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"Total Body Transformation: Part 1 - Training"

By James Cipriani

Are you frustrated with all of the conflicting information about how to train for a true total body transformation? Are you frustrated with busting your butt in the gym hour after hour, month after month, and year after year with little or no results to show for it?

I AM PROMISING YOU RIGHT NOW THAT IF YOU FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE TO A TEE, YOU WILL TRANSFORM YOUR BODY IN THE SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE - GUARANTEED!!!

I am confident that you will see me as a source for all of your muscle building, fat loss, health, and fitness pursuits. How do I plan to do that? Simply by providing you with the truth and a plan that will work at least three times faster than anything else you have ever tried before. My mission is to spread the word and educate as many as I can...whether that be just one, one hundred, or one thousand.

What I am going to uncover in this article is the basis for all my total body transformation training. I did not create the following concepts that I am about to dispel to you. But, for over a decade now, I has taken the combination of scientific knowledge and real world trial and error (through not only training myself, but hundreds of others) and provided our industry with a no B.S. approach to weightlifting. I am giving you a very valuable tool - - a tool that has created some of the greatest drug-free body transformations ever!

Is my way the only way to produce results. Obviously there isn't, as proven by the countless training styles of such great physiques throughout history. Through trial, error, and research I have formulated the perfect cycling method for everyone. The body is a very adaptive organism and to insure that we avoid the dreaded "plateau" as well as injury, smart/calculated changes need to be made on a consistent basis.

The scope of this article is going to cover the one true variable in all the phases of my total body transformation training programs - "overload." You may or may not know what the definition of overload is. If you do - great. If not, learn it inside and out, upside and down. Put it to use 1000% and reap the rewards. Overload is the #1 factor in all training.

Overload Training

Before I dive in, I want everyone reading this to do one thing for the rest of his or her training life - Always, always ask yourself "why" you are doing something. If you do not have a logical, scientifically proven reason to your "why," do not do it. I tell you this because as I lay the program out for you, I will explain each principle in detail. You will not just walk away knowing the "what's," but you will be educated in the "whys."

To understand the principles behind Overload Training, you must first understand the physiological process of building muscle. One thing and only one thing is responsible for building muscle, providing your muscle(s) with a stress that it is not used to and this is accomplished three different ways:

1. Increased weight used
2. Increased reps done with the a certain weight or
3. Doing the same reps with the a certain weight in a shorter period of time.

Guess what? That right there is overload.

That is why so many people can train so many different ways and achieve some sort of body transformation response from it. Some will do 6 reps, some 12 reps, and even some 15 reps or more. Some people use supersets, some straight sets, some drop sets. Everybody has their own way of how to build muscle and they all work to some degree.

How can that be?

If you are providing your muscle with more work (weight, reps, sets, etc) than it was previously used to, no matter how you stimulate it, it is going to respond.

You may be asking what difference does it make how you train if all training has the ability of stimulating a muscle transformation.

Well if you are like me you are not after just some transformation you are after MAXIMUM TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION! And if you are anything like me you are after it in the shortest possible time. We are unfortunately involved in an activity that allows us to do things (for lack of a better word) "wrong" and still get some results. Do not settle for some results. Train the BEST way possible and maximize your results.

The Cycle Training Approach

As mentioned, cycle training is your best approach. Cycle training allows you to avoid injury, avoid plateaus, train all muscle fibers for maximum response, and stay mentally stimulated (just to name a few). I virtually use a 3 phase system - Maximum Strength Phase, Hypertrophy (or Muscle Stimulation) Phase, and the Muscle Defining (or Fat Burning) Phase. All phases (outside of transitional phases, which are more of an Active Rest phase) are based solely on one of these three phases or a combination of two. No matter what phase I am in or what the priority of the phase may be, one thing remains constant - the overload principle.

My Total Body Transformation Training System usually starts with the pivotal Maximum Strength and Growth Phase. Whether you train using a cycle training approach or not, the principles behind my Strength and Growth Phase should be respected and followed at some point in your training. Let's take a look at the principles behind this phase:

Principle #1
Do Not Train For More Than An Hour.

It is scientifically proven that this shorter duration training maximizes your hormonal spikes. Training any longer is going to increase your secretion of cortisol, a catabolic hormone. Your routines also need to have a "sprint-like" quality to them to maintain maximum intensity. If you train too long you are going to pace yourself, whether that be consciously or subconsciously. No matter what phase I am in, I try not to go over the one hour mark.

Principle #2
Train Only 2 Major Muscle Groups In A Workout.

This allows you to take advantage of Principle #1, yet still take a multi-angle/multi-exercise approach to training your bodyparts. It has psychological benefits, as well. You are more apt to pour more into your workouts if you know you are only hitting a couple of muscle groups in a given workout. Note: if you are only able to get to the gym 2-3 times a week, then this principle is obviously obsolete.

Principle #3
Do No More Than 6-8 Total Heavy Sets Per Muscle Group.

I will tell you right now, this is generous. Honestly if you are pouring maximum intensity into your workouts, you probably won't need much more than 4-6 heavy sets. The stronger and more experienced you are, the less you will need. Also, with the given rest periods that will be prescribed, this is about all you could accomplish in the recommended time frame. Note: "Heavy" sets do not include warm-up sets.

Principle #4
Do 4 To 6 Reps Per Set.

This is the heart and soul of the Strength and Growth Phase. It is one of the principles that separates it from other phases. For you to get the most muscular stimulation possible, you want to attack the muscle fibers that have the most growth potential - - your white, fast-twitched muscle fibers. Any other fiber has minimal response potential in comparison and it is scientifically documented that the way to hit these white fibers is with a heavy weight in a 4 to 6 rep range. Also, any higher rep range is going to draw excess lactate into the muscle, thus fatiguing the muscle.

Remember... overload builds muscle, not fatigue. If you are constantly pulling lactate into the muscle, you will hinder your performance and shortchange your overload. Lastly, the added benefit of the 4 to 6 rep range is the "focus" element. It is a lot easier to put forth 100% mental intensity into a set that lasts 20 seconds than a set that would last two to three times that.

Principle #5
Rest 2 Between Sets.

Another element critical to the Strength and Growth Phase. A scientifically proven aspect of performance is that it can take anywhere from 90 seconds to 3 minutes for your Krebs's cycle to recover maximally, depending on the muscle being worked, the amount of weight used, and the exercise being performed. Again, if you do not fully recover between sets you are going to compromise your next set performance. Thus, in turn, would shortchange your overload on your target muscle. Optimal rest-time between sets in a Strength and Growth Phase would be 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, so set your stopwatches.

Principle #6
Train Each Muscle Once Every 5 to 7 Days.

It has been shown time and time again that a muscle can take up to 9 days to fully recover from a heavy, high-intensity workout. Get this straight if you don't already know it...WE DO NOT GROW IN THE GYM! Our lifting is just the stimulus for muscle growth. The recovery process is where the muscle responds by growing stronger and bigger, readying itself for future stress. If you do not allow full and complete recovery of your muscles, you will impede your growth and soon venture into the realm of overtraining.

Now that I have laid out the principles of Strength and Growth for you, you are probably asking yourself what a typical routine would look like. Below is one that I have used myself as well as with my personal training clients with great success. This routine is a great template for all of you to start with in your quest for MAXIMUM TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION !

Mondays - Legs
Squats (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Leg Press (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Stiff leg Dead lifts (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Standing Calf Raise (2-3 warm-up sets) 3 x 6-8
Seated Calf Raise 2 x 6-8

Tuesdays - Chest & Biceps
Incline Bench Press (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Bench Press 3 x 4-6
Decline Press 1 x 4-6
Barbell Curls (4 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6
Hammer Curls 2 x 4-6
E-Z Bar Curls 1 x 4-6

Thursdays - Back & Abs
Bent Rows (3-4 warm-ups) 2 x 4-6
V-bar Pull downs 2 x 4-6
Weighted Pull-ups 2 x 4-6
Straight-bar Cable Rows 1 x 4-6
Weighted Leg Lifts (1 warm-up set) 2 x 12-15
Cable Crunches 2 x 8-10

Fridays - Shoulders & Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Press (4 warm-ups) 3 x 4-6
Seated Military Press 2 x 4-6
Side Laterals (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Lying Extensions (1-2 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6
Pushdowns 2 x 4-6
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 1 x 4-6

Go to Part 2 of This Article.

About the Author:

James Cipriani is a certified personal trainer located in Danbury, CT. He is a featured writer for many fitness websites and magazines. His website is http://www.jimcipriani.com. Log on now! Filled with articles, e-books, it is your guide towards health and fitness RESULTS! While you are there, subscribe to one of the internet's Most Popular Bodybuilding and Fitness Newsletters - Jim Cipriani's Cutting Edge Fitness Chronicle. It's FREE. Each monthly issue is crammed with training tips, nutrition articles, supplement reports, exclusive discounts, and much more.