My Current Workout Plan 5/30/2013

Hello everyone and welcome back to Sound Body Fitness!

If you haven't already read these, take a look at some of my previous posts on fitness and exercise which are full of really great information to help you get started building a sound body, or to take your fitness to the next level!
Basics of fitness
All About: Workout Routines
Q&A 2: Ab Workouts and Chest Workouts

Regardless whether your fitness goal is to lose weight or to gain muscle, a good quality workout routine is mandatory for creating a sound body. 

I have gotten quite a few requests for me to go over what my personal workout is. So today I will post what my typical workout week looks like along with a few tips. My current workout is sort of a P90X hybrid. I have included the reps I do along with the weights I use. You may need to adjust the weight or the reps to fit your needs. This particular workout does require quite a bit of equiptment, so it's best to have access to a gym.

My Workout Plan:

Monday: Chest & Back

Tuesday: Legs & Ab Ripper

Wednsday: Shoulders, Bi's & Tri's

Thursday: Cardio or Short Distance Running & Ab Ripper

Friday: Chest and Arms

Saturday: Rest/Stretch day

Sunday: Light Cardio/Yoga & Ab Ripper

Note: The concept behind this workout plan is to increase strength and muscle mass. The goal is to continuously improve by adding addition reps or weights as you become stronger each week.
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Chest and Back:

Warm Up:
Pushups
30 reps

Pull Ups
18 reps

Workout:
(all bench weights include bar weight)

Do Sets of the Following Times:

a) Decline Bench Press
185 lbs - 1 set of 8
195 lbs - 1 set of 8
205 lbs - 2 sets of 8

b) Incline Bench Press
115 lbs - 1 sets of 8
125 lbs - 1 sets of 8
135 lbs - 2 sets of 8

Do Alternating Sets of the Following 3 Times:

a) Bar Pull Downs   
160, 160, 140 lbs - 8 to 10 reps

b) Dumbell Chest Press
    50 lbs - 8 to 10 reps 

Do Alternating Sets of the Following 3 Times:

a) Lawnmower Pulls (normal or wide grip)   
50 lbs - 8 to 10 reps

b) Cable cross overs
      50 lbs - 10 reps

Do Alternating Sets of the Following 3 Times: 

a) Low rows (wide grip or normal grip)
       140 lbs - 10 reps

b) Pushups
25 reps or until failure

Bonus!

Do Alternating Sets of Following 3 Times:

a) Pullups
8 to 14 reps (or until failure)

b) Pushups
20 reps (normal grip, wide grip, then close grip)

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Legs:

Warm Up: Leg press - 1 set of 10 - 250 lbs

Do Alternating Sets of Following 3 Times:

a) Leg Press
320 lbs - 1 set of 8
360 lbs - 2 sets of 8
410 lbs - 2 sets of 8

b) Calf Raises
      3 sets of 15 slow, 10 fast - 80 lbs

Do Alternating Sets of Following 3 Times:

a) Forward Lunges
35 lbs - 3 sets of 20 steps

b) Reverse Lunges
35 lbs - 3 sets of 20 steps

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Shoulders, Bi's & Tri's

Warm Up:
30 Diamond pushups

Curls
30 lb dumbells - 10 reps

Do Sets of Following 3 Times:
1.) Arm curls
     40 lb dumbells - 8 to 10 reps

2.) Tricep pulldowns
     160, 140, 130 lbs - 8 to 10 reps

3.) Arnold press
     40, 35, 30 lb dumbells - 16 reps alternating between each arm

4.) Concentrated arm curls or crazy 8's
     40, 40, 35 lb dumbells - 8 to 10 reps per arm

5.) Skull crushers with easy curl bar (weights don't include bar weight)
     Stagger set: 60 lbs, 50 lbs, 40 lbs - 8 to 10 reps

6.) Side and Front Shoulders Raises
     10, 10, 5 lb dumbells - 16 reps

7.) Push downs; palms up and palms down
     120, 110, 110 lbs @ 8 up, 8 down

8.) Hammer curls
     40 lb dumbells - 8 to 10 reps

9.) Tricep dips, legs paralell to the ground
      25 reps or max reps

10.) Shoulder shruggs
     2 x 50 lb dumbells - 8 to 10 reps



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Cardio/Short Distance Running

You can choose which is right for you:

Cardio (also known as aerobic exercise)  is physical exercise of relatively low intensity. Cardio is mainly for increasing your stamina and helping to lose weight. There are tons of cardio exercises available, jogging being the most common, but it can include whatever you prefer. For more cadio options, check this article out: http://www.livestrong.com/cardio-exercises/

Short Distance Running ( which is a type of anaerobic exercise) is designed to to promote strength, speed and power. Wind Sprints are an excellent example of aCardio can be whatever you prefer. I usually just do some running or, if you can get access to a track or field, wind sprints are very effective.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2092688_do-wind-sprints.html

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Ab Ripper X

Ab Ripper X is my favorite ab workout I have done. It really hits your core and activates all of the muscles in your abdominal. I highly recommend adding this workout on to your routine!

I will be do a separate post in the future on abs and the exact ab workout that I do (Ab ripper X) along with some great information on ab developement.

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Remember: Your body is an investment. What you put into it is what you will get out of it. If you are willing to dedicate yourself and your time to achieving your fitness goals, you will see results. Be willing to spend a little money on workout equipment/gym membership and workout clothes. Healthier foods are always a bit more expensive, but your body will thank you with the results the nutrients help bring.

Be sure to check back frequently for more workouts, meal plans, recipes, and great information on fitness and health! :)

As always, if there are any suggestions or any topics you would like to see in future posts, let me know.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise

http://www.livestrong.com/cardio-exercises/

Healthy Meals: Mexican Style Chicken Soup

Hello everyone and welcome back to Sound Body: Healthy Meals!

It can be hard to come up with healthy and easy to prepare meals that also taste great. But I am here to help :)
Last time I posted one of my favorite go to meals: Black Beans and Quinoa, Seasoned Chicken, and Steamed Broccoli (click the link to check it out!) 

This week's recipe is something I found online a while back and loved. If you love soup as much as I do, then you are going to really enjoy this healthy take on a hearty soup.
So without futher adieu, let's get into this week's recipe :)

 

Mexican Style Chicken Soup:

(Makes: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon  olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup of celery diced fine

1 can of black beans

2 teaspoons  chili powder

juice from 1 lime

pepper and salt to taste

1 teaspoon  dried oregano

8 cups  reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 cups frozen corn

2 cups  shredded, cooked chicken

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute more.

2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and chilis, black beans, celery, corn, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken; simmer 10 minutes more.

3. Ladle into individual bowls, serve garnished with the avocado slices, and enjoy! :)

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That's it for this weeks recipe. 
Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Be sure to check back for more great recipe posts in the near future. And as always, if there are any suggestions/topics/recipes you would like to see me cover in future posts, let me know :)

Remember: Your body is an investment. What you put into it is what you will get out of it. Healthier foods are always a bit more expensive, but your body will thank you with results. Take the time to prepare your meals so you don't get stuck eating unhealthy food out.

For more information on diets and picking food for your health, check out my previous blog on Nutrition and Diet: Do's and Don'ts

Sources: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipe/chicken/mexican-style-chicken-soup/

Q & A #2: Ab workouts and Chest Workouts

Hello everyone and welcome to the second Q&A session on Sound Body Fitness!

Last time I answered some questions about Abs, Whey Protein, and Equiptment. There is a lot of really good information you don't want to miss out on, so if you missed it, you can check it out here: Q & A #1: Abs, Whey Protein, Equiptment

With that said, let's get into this weeks Q & A!

Q: I need new ab and chest workouts. I'm seeing results in both but not fast enough. It's been almost 5 weeks and the medial sides of my pectorals the ones closest to the center of my chest need isolating. What are some exercise that you suggest to maximize my results?

A: There are quite a few chest workouts you can do to really isolate your pectorals: Incline bench press paired with decline bench press, dumbbell press, pushups (any pushup variation in general is great), cable cross overs.
When doing the exercises, stick to low reps with max weight: Do 3 sets of the max weight you can handle while maintaining the proper form for 8-10 reps of each to achieve maximum results. (You can find youtube videos for proper form on the exercise to ensure your are working the muscle to it's full potential)

Abs are a tricky thing. For your abs, I highly recommend trying out ab ripper x or x2 ab ripper from the P90X workout program. Just remember, Getting defined abs is about building up the abdominal muscles AND getting your overall body fat % down to around ≦10% for men and ≦17% for women. Keep in mind that body fat % calculations aren't all that accurate and results can vary quite a bit day to day so you shouldn't stress about your number. The goal is to decrease your overall body fat % through exercise and healthy eating while incorporating a good core workout. If you incorporate an ab workout like ab ripper and even some cardio 2 or 3 times a week, you should see results. Also, while doing any exercises like these, always concentrate on really engaging your abdominal muscles to achieve maximum results.

Just remember any kind of progress takes time. If you are doing a workout that consistently challenges you and you maintain a decent diet then you will see results in time.
Hope this helps :)

Check out my other posts: Soundbodylifestyle.blogspot.com

Learn more about abs: http://youtu.be/02G82rTUBZw

Healthy Meals: Black Bean Quinoa and Seasoned Chicken with Steamed Broccoli

Hello everyone and welcome to the first post in what will be called Sound Body: Healthy Meals!

It can be hard to come up with healthy and easy to prepare meals that also taste great. But I am here to help :)
I had previously posted on Nutrition and Diet (you can check it out here: Nutrition and Diet: Do's and Don'ts) and in this segment I will be posting lot of really good meals that will help you maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.

This time I will be showing you how to make one of my favorite go to meals, Black Bean Quinoa, Chicken, and Broccoli. It's extremely healthy, has great macros, and tastes amazing! What I do is cook all of this ahead of time (usually Sunday) and split it up into individual meals and store it in the fridge. That way I can just grab my pre-made lunch before I head to work and not have to worry about cooking during the week :)

Black Bean Quinoa -

(Makes around 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed until water is clear)

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon Cajun  

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels  

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (rinsed and drained)

Directions:

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with chicken broth. Season it with cajun, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and continue to simmer until the majority of the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa.

Oven Baked Seasoned Chicken -

Ingredients:

olive oil cooking spray

olive oil

Mrs. Dash Salt Free Fiesta Lime Seasoning

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a lipped baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Brush olive over the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with Mrs Dash seasoning.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake the chicken breasts for 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the juices run clear and the meat does not appear pink. Test the chicken breast's temperature with a meat thermometer.

Allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes. Serve the skinless chicken breasts immediately. Or store in a container in the fridge

Broccoli –

Ingredients:

4 cups of broccoli (frozen or fresh)

salt and pepper to taste

margerine

1 qt. of water

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a saucepan over high heat and season the water to taste with salt.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli to the saucepan. Simmer the broccoli until fork tender, approximately five minutes.

Strain the broccoli, season with pepper, and serve.

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Well, that just about raps things up. Remember: Your body is an investment. What you put into it is what you will get out of it. Healthier foods are always a bit more expensive, but your body will thank you with results. Take the time to prepare your meals so you don't get stuck eating unhealthy food out.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do and look forward to more great recipe posts in the near future. And as always, if there are any suggestions/topics/recipes you would like to see me cover in future posts, let me know :)

Sources: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/