rowing machines, and stair steppers.  I highly recommend starting with an elliptical runner, treadmill, or some sort of bike.  These are easy to use.  Ellipticals are easy on the joints.  Rowing machines require a certain level of endurance.  If your gym happens to have a pool, you can swim laps for 30 minutes.  Actual aerobics classes can fulfill your 30 minutes of cardio, but they might go on for 60 minutes and/or have lame music.  The same thing goes for jazzercise and zumba classes.  You will still need to fulfill the strength training portion.

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I always recommend having a killer playlist put together that will last through your cardio session.  If keeping the beat is what you tend to do, I suggest putting on the faster paced music.

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Strength Training

Strength training is the act of performing movements that work specific muscles with the end goal being to become stronger, increase mobility, and to burn fat.  This program is designed to make a person more comfortable using weights and getting them to a point where they can increase their progress on their own.

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A common misconception is that if you start lifting weights you’re going to suddenly have a crazy bodybuilder physique or, if you’re a woman, you’ll lose your breast tissue.  It takes a very long time for either one of those things to happen.  If you end up doing 20lb bicep curls after 6 months, you will still have a long way to go.  Don’t fear strength training.  You need to be strong for everyday living.  Muscle actually helps control your body fat percentage.

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You may have never picked up a resistance band, dumbbell, barbell, or plate weight before in your life.  That’s totally fine, but we’re going to change that.  We use these weights to challenge our muscles.  We use these weights to simulate everyday things like lifting groceries or carrying offspring.

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When you start out, go through the workout with bodyweight only or bodyweight and very light weights or bodyweight and resistance bands.  Think of this as you telling your body “hey, we’re going to do this new thing” without overdoing it right off.  During Week 2, you will want to figure out what weight is comfortable for you.  You might opt to stick with body weight for a while on some things, but find that others you can use 10lbs or 15lbs without any problem.  Going too heavy, too fast can result in injury.  A good rule of thumb is to increase by 5lbs when you feel comfortable with the weight you are using.

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If your mobility is limited due to obesity, please stick to bodyweight and light weights until your mobility improves to prevent injury.  You may want to work with a personal trainer in person.  A lot of franchise gyms offer personal training as part of the membership.

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You will notice that exercises are broken down into sets and reps.  A set is the amount of times you do an exercise, while the reps (or repetitions) is the amount of work/motion within the exercise.  For example: 3 sets x 20 Bicep Curls.  This tells us that you are going to do this exercise 3 times (sets).  Each set is going to be made up of 20 bicep curls (reps).

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Since we have 2 arms, we’re going to start with one arm (the “and” side) and then we get to the other arm (the “number” side).  I’m going to call this “Staggered Counting” and it will go like this: And 1, and 2, and 3...and 19, and 20.  This way we do things evenly.  If we were doing air squats, we would just use “Direct Counting” since we use both legs at the same time.  Direct Counting is like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...18, 19, 20.

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The way the reps are decided on are typically 8-10 for heavier weights, 10-15 for moderate weights, and 15-20 for moderate-low weights.  For this reason, test a weight for each movement.  You want to ask yourself if you can lift that weight for the required amount of reps and if you feel a little challenged during the last 2 or 3 reps.  Let’s say that you decide that you can use 15lbs dumbbells for 3 sets x 15 for bicep curls, this is your moderate-low weight.  If you have less reps to do, you should be able to increase your weights a little bit.  Perhaps you try a 17.5lbs weight and find that it gives you the same sort of challenge when you do 3 sets x 10 (moderate weight); then find that you can push yourself to use 20lbs for 3 sets x 8 (heavy).

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It’s important to understand how reps are decided.  It’s good to have both heavy and some form of moderate weights during each workout.  These will have to become adjusted at some point because your muscles will adapt.  Your moderate will become your moderate-low and your heavy will become your new moderate.  This is the process of increasing strength.  It’s natural and it does take a while.  Once you figure out your usual weights needed for your exercises, stay at those weights for the first month.  After that you can increase your weights as needed.

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I’m going to explain how to do each of these movements and I’ll provide modifications so you can work up to the movements.  If you have to use modifications, do not be ashamed or feel guilty in any way.  People at all levels use modifications for various exercises.

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The structure of the following exercises is set up to be done on a 4-Day  or 5-Day Schedule. These are 60 minute workout programs with cardio and strength training aspects.  There are modifications and variants for each exercise.  There aren’t any gimmicks with these exercises.  You can visit any gym and find people doing these things at various levels.

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My goal is to get you comfortable with the movements, make you aware of the modifications and variants, and teach you how to progress in a safe way.

 

Avoiding Injury

Before we start, it’s important to discuss avoiding injuries.  This can be anything from a pulled muscle to joint issues to dropping a weight on yourself.  There are 10 solid ways to avoid injury.  Before we go through them, I want to preface all of this: don’t be afraid to ask for help from a personal trainer or physical therapist.  Getting help from a real life person is going to help you out far more than any book.  This is super important, especially for #3 and #6.

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1. Stretching - Make sure you dedicate time, at least after working out, to stretch.  This can help ease tight muscles and it can help increase your flexibility.  It’s suggested to stretch before taking a warm shower.

2. Know Your Limits - We all have limits to be aware of whether it’s hyperextension or limited movement at certain joints.  If you cannot do a standard movement, look for a modification to try.  Modifications are there to help us eventually get to the standard movement.

3. Form - Really pay attention to form.  If you’re supposed to keep your elbows in and you end up flaring them outwards, it could lead to an injury.  Each exercise goes over form and function.  Having good form is going to make it easier on your joints, your back, and progression.

4. Start Slow - Starting with heavy weights can lead to a quick injury.  Instead, start slowly.  Use a weight that is easy to use (not challenging) for the movement when you start a new exercise (like on day 1).  This essentially preps the body.  When you do the movement in the next session, choose a weight that is slightly challenging.  You should be able to do the movement with proper form, but the last 2-3 reps might seem to take a little effort.

5. Increase Weights by 5-10lbs - When you feel that it’s time to increase your weights, do so in either 5 or 10lbs increments.  The best way to know if it's time to increase your weights is if you can do all your reps for an exercise with ease.  Small increment increases help maintain good form.

6. Creaks & Stress - If you are doing an exercise movement and you have creaks, joint noise, or joint stress - stop what you’re doing.  Check your form.  If your form is good, then reduce the weight that you’re using.  You may want to try a modified exercise.  If issues continue, stop doing the movement and talk to a physical therapist or personal trainer to make sure you're okay to continue.  Don’t keep doing something if it doesn’t feel good on your joints.

7. Sweat - You’re going to sweat and you need to know your sweat zones.  If you have sweat dripping down your face, you might want to invest in a sweatband.  If your hands get sweaty, you might want to invest in a pair of exercise gloves.  This may seem super trivial, but the last thing you want is sweat getting in your eyes or sweaty hands when you’re lifting weights.

8. Focus - When you are working out, focus on your movements.  If you are working out with a friend, you can talk between sets or between movements.  A lack of focus can lead to poor form which can lead to injury.

9. Ample Recovery - Recovery is the time spent between workouts.  On the 4-Day Schedule, you not only start out slow but you get a lot of recovery time.  As you progress, you might not need as much recovery time.  During the recovery time, you are encouraged to be active and healthy.  Being sedentary can lead to muscle soreness.

10. Hydration - Staying hydrated with water is essential for life.  It helps muscle recovery, it helps with fat loss, it helps your organs function...the list goes on and on.  Water is going to make your muscles work better and will also help prevent cramps, making it an important part of recovery and daily life.  When you workout, have a bottle of water handy.  After you workout, finish up that bottle of water.

 

Terminology for Exercises

The following is some terminology you’ll notice in regards to the following exercise plans.

• Bodyweight - This indicates that you should be using no additional weights.

• Light Weight - This indicates that you should grab resistance bands or light weights that offer very little muscular challenge.  Often for movements with high reps.

• Slightly Challenging Weight - This indicates that you should use a weight that offers some muscular challenge, especially with the last 2-3 reps of an exercise.  Often for movements with high reps.

• Challenging Weight - This indicates that you should use a weight that offers moderate muscular challenge throughout the exercise, but does not cause strain during the reps.  Often for movements with 10-12 reps.

• Heavy Weight - This indicates that you should use a weight that is challenging during the entire exercise.  Only used for movements with low reps.