HOW IT WORKS. TRAINING SPLIT Below is the schedule you ll follow for the first four weeks. See above for descriptions of each intensity technique.

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1 HOW IT WORKS l The first month of the Rock Hard Challenge program is a classic bodybuilding split with a twist. You ll include a handful of intensity techniques that will help keep your metabolic rate firing while you re reducing calories (see the Rock Hard Muscle Meals on p.124). The net effect is that you ll keep your muscle mass or even add to it while you burn body fat. The keys to success are to weight train with intensity, include cardio activities that emphasise fat-burning and also help you avoid overtraining, and reduce calorie consumption only enough that you target fat loss while preserving muscle mass. You ll follow this workout plan for four weeks. In our next issue, look for Part 2 of the Rock Hard Challenge program. Directions A burnout set for the triceps forces them to work without the assistance of other muscles. l Perform the exercises as directed, and make sure to reference the Specialty Techniques column on this page for specific instructions on how to complete certain moves. Paired exercises (marked a and b ) are done as a superset complete a set of the first move and then the next without rest in between. Repeat until all sets are done. Specialty Techniques In Part 1 of the RHC, you ll incorporate the following techniques each week. These strategies help support your goals of maintaining or building muscle mass while shedding fat. INTENSITY SET What it is: A superset that includes an exercise for the targeted body part and a leg exercise that accelerates your heart rate. What you ll do: Perform the move that hits your target muscle group, then follow it immediately with a lower-body move that jacks up your heart rate. After you complete a set, rest for as little time as possible. Choose light weights. After you finish all four intensity sets, take a short rest before moving on to your next exercise. Benefits: You re using anaerobic moves for cardio and fat-burning benefits. STEADY-STATE CARDIO What it is: Treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical or stair-climbing work performed at a comfortable rate. You should break a sweat, but be able to talk to someone next to you throughout. What you ll do: At the end of your weighttraining workouts twice a week, you ll drink your post-workout shake before doing 30 minutes of cardio. Benefits: Compared with other fat-burning techniques, steadystate cardio is easier to perform and it keeps your metabolism elevated. HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT) What it is: This form of cardio work includes intense 60- to 90-second intervals followed by 2-3 minutes of easier work. What you ll do: After a * few minutes of warming up at an easy pace, you ll increase the intensity to a perceived exertion level of about 9. Maintain this for seconds, then slow down to an easy pace for a few minutes, allowing your heart rate to come down so you re ready to do another interval. In total, perform at least three intervals, working up to five by the end of four weeks. These workouts shouldn t be long you should be able to complete this work in 20 minutes or less. Benefits: Research shows that HIIT sessions burn body fat more effectively than other forms of cardio. Intensity intervals also have a profound effect on your metabolic rate, burning more body fat in the hours after workouts. BURNOUT SET What it is: A high-rep set performed as the last set that targets a particular body part. What you ll do: Choose a relatively light weight that allows you to get a deep contraction in the target muscle not one that makes you use other muscles to lift it. Benefits: Burnout sets encourage growth by forcing as much blood as you can into the muscles. REST DAY What it is: Well, you know what this is a day where you don t go to the gym. What you ll do: Follow your diet plan but take it easy otherwise. You can rearrange your workouts so rest days fit your schedule better, but take two rest days each week. TRAINING SPLIT Below is the schedule you ll follow for the first four weeks. See above for descriptions of each intensity technique. DAY BODY PARt specialty I Legs, abs Steady-state cardio II Chest, triceps Intensity sets III HIIT cardio IV Back, biceps, abs Intensity sets V Shoulders, calves, HIIT cardio forearms VI Rest VII Rest 114 MF JULY

2 Your rear knee should come close to brushing the floor during a set of lunges. Day 1 (Legs, Abs, Cardio) 1a) Leg Extension Reps: 20, 20, 15, 15 > Set the cam of the machine so it s in line with your knees. Extend your legs, hold at the top for a moment and then control the descent. 1b) Lying Leg Curl Reps: 15 > Set the cam of the machine so it s in line with your knees. Bend your knees to curl your heels toward your butt. 2) Squat > Grasp the bar outside squeeze tightly. Step under it and pull your shoulder blades together. Arch your back to take the bar off the rack it should rest on your traps or rear delts. Step back and set your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a deep breath and sit back, lowering yourself as far as you can while keeping your lower back in its natural arch. Push your knees outward as you descend. 3) Wide-stance Leg Press, 12, 10 > Place your feet outside shoulder width on the foot plate. Turn your toes out about 15 degrees and bend your knees 90 degrees on each rep. 4) Dumbbell Walking Lunge Sets: 3 each hand and step into a lunge. Lower your body and then step forward to begin the next rep. 5) Stiff-leg Deadlift Sets: 3 Reps: 12 > Hold the bar at stand shoulder width. Push your hips back and lower your torso as far as you can while keeping your lower back arched and your knees nearly locked. 6) Leg Extension > Perform a burnout set as described on p.114. Hold the top of each rep. 7) Lying Leg Curl > Perform a burnout set as described on p ) Kneeling Cable Crunch > Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. Kneel and pull the handle down around the back of your neck to put tension on the cable. Crunch your torso to your hips and hold the bottom position for a moment. Focus on your abs. 9) Reverse Crunch > Lie on your back and bend your hips and knees 90 degrees. Raise your hips off the floor and crunch them to your chest. 10) Steady-state Cardio Reps: 30 minutes > Choose a low-intensity exercise such as walking or use an elliptical trainer or bike and work at a moderate pace. You should be mildly out of breath. mensfitnessmagazine.com.au MF 115

3 The handles should be set high enough that you feel a mild stretch in the top position. Day 2 (Chest, Triceps) 1) Dumbbell each hand and lie back on a flat bench. Press the weights directly over your chest. 2) Incline > Lie back against an adjustable bench set to a 30- to 45-degree angle and do dumbbell presses. 3a) Push-up Reps: 20 > Keep your abs braced and your body in a straight line. 3b) Step-up > Set up a bench or other platform so that when you place one foot on it your thigh is parallel to the floor. Step up onto a bench, but leaving your trailing leg hanging off. 4) Dumbbell Fly Reps: 15, 15, 10, 10 > Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Spread your arms apart, keeping a slight bend in your elbows. Then bring your arms together in front of your chest. 5) Cable Crossover > Perform a fly motion using two facing cable stations. Bend at the hips so your torso is 90 degrees. 6) Dip Reps: As many as possible > Suspend yourself over parallel bars and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. 7) Narrow-grip, 12, 10 > Grasp the bar just inside shoulder width. Lower the bar to your solar plexus, tucking your elbows to your sides. 8) Tricep Pushdown, 12, 10 > Attach a rope handle to the pulley of a cable station and grasp an end in each hand. Fix your elbows at your sides and extend them downward. 9) Tricep Pushdown 116 MF JULY

4 Day 3 (HIIT Cardio) Intervals Sets: 3 5 > Choose any cardio activity such as running, cycling on an exercise bike or using a row machine and work as hard as you can for a 60-second interval. Rest for seconds and then repeat three to five times. Add some time to the work interval each week until you reach 90 seconds. Day 4 (Back, Biceps, Abs) 1) Pull-up Reps: As many as possible > Hang from a pull-up bar and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you raise your body up until your chin is over the bar. 2) Reverse-grip Lat Pulldown > Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grasp the bar with hands inside palms facing you. Pull the bar to your collarbone. 3) Bentover Row > Grasp the bar at row the bar to your belly. 4a) Seated Cable Row: Reps: 20 > Attach a neutral-grip handle to a cable station. Row the handle to your sternum. 4b) Step-up: > See p.116 for a description. 5) Lat Pulldown > Grasp the bar outside shoulder width with palms facing away. 6) Dumbbell Curl, 12, 10 > Keep your elbows close to your sides throughout to keep tension on the biceps and not the shoulders. 7) EZ-bar Curl, 12, 10 > Use an EZ bar and grasp it at shoulder width. 8) EZ-bar Curl 9) Bench Knee-in > Sit perpendicular on a bench and lean back while extending your legs. Crunch your torso forward as you bring your knees in. 10) Twisting Crunch > Lie on your back and twist your right elbow to your left knee as you perform a crunch. Then repeat on the other side. Pinch your shoulder blades together as you pull the handle. 118 MF JULY

5 If you have elbow pain, you can stop your reps short of lockout. Day 5 (Shoulders, Calves, Forearms) 1) Arnold Press each hand at shoulder level with palms facing you. Press the weights overhead as you turn your palms to face forward. 2) Cable Lateral Raise Reps: 15 > Attach a D-handle to the low pulley of a cable station and grasp it far enough away from the machine that your shoulder feels a stretch. Raise the handle out to 90 degrees. 3) Machine Shoulder Press > Align the cam of the machine with your shoulders and press overhead. 4) Bentover Lateral Raise each hand and bend over at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor. Raise the weights out 90 degrees. 5) Dumbbell Shrug Reps: 20, 15, 12, 10 each hand and shrug your shoulders to your ears. 6) Machine Shoulder Press: 7) Standing Calf Raise, 15, 15 > Use a standing calf-raise machine and lower your heels until you feel a stretch in your calves. Drive the balls of your feet into the platform to raise your heels. 8) Seated Calf Raise, 15, 15 > Use a seated calfraise machine to perform the exercise as described above. 9a) Wrist Curl > Hold a barbell inside rest the backs of your forearms on a bench. Allow the weight to slide down to your fingertips and then close your hand and bend your wrists. 9b) Reverse Wrist Curl > Place the meat of your forearms on the bench and extend your wrists. 10) HIIT Cardio Sets: 1 Reps: 3 5 > Choose any cardio activity such as running, cycling on an exercise bike or using a row machine and work as hard as you can for a 60-second interval. Rest for seconds, and then repeat three to five times. Add some time to the work interval each week until you reach 90 seconds. 120 MF JULY