The father hoog workout

BeginnerFitnessClub. com The FREE 45 Day Beginner Program Dedicated as “ The Father Hoog Workout” Daily Affirmations: I am Strong I am Fit I am Determined I will Succeed Waiver of Liability What you are about to undertake is an advanced fitness program. Injuries may occur in any workout program as with this specific program written by Stew Smith. By downloading the program, you are waiving any liability to Stew Smith or StewSmith. com. This is a recommended program that has worked for many others. It may not be right for you. It is recommended that you consult a physician before undertaking any new fitness regimen. See Testimonial Page!! Table of Contents About the Author Introduction / Five Phases of Fitness Stretching Program Exercises Explained Workouts Explained Nutrition information The 45 Day Beginner Workout The Supplemental Training / Ab routine Chart Check out the TRX Article / Video About the Author Former Navy Lieutenant (SEAL) Stew Smith graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1991 and received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, (Class 182). He has written workouts that prepare future BUD/S students for SEAL Training to include ” The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness” and “ Maximum Fitness” and many other military special ops and law enforcement programs. Stew Smith writes about fitness and acing physical fitness tests and is the founder of Heroes of Tomorrow Fitness — an online fitness resource for people seeking military or law enforcement / Fire fighting professions. Basically – anything that requires a fitness test to enter, StewSmith. com has the answer. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) These books and downloadable manuals can take you from beginner to a combat conditioned veteran. Let these workouts assist you in becoming a better conditioned athlete. The following list is the published books he has written and the downloadable manuals to his credit as well. All books and manuals are fitness related and are simply written accounts of his experience as a trainer and his own athletic history. Stew Smith’s Published Books The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness Maximum Fitness — The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Cross-training The SWAT Workout Common Sense Self Defense The Special Operations Workout General Fitness and Nutritional Guides for Everyone The Beginner / Intermediate Guide to Fitness Reclaim Your Life – Erin O’neill Story (beginner / intermediate) Veterans Fitness – Baby Boomer and a Flat Stomach! Kids Workout – Ace the President Fitness Test / Award The Busy Executive Workout Routine The Advanced Weight Training / PT Guide (Part I / II) The Perfect Pushup Bible The Military Physical Fitness Workouts New – Combat Conditioning Workout Navy SEAL Workout Phase 1 Beginner Weeks 1-6 Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 – 3 – Intermediate Weeks 1-12 Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4 Grinder PT – Four weeks before Hell Week Navy SWCC Workout The Army Special Forces / Ranger Workout Phase 1 & 2 The Army Air Assault School Workout The Army Airborne Workout USMC RECON Workout Phase 1 & 2 Air Force PJ / CCT Workout The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Workout Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard OCS Workout USMC OCS / TBS Workout The Service Academy Workout (West Point, Navy, Air Force Academy) The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp Bootcamp Workout The Army OCS and PFT Workout The Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Workouts The FBI Academy Workout The DEA Workout The FLETC Workout – Ace the PEB The PFT Bible: Pushups, Situps, 1. 5 Mile Run The Fire Fighter Workout Stew Smith’s eBooks are sold on the following sites: www. stewsmith. com www. heroesoftomorrow. org www. military. com www. policelink. com And his published books can be found at local book retailers as well as The NavySEAL. com — SOCOM Store www. amazon. com www. bn. com Contact Stew Smith (Email, mail) As part of the downloadable, you do have access to email me at anytime and I will answer your questions as soon as possible. Below are the different ways to contact me for any of the products and services at www. stewsmith. com Mail and email addresses: StewSmith. com PO Box 122 Severna Park MD 21146 Email – stew@stewsmith. com © All rights reserved. Any part of this book may NOT be reproduced without the permission of the author. Any unauthorized transmission electronic or printed is prohibited. Introduction Thank you for reading this free download version of the StewSmith. com basic fitness and health routine. This 45 day program is specifically designed for a beginner to exercise or someone who is rehabilitating after an injury. For the purposes of this program, a “ beginner” is someone who cannot do regular pushups at all or properly, cannot walk a mile in under 12 minutes, or has not exercised in several years. The goals of this program are to help you develop foundational fitness and cardiovascular base you will need to get more fit, lose weight, and reach your goals. Follow up programs are available and will prepare you for the next level of fitness, BUT if you are purchasing this ebook, you should have two goals to accomplish: 1. Build a foundation of fitness and/ or 2. Lose Weight This is a great first time to exercise for younger children as well as for those who have neglected personal fitness for several years. P lease take a few minutes to look through the whole book so that you become familiar with all the program components. Bad lower back — Check out a FREE ebook: The Lower Back Plan at www. stewsmithptclub. com/lowerbackplan. pdf Also See 52 Week Beginner Program Do You Have Time to Exercise?? Do you really not have enough time in your day to exercise? Too many times people say, “ I need to exercise but I do not have enough time in the day. ” Or, when they do have t he time they only have the energy to lie down and watch TV. Whether you are on travel working late hours or at home dealing with work, family, and other after school events, the schedule below or some version of it will help you get over the hump. Exercise is anything other than sleeping or sitting. Even when you are on the floor flat on your back or stomach you can exercise the torso with abdominal exercise or back other torso exercises. The pushup is a great “ laying down” exercise and an abdominal crunch is just a little bit harder than sleeping. An hour a day is a nice goal to achieve to increase your fitness level and overall health, but even 10-15 minutes is better than nothing and beneficial too. A little humor from ” Today’s Cartoon by Randy Glasbergen”, displayed with special permission. Please visit Randy’s site @ www. glasbergen. com Fitting fitness into a day is a challenge we all face. Exercising is tough after long hours of working at home, office or on the road, but Americans still need to workout as we are creating a generation of people who are obese and have other PREVENTABLE health disorders. Many people who struggle to fit fitness into their schedule actually do a better job at getting the job done IF they take 15-20 minutes prior to starting work for the day and 15 -20 minutes after work is done for the day. Even if that exercise is a simple walk before breakfast and after dinner, a 15-20 minute walk at each of these times can significantly help you burn calories that o nly wind up getting stored as fat. In fact, after any meal, a light walk and some calisthenics will help you to be more energized and ready to do whatever. Here is a busy day schedule I typically do when long days appear: 0600 — early wake up for get 20-30 minutes of some form of cardio done like running, biking, swimming. If on the road, find a pool in a hotel to really wake up for the day. 0700 — Eat Breakfast for energy for the day. (See Lean Down Food Plan) 0800 — Work 1000 — Work – Eat a snack 1230 — Eat lunch 1: 15 — Walk a few minutes 1: 30 — Work 4: 00 — Work — Eat a snack 6: 00 — Break for dinner 7: 00 — Walk or Lift weights or PT for second wind of the long day 8: 00 — Continue work until midnight if needed Personally, when I have to work 15-18 hour days, I like to get a cardio workout completed the first thing in the morning. This wakes me up fully and I am ready to handle the day ahead. Then, eat a good breakfast full of protein, carbohydrates, and plenty of water. Then pack a snack for about mid morning like an apple, orange, yogurt or a nutrition bar. This will help you from being a ravenous eater at lunch if eating in a restaurant. For lunch have a green leafy salad with some form o f lean meat like chicken or fish or boiled eggs. Then, take a 10-15 minute walk to help keep the metabolism going for the afternoon. Afternoon working is much easier if you lay off the breads, simple sugars and focus on eating protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber rich foods. After working the rest of the day, break for a medium sized dinner and try to squeeze in a short workout of weights, calisthenics or if you do not have those facilities, just walk again. But, I find a lifting session or PT really gives me the second wind I need to keep working or playing with the family. I hope these tips will be of use to you as they are common issues seen today. Remember something is better than nothing so at least get out and walk a few times a day The Five Phases of Fitness (Psychological) Below are the five phases we all go through when starting a new fitness program no matter what fitness level we are. 1) Make a decision to get healthy… This takes 3-4 seconds but it takes about 23 weeks to make a habit – hang in there at least that long… and BUILD GOOD HABITS. 2) You doubt yourself. It is absolutely natural to have doubts about what you are undertaking. My advice is to start doubting yourself as quickly as possible and get over it. Realize self doubt is part of the process… Even SEAL trainees doubt themselves, but those who become SEALs conquer their doubt. 3) Conquer Doubt – You can do anything you set your mind to. That is what you just told yourself. This is where the mind and body connect. Use the workouts to be a catalyst in all areas of your life: work, relationships, school, etc… I am a firm believer that exercising your body will give you the stamina and energy to exercise your mind spirit and build better relationships with those around you… 4) Associate yourself with fit and healthy people. Now you are fit in mind and body. Your example will inspire others. Be a role model to another heavy person. People will be amazed by your new work ethic and work and play. Eating healthy is now a habit for you too… In fact eating crappy food makes you feel ill slightly.. 5) Set and conquer a goal for yourself. Whatever you like – run, swim bike weight lift… Challenge yourself to run a 10k, lift 400 lbs etc… The Father Hoog Story Motivation To Change Your Life — From Overweight to Healthy Changing your life and deciding to do something different because you yearn to is something you read about, but I am here to tell you it can happen to you at any time in your life. Most of us all say to ourselves, ” One day, I’d like to do that.” One day two men meet for the first time. One, a 52 year old Catholic priest and the other a 28 year old Navy SEAL Lieutenant. The two could never have foreseen the effect they would have on each others lives. I personally know first hand because I am Stew Smith, the Navy SEAL lieutenant. The priest, Father Hoog, who was from St. Mary’s in Annapolis, waited at his table at the Naval Academy Restaurant. I was stationed at the Naval Academy and in charge of the remedial physical fitness program at the time, so I was accustomed to talking to people about fitness. But never had I undertaken such a project. Father Hoog’s goal was to become a Navy Chaplain after almost 25 years as a civilian Catholic priest. I knew this was not going to be easy to accomplish and I figured I would put as much into his program as Father Hoog did. Our first visit, was spent getting to know each other and I soon found myself talking about my choice to convert to Catholicism. The first meeting went well as we discovered we both could contribute to each other’s lives. We decided that we would meet weekly to exercise and my job was to alter his weekly fitness program to meet the goals specified by the Navy. In turn Father Hoog helped me find faith in the Catholic Church and God. He was always willing to answer my basic questions about Catholicism and faith. Father Hoog had to lose over eighty pounds, be able to do over 40 pushups, 60 situps and run a mile and a half under 13: 00. The first week, we took a benchmark test to see where he should begin. Father Hoog could walk a mile, but not run at all. Pushups on his toes, which was the requirement, were nonexistent and his weak lower back was preventing him from being able to do situps. His high blood pressure was an issue as well and he was on medication for it. Week one for Father Hoog was a week of walking, stretching, a few knee pushups and crunches. Everyday, I would see Father Hoog walking around the Naval Academy Campus. It was good to see he was determined to start, but would he keep up the vigor? We also realized that he had to watch the sweets, but decided not to start a rigorous diet the same week as an exercise routine. Exercise to a sedentary person is stressful enough, I did not want to add to the stress, so we decided to wait a month or so before we added a strict diet program. We tripled his water intake, for if there is such thing as a magic solution to losing weight it is WATER. He was drinking nearly a gallon a day and barely able to make it through an entire mass without rushing to the rest room. But the water helped flush his system, enabled the body to burn fat as an energy source more efficiently, and kept his body cool during exercise. Within a few weeks, fat her Hoog showed no signs of weight loss and was getting frustrated. He was building muscle in areas that were inactive before, but he was losing fat at the same time. Father Hoog did not notice the change in body composition by the scale, but he did notice by the tape measure and the tighter notch on his belt. This was pleasing to both of us, but we still had 75 pounds to go. Two months into the fitness program, we decided to start monitoring food intake. I made him write down everything he put into his mouth. This proved to be the area where he needed the most help and the documentation of every piece of candy in between meals helped him realize that. Soon he had given up M&Ms, cookies and other sugary snacks for apples, oranges and other fruits. The water consumption helped out in this area as well, for most people confuse hunger with dehydration. A quart of water during the late morning and afternoon helped curb his appetite for lunch and afternoon snacking. It all made sense to him as I mentioned these tips, but changing dietary habits that are 50 years old is as challenging as beginning an exercise program. But Father Hoog was well on his way physically, so I started to have as much faith as he had determination. This was the month that his doctor reduc ed the high blood pressure medicine as well. So we were making progress. ” You do not get out of shape overnight, you can’t expect to get back into shape overnight either.” I told him. So with that, he shifted into long term mode, which took off the stress on weigh in days. At the sixth month, we had seen much progress. Father Hoog was now running with me for a few miles, then walking a bit in between. Father Hoog started running by just completing 50 yards at a time then walking 50 yards to catch his breath. We repeated this several time during the run / walk. This workout seemed to help rejuvenate the metabolism and melted nearly fifty pounds of Father Hoog away by Spring. It is not easy losing fifty pounds during the winter months, most people in the Nor theast gain weight since it is colder outside and fewer activities available. But Father Hoog was now weighing just 230 pounds, could run the mile and a half in the prescribed time and pass the pushup and situps test. Our calisthenics program had paid off. Hundreds of repetitions of pushups, crunches, squats and even pullups and dips, helped Father Hoog add the strength he needed to pass the Navy Physical Fitness Standards for a fifty year old man. Now it was a battle with just thirty pounds. And of course, Father Hoog’s own battle not to just pass the standards with the minimums, but he wanted to ace the standards and receive the highest score possible for his age group. This appealed to the Navy SEAL in me naturally, I always disregarded the minimum scores and only saw the maximums as goals. I was amazed! He was still determined to keep on pressing. Accomplishing the physical fitness testing goals were a big relief for us both, but we had no idea how hard the next thirty pounds would be. It was about Easter time now, eight months into Father Hoog’s mission of becoming a Navy Chaplain and my mission of becoming Catholic. All along, Father Hoog helped straighten out the Catholics churches views on many controversial topics as well as explain the basics. I was able to do my first Confession with Father Hoog during the Easter week services and I soon was Catholic. My wife and I took the RCIA classes together, but she was born Catholic. It was good for both of us, especially since I surprised her one day almost a year earlier with the announcement I wanted to become Catholic. The ninth month was depressing. It was the third month in a row on little or no weight loss. Father Hoog only lost five pounds in three months. With twenty five pounds to go, we had to change something to stimulate more weight loss. Father Hoog was stuck on a plateau, so I pushed him off with a course of weight training, more running, swimming and biking. This was the boost Father Hoog needed. Not only did these add challenges to his physical fitness program, it changed to tone of the workouts as well. The workouts were not easier, just different. The change in pace seemed to work. After another two months, we were back on the road to losing weight steadily. Only fifteen more pounds to g o. Now Father Hoog’s running had skyrocketed to as many as ten miles nonstop. He could do ten pullups, over 60 pushups and 75 situps. Father Hoog well surpassed the maximum scores for his age group. He was now chasing the age group of Navy men ten years yo unger than him. Then the day came! The day we stepped on the scales and he had lost all the weight he needed to lose. The scales tipped at a ” lean, mean, preaching machine” of 200 pounds. We jumped, we hugged, we cried and thanked God. It was a moment I will never forget, in fact it has changed my life in many ways. Two months later, the Navy came to St. Mary’s in Annapolis. The church held a ceremony for Father Hoog and I was the Naval Officer who got to swear Father Hoog into the Naval Chaplain Corp. This was an especially happy month for me. My wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Mary Elizabeth. Father Hoog was one of the first guests we had that day and Mary received her first blessing. Once again, Father Hoog impressed upon me that faith and love were as much a part of his life as hard nose determination. The Navy needed a man like Father Hoog and now has him. I was addicted – addicted to that feeling of helping people reach their personal goals. I am now out of the Navy and started a fitness consultant business as well as freelance writing. I now have four fitness books published in the past three years. All using the same principles that I used with Father Hoog. In fact, my most recent book was dedicated to Father Hoog – Maximum Fitness. It features a 52 week workout program, nutritional chapter as well as hundreds of pictures to show beginners how to do the exercises properly. I also write a weekly fitness column for Military. com and have my own website www. StewSmith. com , which is dedicat ed to helping people reach their fitness goals. Want a new beginning? Try THIS Workout!! Getting Started The following stretching plan will assist you with getting started again safely and without as much post-exercise soreness. Too many people above the age of 30 get injured no matter what they are doing. From shoveling snow, a pick-up basketball game and simply walking across a parking lot in winter, most injuries are strains or muscle pulls that can be prevented with a few simple stretching exercises done daily. The added flexibility will not only assist in injury prevention, but with speed workouts, better enable you to run faster. The following is a stretching routine that can be used whether you are a beginner or advanced athlete. The Television Workout Option: Did you know that there are 10 minutes of commercials for every 30 minute TV show? If you watch TV for an hour and exercise during the commercials, you can actually receive 20 minutes of metab olism charging exercise. See the TV Option Workout in the back or buy the TV Watcher’s Workout for the complete Twelve Week plan. The Stretching Program Increasing one’s flexibility should be the first goal before starting a fitness program. In fact, if you are thinking about beginning a fitness program and you have been idle for many years, you should stretch for an entire week prior to starting running, lifting weights, or doing any calisthenics exercise. It is OK to walk to warm up however. So, your first 1-2 weeks of starting a fitness program should consist of the following stretches 1-2 times a day, drinking 2-3 liters of water a day, and walking, biking or some other non-impact low intensity cardio activity for 10-15 minutes. Follow the stretching chart after your workout. Hold these stretches or do these movements for at least 15-20 seconds each: Shoulder Shrugs Chest / Bicep Stretch Arm/Shoulder Stretch Tricep/Back Stretch (half moon) Stomach Stretch Lowerback Stretch ITB / Hip Calf Stretch Hamstring Stretch Thigh Stretch – standing of laying on floor Stretch in this order to aid in major muscle group stretching. Stretching the connecting groups of the thighs and hamstrings first will assist in a more thorough stretch of the hams and thighs — the major muscle groups of the body. Stretching and Warming Up Holding these stretches for 15-20 seconds is the best way to end your workout. Do not bounce when performing these stretches and inhale deeply for three seconds, hold for three seconds and fully exhale. Do this twice per stretch. This will take you to the 15-20 second time minimum for holding these stretches for optimal results. Explanations of the Stretches Arm / Shoulder Circles – Rotate your shoulders slowly in big circles forward and reverse for 15 seconds each direction and as if you were swimming the backstroke and front crawl stroke. Chest / Shoulder / Upper Back Stretch — Grab onto pole or wall and twist opposite of your arm until you feel the stretch in you r chest and shoulder connection. Repeat with the other arm. Option two the swimmer stretch: If you can grab your hands behind your back and pull your shoulders back standing upright with chest out. Then role the shoulders forward and take chin to chest. Arm Shoulder stretch — Grab arm with opposite arm and pull it across the body stretching the rear shoulder and upperback. Rotate hands with thumbs down. Shoulder rotations: This movement helps warm up the rotator cuff of the shoulder joint and is a great one to do if you are about the throw a ball or just need to work on full range of motion of the shoulder. Torso Twists: Stay in the same position but now twist to the left and right trying to keep your hips facing forward. Triceps into Back Stretch – Place both arms over and behind your head. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull your elbow toward your opposite shoulder. Lean with the pull. Repeat with the other arm. Abdominal Stretch – Lie on your stomach. Push yourself up to your elbows. Slowly lift your head and shoulders and look up at the sky or ceiling. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat two times. Lowerback Stretch #1 — Cat Stretch — Get on all fours as shown and bow your back. Try to take your head as close to your shoulders as possible. Put your chin to your chest and hold for 10 seconds. Lowerback Stretch #2 Lie on your left side. Place your top leg in front of you. Slowly twist your torso until your shoulders touch the floor. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat on the right side. As you may know, the lower back is the most commonly injured area of the body. Many lower back problems stem from inactivity, lack of flexibility, and improper lifting of heavy objects. Stretching and exercising you r lower back will help prevent some of those injuries. Hip / outer thigh stretch — Sit down with your left leg crossed over your right leg. Grab the left leg with both hands around the thigh / shin (with leg bent) and pull toward your chest / then twist. Repeat with the other leg. Calf Stretch into Achilles Tendon Stretch – Stand with one foot 2-3 feet in front of the other. With both feet pointing in the same direction as you are facing, put most of your body weight on your leg that is behind you – stretching the calf muscle. Now, bend the rear knee slightly. You should now feel the stretch in your heel. This stretch helps prevent Achilles tendonitis, a severe injury that will sideline most people for about 4-6 weeks. Down Dog Pose — Stretch the back of the legs and lowerback with this relaxing yoga pose. Hold for 15-30 seconds Try to keep your heels on the floor. Hamstring Stretch – From the standing or sitting position, bend forward at the waist and touch your toes. Keep your back straight and slightly bend your knees. You should feel this stretching the back of your thighs. Thigh Stretch Standing – Standing, bend your knee and grab your foot at the ankle. Pull your heel to your butt and push your hips forward. Squeeze yo ur butt cheeks together keep your knees close together. Hold for 10 -15 seconds and repeat with the other leg.( You can hold onto something for balance if you need to OR you can lie down on your hip and perform this stretch. Tender Shin Exercises: If you get shin splints from running or walking, here are two great exercises to build your shins. Stand on your heels for 10 -15 seconds. Repeat a few times and even throughout the day to build your shins. Prior to walking and running, do the foot flex / st retch exercise (2/3 pics) 30-40 times each leg. Heel walk Foot flex Foot stretch Descriptions and pictures of the exercises Regular and knee Push-ups – Lie on the ground with your hands placed flat next to your chest. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart. Push yourself up by straightening your arms and keeping your back stiff. This exercise will build and firm your shoulders, arms, and chest. Use your knees if necessary to complete the repetitions in the workout. Assisted Push-ups – Using a piece of furniture to place your hands 3-4 feet off the ground, lean into the furniture or wall. Straighten your arms, back, hips, and legs and push yourself off of the firmly placed piece of furniture. Bend your arms so that your chest touches the furniture. Repeat as required. This is a great way to start out if you cannot do any push -ups at all. Bench Dips -Sit on a chair, bench or small table. Place your feet about three feet in front of you as you sit on the very edge of the seat. Now, grab the edge of the seat with your hands, lift your butt off the seat and lower yourself about 4-5 inches below the seat by bending your arms at the elbow. Lower body Exercises Squats – Keep your feet shoulder width apart. Drop your butt back as though sitting in a chair. Concentrate on squeezing your glutes in your upward motion. Keep your heels on the ground and keep your shins should be near vertical at all times. Extend your buttocks backward. Do not keep your buttocks over your feet and extend your knees over your feet. This picture is a half squat — if you can go down lower without pain then do so. The 1/2 squat – Intensify your squat by doing 1/2 squats. While in the full squat position, hold the pose and push yourself up and down within a 6″ range of motion…. just like riding a horse. Walking squats – This is a regular squat but you add a side hop to it. Squat down in a full squat position. When pushing yourself upward, shuffle your feet to the left or right. Each step, stop and do a full squat. You can alternate left and right steps if you do not have much room or you can do 10 side squats to the left across a room then 10 side squats to the right back to your starting place. Walking Lunge – The lunge is a great leg exercise to develop shape and flexibility. Keep your chest up high and your stomach tight. Take a long step forward and drop your back knee toward the ground. Standup on your forward leg, bringing your feet together and repeat with the other leg. Make sure your knee never extends past your foot. Keep your shin vertical in other words. Muscles used: quadriceps, hams, and gluteus. Stationary Lunge – Take a big stride forward. Bend both knee as yo u lower yourself so your front thigh is near parallel to the floor. Lift yourself up so your knees are straight but your feet have remained in the same position. If you have bad knees either avoid the lunge exercise or only go half way down. Abdominals When you exercise your stomach muscles, make sure to exercise and stretch your back also. The stomach and lower back muscles are opposing muscle groups and if one is much stronger than the other, then you can injure the weaker muscle group easily – usually the lower back. Regular Crunch – Lie on your back with your feet and knees in the air with the knees bent. Cross your hands over your chest and bring your elbows to your knees by flexing your stomach. Keep your feet on the floor if your lower back is weak or previously injured. Reverse Crunch – In the same position as the regular crunch, lift your knees and butt toward your elbows. Leave your head and upper body flat on the ground. Only move your legs and butt. Right Elbow to Left Knee – Cross your left leg over your right leg. Flex your stomach and twist to bring your right elbow to your left knee. Left Elbow to Right Knee – Cross your right leg over your leg. Flex your stomach and twist to bring your left elbow to your right kne e. Double Crunch – (Legs up) – Lie on your back with your feet in the air. Cross your hands over your chest and bring your elbows to your knees by flexing your stomach AND lift your hips off the floor as if you were doing a reverse crunch. This is two crunches in one movement. (Do not do if you have previous lower back injury) Bicycle Crunches — (Lovehandles)- Peddle your legs back and forth as shown while doing left and right crunches. This is a tough one so if you back hurts stop and save until yo ur back is stronger. LOWER BACK EXERCISES These exercises are to be done immediately following any large set of abdominals in order to balance out the torso with the opposing muscle group of the abdominals / lower back. You will find that a strong lower back will assist you in completing long load bearing hikes. Plank Pose — Another great yoga pose to safely strengthen your stomach and lower back. Hold for as long as you can and build up to 1 -2 minutes over time. Prone Lower Back Exercise #1 – Lie on your stomach with your arms extended over your head. Lift your right arm and your left leg off the ground at the same time and repeat for specified number of repetitions. Switch arms/legs and repeat. Upperback exercise – (reverse pushups) – Lie on your stomach in the down pushup position. Lift your hands off the floor 2-3 inches instead of pushing the floor. This will strengthen your upperback muscles that oppose the chest muscles. Upperback exercise #3 — (Birds) Lie on your stomach with your arms spread to the height of your shoulders. Lift both arms off the floor until your shoulder blades “ pinch” and place them slowly in the down position. Repeat for 10 -15 repetitions mimicking a bird flying. The light weight shoulder workout — See Shoulder Workout in Workout chart…refer to these six exercises… Do the follow sequence of exercises non-stop for ten reps each: Lateral Raises — 10 (palms down) Lateral Raises — 10 (thumbs up) Lateral Raises — 10 (thumbs down) Front Raises — 10 (thumbs up) Cross overs — 10 (palms facing away from you) Military press — 10 LATERAL RAISE A safe and effective shoulder exercise with light weights or NO weights as well. Over 5 pound dumbbells is not recommended for this exercise. Keep your knees slightly bent, shoulder back, and your chest high. Lift weights parallel to ground in a smooth controlled motion, keep your palms facing the ground. Follow the next SIX exercises without stopping. THUMBS UP – After performing 10 regular lateral raises, do 10 lat eral raises with your thumbs up, touching your hips with your palms facing away from you and raising your arms no higher than shoulder height. THUMBS UP / DOWN – Continue with side lateral raises. As you lift your arms upward, keep your thumbs up. Once your arms are shoulder height, turn your hands and make your thumbs point toward the floor. Repeat for 10 times, always leading in the up and down direction with your thumbs. FRONT RAISE (THUMBS UP) – Now, for 10 more repetitions, time to work your front deltoids. Lift the dumbbells from your waist to shoulder height keeping your thumbs up. CROSS OVERS – With your palms facing away from you and arms relaxed in front of your hips, bring your arms up and over your head as if you were doing a jumping jack (without jumping). Cross your arms IN FRONT of your head and bring them back to your hips for 10 repetitions. MILITARY PRESS Place one foot ahead of the other as shown and knees slightly bent to reduce strain on your lower back. Exhale as you push the weights over your head for 10 final repetitions in the mega-shoulder pump workout.. Slowly lower them to shoulder height and repeat. Muscles used are shoulders and triceps (back of arm). Dumbbell Exercises Biceps Curls Place dumbbells or bar in hands with your palms facing upward. Use a complete range of motion and keep it smooth. Do not swing the weights. Nothing moves but your elbows. Muscles used: biceps (arms). Hammer Curls This is the same as a bicep curls except your palms are facing your hips. Alternate lifting each dumbbells like you were running – ” hip to lip”. Use a complete range of motion and keep it smooth. Do not swing the weights. Tricep Extensions- (Back of the arm) With weights in hands, bring your hands overhead and lower the weight toward the back of your neck. Make certain your elbows remain in one place through movement — next to your ears!. Repeat! Weight Loss Help: The following pages contain light reading concerning diet, nutrition, water intake and exercise. Over the next week, I recommend you to keep exercising and stretching. Also notice the caloric values charts attached and just how much exercise is required to “ burn off” certain foods. The amount of exercise required to do this may deter you from eating that extra helping or midday snack during football games. Enjoy — Stew Smith Exercise and Healthy Eating the First Priority The aim of an exercise program is to lose fat without losing muscle and without reducing metabolic rate. The exercise needs to be customized to fitness level and to specific goal of fat loss. Together aerobic exercise and resistance training are the ideal combination of exercise to achieve fat loss and it should be part of your lifestyle. Aerobic Exercise Aerobic exercise metabolizes calories and raises the metabolic rate. The heart rate needs to be raised to a comfortable level for 20 – 30 minutes at least 3 times per week. By exercising aerobically, calories will be burnt at a rate of 300 + per hour depending on your weight and fitness level. If you consider that just 1 pound of body fat has approx. 4, 100 calories, then you can get a rough idea, of just how long it will take to shed those extra pounds permanently. Look again at how long it took to put them on, nor mally years or a complete lifetime of your own bodily abuse. Personally, I recommend that you work at a level that you know that you can maintain for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes. The debate comes in, when various fitness bodies suggest training at a high heart rate 75/90 % of max, for short periods or 55/80 % of maximum heart rate for easier longer periods. In short try both methods, unless you are a complete beginner to fitness, in which case I would recommend training at a steady pace for as long a s comfortably possible. Aerobic exercise will also raise the metabolic rate for approx. 24 hours after you have finished training. This helps to burn up extra calories and prevents the metabolic rate declining. Resistance (or weight) Training Inactive people lose about 10 % of their muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 25. However with regular resistance training it is possible to regain this muscle mass. Resistance training should be carried out 2-3 times per week for approx. 30 minutes. Although not generally effective as aerobic training for burning calories, resistance training will still burn about 250-500 calories per hour and will raise metabolic rate. Weight training will not develop your body to resemble a body builder, but it will create the ability to burn more calories in a 24 hour period. Another important point is that muscle will not turn into fat, if you stop training. The muscle tissue will naturally break down and shrink in size. Important point because lean muscle tissue weighs more than body fat, your actual body weight may stay the same, during the early stages of your new lifestyle regime. Don’t be alarmed, the weight will come of, however if it does not, your overall ratio of body fat compared to lean muscle tissue, will certainly be in a healthier ratio. Try and avoid using the scales for this reason, unless they can monitor your body fat as well, instead measure your body at various points e. g. your hips, chest, stomach and thighs. Using an item of clothing is also a good way to measure yourself, as with a bit of time and dedication, you will find that the clothing fits you properly. You will at a point lose inches and stop losing weight for about a 2-4 week period typically. Healthy Eating Good nutrition is very important for fat loss, and focusing on health and health promoting foods is far more productive than focusing on fat loss and denial of favorite foods. Adopting a whole food diet, avoiding salt, fat, sugar, additives, preservatives, processed and refined foods, needs to become part of a life style change. By increasing natural foods with a high fiber and water content (fruit and vegetables) more food can be eaten to appease the appetite without gaining weight. A whole food diet also has a much higher vitamin and mineral content than a typical diet containing processed and refined foods. Dieting is such a negative term — I like to think of it as “ eating to lose weight. ” The following charts compare the caloric value and expenditure values of different foods and activities respectively. It is important to realize just how much work is required to burn off certain foods. For instance, to burn the amount of calories in a chocolate chip cookie, it requires a person to walk vigorously for over 20 minutes. A cookie has a caloric value of 110 calories. A person must walk for a 20 minute time period to burn off that one cookie. Below are others foods and activities to better drive home the seriousness of watching your calories: Nutrition Section The Fundamentals of Nutrition Morning Meal (Serving = fist size) Eat 2-3 servings of any *minimal fat – 1 qt water Mid Morning Meal Eat 1 serving Lunch 1 qt water Mid Afternoon Meal 1 qt water Evening Meal 1 qt water Proteins — boiled egg whites, yogurt, milk, lean meats, protein shake, vege beef stew… Slimfast meal bar, boiled egg, GoGurt, Tuna… Chicken, tuna, fish, lean meat sandwich on wheat bread, no mayo — mix meat with salad Carb/Protein mix — some fruits like grapes, bananas, blueberries — cereal with milk… Optional — peanuts, almonds = high calories Lean chicken, fish, meat, broiled NOT FRIED Optional — juice, fruit, vegetable — small salad Fruit salad, apple, orange, banana etc… Mixed salads with variety of vegetables — green leafy lettuce, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onion Large Salad — above eggplant Pre — Post Workout Meals Before Your Cardio Workout Carbohydrates — 75 — 100% Prior to running, swimming, biking etc…at medium to high intensity levels for 30-40 minutes, it is best to eat a small snack to boost sugar levels in your body especially if your workout is before your morning meal. After a night of sleeping and not eating for over 10-12 hours, you need a boost to help you get through the workout. Fruit or fruit juice is fine 20 minutes Before Your Lifting or PT Workout Carbohydrates 75% & Protein 25% 1-2 hours prior to lifting eat protein foods and carbohydrates so the protein is there for you after the workout. Lifting weights and doing high repetition calisthenics will break down your muscles and require protein immediately after your workout — within 30 minutes. Foods high in carbohydrates to replace the loss of glycogen stores are needed prior to workout and during is fine. Foods with small amounts of protein can be eaten pre-workout and will help post workout requirements of protein too. Sample Ideas fo r pre-workout snack are: Bananas, apples, oranges, carrots, juice, Gatorade, (any fruit of choice really). Before workouts longer than 30-40 minute, add some protein to stabilize absorption rates so you can last longer: Eat the following about 1-2 hours prior to exercise: Yogurt, protein drink*, milk, boiled egg, slice of meat or cheese, Slimfast meal replacement bar Sip water and carbohydrate drink throughout the workout *Met-rx powder is highly recommended — I like to take ½ of recommended amount. within this time too. For a great rule of thumb — after you workout eat protein, carbohydrates and minimize fatty foods. Foods that should be considered are: Pre-workout ideas for lifters / PTers: Bananas, berries, boiled eggs, tuna fish, Met-rx Drink / bar. Protein or carb replacement drinks are great if post workout occurs mid-day or early morning. See above meal options for protein and carbohydrates sources and these below: Tuna, chicken, boiled eggs, and green leafy salads with tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, carrots, onions, and light dressing or oil. Post Workout Meals The key is to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost during the workout — drink Powerade / Gatorade immediately after workout Another important factor is to add protein to help rebuild muscles — see above meal / snack ideas within 30 minutes of workouts DEHYDRATION It is easy to design a dehydration diet that results in losing 10 lb. of water within several days. Many people are encouraged by these rapid results. Dehydration of only 2-3 % of body weight can result in a drop in physical performance. Your body is over 75% water and needs this percentage to remain close to that amount in order to function properly. Sweat is not only water, but salt and electrolytes. These compounds help regulate nerve and muscular function. Without them entire systems start to break down and this can be fatal. Also, once you stop sweating, there is no mechanism in your body to regulate body temperature and you could overheat and die from heat stroke. Removing additional water from your digestive system by diuretics and laxatives causes the kidneys to overwork and eventually stop functioning. When this occurs the liver assists the body in excretion waste products (if it can) and it stops with its primary mission of metabolizing fat as an energy source. So in a nutshell, you shut down your entire metabolism and your body tries desperately to cling onto any remaining water and fat. This actually can cause the opposite desired affect — your body now is retaining water and fat just to survive. I call this camel mode. This process is a vicious cycle. The true way to burn fat and lose weight for the long term is to actually drink water plus exercise. I usually drink over a gallon of water a day but I exercise for more than two hours a day usually. I would recommend 2-3 quarts for women and 3-4 quarts for men per day of water to see huge results in weight loss. The equation looks like this: Fat loss = water + oxygen (from cardio vascular exercise) Typical and safe weight loss amounts range from 2-3 pounds per week from using this formula. Any weight loss more than that and you are losing water weight — which will come back as quickly as it left. Exercise and Healthy Eating is the First Priority The aim of an exercise program is to lose fat without losing muscle and without reducing your metabolism — the ability to burn fuel / calories for energy. Good nutrition is very important for fat loss, and focusing on health and health promoting foods is far more productive than focusing on fat loss and denial of favorite foods. Adopting a whole food diet, avoiding salt, fat, sugar, additives, preserva tives, processed and refined foods, needs to become part of a life style change. By increasing natural foods with a high fiber and water content (fruit and vegetables) more food can be eaten to appease the appetite without gaining weight. A whole food diet also has a much higher vitamin and mineral content than a typical diet containing processed and refined foods. Dieting is such a negative term — I like to think of it as “ eating to lose weight. ” Together aerobic exercise and resistance training are the ideal combination of exercise to achieve fat loss and it should be part of your lifestyle. Eliminating Macro-Nutrients? Hello Stew -thanks for your service and your continued support of the military, police and their families in fitness and health. I am trying to lose weight and thought I’d try something that would eliminate carbohydrates from my diet for a while? What do you think of that as a weight loss idea? Just as a rule – never eliminate the macro-nutrients your body needs such as protein, carbs, or fat from your diet. There are many diets out there that play around with these critical components of our nutrition. HOWEVER, you can definitely LIMIT them in order to see outstanding results. Of course you would want to accompany your eating plan with an exercise routine that had cardio-vascular and resistance training. BUT – For a challenging test, try to ELIMINATE sugar. This is anything with cane sugar in it. For a short list it means soda, sweet tea / coffee, cake, cookies, and even white bread. Only eat multi-grain bread. You can consume your carbs from fruits and vegetables either before or after a workout. If you are having trouble losing that final 5-10 lbs, once you have eliminated sugar, you will see that final extra 5-10 lbs of fat / water retention around off your belly button area if you are a man and off your hips if you are a women. (Typical results!!!) For instance, I like to workout first thing in the morning when I wake up. I eat a banana and go do a variety of exercises t hat include running, swimming, weights, and calisthenics. Some days if I do just cardio workout, I will skip the banana and wait to eat after the workout. After workout, I eat a high protein breakfast with fruits to replace lost carbs and drink water as well. For the rest of the morning, I snack on peanuts, almonds, a fiber rich nutrition bar (no sugar) but only a few carbs and more water. For lunch I eat a big salad with a large protein source again like tuna or chicken. The salad is filled with high fiber carbs like broccoli, green leafy lettuce like romaine, onions, almonds, maybe even some strawberries to top it off. Squirt some lemon juice or a balsamic vinegar type dressing for some added flavor and good fats. After lunch, I do not eat any more carbs during the day except those that come in peanuts, almonds, and other nuts for snacks. At this point, my body will still have enough carbs to function properly for the rest of the day. However, if you workout in the evening, you may want to add a few pieces of fruit or vegetables prior to exercise longer than 30 minutes. During dinner, I have a small salad with large source of protein again. And, if I get hungry during the after dinner hours, I drink more water and have some peanuts, almonds or lef t over chicken to fill any late evening hunger needs. This has worked for me to get rid of that last few extra pounds being carried around the mid-section, however dropping sugar is difficult for 2-3 days. After that it is really easy to skip the sweets and white breads. So good luck with the last few pounds and remember to mix in any weight loss plan with a solid fitness routine as many people find that by just adding fitness into their world on a daily basis, they do not have to alter much of their diet. By dropping sugar you will save money, lose extra weight, and make your dentist happy. NOTE: – In the 45 Day Chart workout below, you will see Repeat 5-10 times – Basically, repeat the events under the above phrase until you reach another line. Exercises like Bike 20: 00 or Crunch Cycle, fullbody stretch, or shoulder workout ARE NOT to be repeated several times — JUST ONCE. Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 – This is your cardio exercise choice. Some people prefer to swim, row, bike over walking or runnin g. It is up to you. Get moving and do something for that day. If you wish you can even pick more than one option to do for that day and mix in a walk with a bike or a swim even. Plank — 1: 00 — you will see 1 minute next to the plank pose — try to see how long you can hold the plank and build up to 1 minute. The 45 Day Chart is the daily minimal amount of recommended exercise you need to do in this workout plan. The next page after the chart is the supplemental program and is additional exercise to assist with fat burning and abdominal toning IF you feel like you want to continue working out in addition to the 45 Day workout chart. Day 1 *Walk / run /bike – 15: 00 Fullbody stretch Day 6 Repeat 5 times Walk / run / bike – 3: 00 squats – 20 Fullbody stretch Day 11 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 16 Repeat 5 times Bicep curls / tricep ext – 10 squats – 20 / lunges – 10 Fullbody stretch Day 21 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 2 Repeat 5 times Pushups – 10 / Crunches — 10 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 7 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 12 Repeat 5 times Jumping jacks – 10 Pushups – 10 Fullbody stretch Day 17 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 22 Repeat 8 times jumping jacks – 10 pushups – 10 Fullbody stretch Day 3 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Fullbody stretch Day 8 Repeat 5 times Jumping jacks – 10 Pushups – 10 ( no rest) Fullbody stretch Day 13 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches -50 Fullbody stretch Day 18 Repeat 5 times Pushups – 10 Squats – 20 Fullbody stretch Day 23 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 4 Repeat 5 times Bicep curls / triceps ext — 10 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 9 Repeat 3 times Walk or bike 5: 00 squats – 20 lunges – 10/leg Fullbody stretch Day 14 Repeat 5 times jumping jacks – 10 Pushups – 10 Fullbody stretch Day 19 walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 24 Repeat 5 times Pushups – 10-15 Squats – 20 / Crunches 20 Fullbody stretch Day 5 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Fullbody stretch Day 10 walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 15 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 20 Repeat 5 times Pushups – 10 Squats – 20 / crunches – 20 Fullbody stretch Day 25 walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 26 Repeat 5 times Walk / Run / Bike 3: 00 squats – 20 / lunges – 10 / leg Fullbody stretch Day 31 Repeat 4 times military press – 10 Tricep ext – 10 / pushups 10 Crunches – 25 Fullbody stretch Day 36 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 75 Fullbody stretch Day 41 Repeat 5 times military press – 10 Tricep ext – 10 / pushups10 Crunches – 25 Day 27 Repeat 5 times Bicep curls / tricep ext – 10 Crunches – 20 Fullbody stretch Day 28 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 29 Repeat 8 times Jumping Jacks – 10 Pushups – 10 Fullbody stretch Day 30 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 50 Fullbody stretch Day 32 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches — 50 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 33 Repeat 5 times walk / run / bike – 3: 00 squats – 20 lunges – 10 / leg Fullbody stretch Day 34 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches — 50 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 35 Repeat 10 times jumping jacks – 10 pushups 5-10 crunches – 20 Fullbody stretch Day 37 Repeat 5 times military press – 10 tricep ext – 10 / pushups10 Fullbody stretch Day 42 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 38 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches – 75 Fullbody stretch Day 39 Repeat 5 times Squats – 20 lunges – 10 / leg Fullbody stretch Day 40 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 crunches 75 Fullbody stretch Day 43 Repeat 10 times jumping jacks – 10 squats – 20 crunches – 20 Day 44 Walk / run / bike – 15: 00 Shoulder workout Fullbody stretch Day 45 Repeat 10 times jumping jacks – 10 pushups – 10 crunches – 20 Below – Supplemental Fitness Chart — Add only if you feel like increasing your cardio / abdominal exercises from above chart. Follow the above chart for Standard abdominal Standard abdominal Standard abdominal Standard abdominal the minimum daily amount routine routine routine routine of exercise recommended — Do almost daily Do almost daily — Do almost daily — Do almost daily — Days 1-10 this is supplemental Days 11-20 Days 21-35 Days 36-45 workout ideas… walk /bike — 20-30: 00 walk /bike — 20-30: 00 walk /bike — 20-30: 00 walk /bike — 20-30: 00 *walk/bike/run = walk, bike Shoulder workout Shoulder workout Shoulder workout Standard crunch Standard crunch Standard crunch or run for time given… Shoulder workout Standard crunch routine on floor routine on floor routine on floor routine on floor Reg crunch — 30 Reg crunch — 40 Reg crunch — 50 Add one column on this Reg crunch — 20 Rev crunch — 30 Rev crunch — 40 Rev crunch — 50 page as the workout Rev crunch — 20 Double crunch 30 Double crunch 40 Double crunch 50 progresses as an optional Double crunch 20 Left crunch — 30 Left crunch — 40 Left crunch — 50 portion to the program. Left crunch — 20 Right crunch — 30 Right crunch — 40 Right crunch — 50 Right crunch — 20 Side crunches — 30 Side crunches — 40 Side crunches — 50 This creates some flexibility Side crunches — 10 each side (love handles each side (love handles each side (love handles and a minimum standard for each side (love Lowerback Lowerback Lowerback you go by on a daily basis… handles) R arm / L legs lifts R arm / L legs lifts R arm / L legs lifts Lowerback L arm / R leg lifts L arm / R leg lifts L arm / R leg lifts R arm / L legs lifts :: 30 each way :: 30 each way :: 30 each way swimmers — :: 30 swimmers — :: 30 swimmers — :: 30 L arm / R leg lifts rev pushups 20 rev pushups 20-30 rev pushups 30+ :: 30 each way swimmers — :: 30 birds — 20 birds — 20-30 birds — 20-30 rev pushups 10-20 birds — 20 Appendix — Diet Plan Article / Chart For this diet, the goal will be 5-6 meals a day, spaced out every three hours. The stomach takes about three hours to empty, so try to keep it full but never stuffed. The small meals are just enough to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Remember, when you skip meals your metabolism slows down and you will not burn calories as well. Eating and exercise actually boost your metabolism. The base of the diet will be high protein, enough complex carbohydrates for the workouts, and low fat. If you have your exercise routine all figured out — great. If not, one of the eBooks from the Military. com Fitness Store, you will now have the tools to really get lean this summer. Here are the diet recommendations: 6: 00 AM Meal 1 (this meal can have more fat because you have all day to burn it off) 5 egg white omelet, you can throw one whole egg in for flavor (Use a little cheese and pepper for taste ) if you want add some ground turkey breast, or vegetables) 2 slices of wheat toast or small multi grain bagel (I put low fat peanut butter and sugar free jelly) (The more grains in your bread the better — Nine Grain bread is a great toast in this case) Avoid all white breads, pasta, flour etc… Work out! — DO cardio in the AM. 9AM Meal 2 Post workout (eat carbs now after the workout – it helps with insulin transport and recovery) Skim milk with banana or Oatmeal with raisins in it. (You could even go with small portions of both if you want. NO Fat Yogurt (Still have a piece of fruit if you have oatmeal.) 12: 00 Noon Meal 3 Ground Turkey Breast with a little cheese ( NO MAYO — Mustard, A1 sauce, low fast salad dressing) in a Whole wheat wrap. I often have 2 of these! (If you like peppers or vegetables like that you can throw them in since they add no fat) Baked Lays chips regular Broccoli (light butter you can use the spray if you truly want to avoid all fat) Piece of fruit 3: 00PM Meal 4 1 can of Tuna fish or egg whites here again with a multi-grain, whole-wheat bagel / bread. However; since most people are at work and have to have food that is easy, settle for another wrap, yogurt, and cold carrots. 5: 00 workout – Lift or calisthenics in the early evening. Post workout Meal #5 I recommend a protein shake or bar right after workout like a myoplex or slim fast meal replacement bar just be sure the one you get is low in fat. If you don’t want to drink supplement drinks, have a can of tuna with little to no mayo, or a piece of chicken on top of a salad and a few wheat crackers and pickles mixed in. Dinner! Again you can have GOOD carbs here to give you energy back, but avoid fat since you are about to lay down and go to bed in the next few hours. The last thing you want is fat before you go to bed because then it is simply going to be stored. Try the Barilla Multigrain pasta. It is THE pasta to eat since it has 10 grams of protein in a serving and almost no fat. I would have this with turkey breast in it, or lean steak, fish, or chicken breast with a sauce of your choice, just avoid fat sauces. This way post workout you are getting good carbs and protein. Use wheat bread and just use garlic on it so you have healthy garlic bread. Now your day is done — good eating mixed with 1-2 workouts. The workouts can be as simple as walking 20-30 minutes or as tough as triathlon training. It is up to you and your fitness level and goals. The diet is great for any person trying to lose body fat. Do not forget to drink WATER! See The Importance of Water article for more details. Water is the key. Drink it before you eat it fills you up. Remember it takes the human body about 15 -20 minutes to realize it is full so give yourself time with small portions and you will be full. Know that you just will not feel that way right away. I always tell myself to eat when the clock says to eat not when my body says to eat. This way I am never full and I am never hungry. This is a rough idea of how I eat listed below are some other meals I would try: Salad-chicken- no fat dressing chicken broccoli Multi-grain Pasta-turkey sausage-peppers (red yellow & orange) fat free Italian dressing (a cold dish) Turkey breast burger on wheat bread Egg whites are always a good meal! (Egg whites are just so healthy) Subway roasted chicken breast avoid mayo use the honey mustard or nothing Tuna Snacks: Fruits no fat yogurt vegetables. Just check food labels and keep the fat down. I would say below 50 grams or so. The goal is eat fruits and vegetables, multi -grain pasta and breads with chicken, lean meats, fish and avoid processed foods as much as you can. Like most people, I eat the same things a lot over and over and over! It is boring but you get use to it like anything. Just get out of the bad habits of junk food, fast food, and sugary sweets and you will like the results. If you are diabetic or have other medical issues, contact a doctor or registered dietician before changing your eating habits. Good luck to you all — if you have questions feel free to email me at Stew@stewsmith. com — place “ 45 Day Beginner” in the subject line for my organizational needs. I will answer your emails as soon as possible. The Following Diet Plan is a food option chart. It is not the answer to everyone’s diet needs, but it has become a good generic program that has been successful with many losing 20 -30 lbs during the 90 day program of this workout. For more options see: Lean Down Plan 630am Meal Options egg whites, boiled egg whites , whole wheat bread, jam or peanut butter 930am meal Options Slimfast meal bar or post workout protein shake 1230 Meal Options Green leafy lettuce Salad with roasted chicken or tuna fish, 330pm Meal Options Fruit Salad- variety 630pm Meal Options Chicken, tuna, or fish, lean meat sandwich on wheat bread, no mayo — Evening Snack Options Water – make up for missing glasses at end of the day Yogurt, milk, cereal (whole wheat grain cereals — multi grains only Yogurt Smoothie or yogurt with granola / fruit SubWay Sandwich Two Ham and cheese rolls Cheese stick or glass of milk Lean Meat on whole wheat bagel or bread / toast Celery sticks with ranch dressing (low or no fat) Vegetable beef stew Can of tuna with water Protein shake or yogurt smoothie Assorted Nuts and berries mix — 1 cup Whole wheat Pasta and marina sauce Milkshake or protein shake Mixed salads with variety of veges — green leafy lettuce, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onion Chicken, asparagus or broccoli, brown rice, wheat bread — fruit dessert Veggie or Turkey burger with lettuce, tomato Slimfast meal replacement bar Beans and brown rice / celery sticks and peanut butter & milk Sushi roll (2) Chopped Chicken with hard boiled egg and lettuce or rice Lean sirloin, green or lima beans, salad, whole grain bread, sherbet Low / no fat popcorn Banana, apple, small carrots, pears o r orange Fruit options — 1-2 cups of honeydew / watermelon, and/or cantaloupe Water — 1 qt / or green tea (hot or cold) Spinach Salad with almonds, strawberries, lean meat Yogurt smoothie with myoplex protein powder Broiled Fish, steamed brown rice, salad Water — 1 qt / or green tea (hot or cold) Water ½ – 1 qt Water — 1 qt Remember the GOAL is to limit fat grams to under 50gms a day and lower carbs to as needed for pre — post workouts Water — ½ – 1 qt Whole wheat toast Italian Ice