B.L.E.N.D.
B.L.E.N.D. WEIGHT-TRAINING INGREDIENTS
>> Super-intense training sessions include pre-exhaustion, tri-sets, drop sets and other shockers to keep your muscles guessing and growing.
>> Training volume starts high and climbs from there. Reps are particularly high, causing greater blood flow and hence a pump to the working muscles. Not only will this make you appear bigger during the workout, but it initiates long-term growth afterward.
>> Each muscle gets a full week to recover.
>> Workouts begin and end with isolation exercises.
>> Rest should be no fewer than 60 and no more than
90 seconds between sets.
MONDAY (CHEST + ABS)
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Exercise | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Cable Crossover | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Incline Dumbbell Flye | 3/8-10^ | 4/10-12^ | 5/12-15^ | 6/15-20^ |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3/12-15 | 4/12-15 | 5/12-15 | 6/12-15 |
| Crunch | 3/15-25 | 4/15-25 | 5/15-25 | 6/15-25 |
*Make the last set a drop set by reducing the weight 25% and continuing to failure.
^Run the rack: Do your sets without a break. Dropping to lighter dumbbells each
time allows for the same number of reps on each set.
B.L.E.N.D. CARDIO INGREDIENTS
Find a 5-10-pound medicine ball, or if you don't have one of those rolling around your house, substitute a full
5-pound bag of flour sealed with heavy mailing tape or duct tape.
>> Week 1
Do the following cycle three times:
20 clean-and-press throws
20 jumping jacks
20 overhead squats
2 minutes running in place with high knees holding resistance at
chest height
20 overhead lunges (10 per side)
20 mountain climbers
>> Week 2
Add 10 reps to each exercise and
1 minute to running in place
>> Week 3
Do the cycle from Week 2
four times
>> Week 4
Add 10 more reps to each exercise and 1 more minute to running in place with high knees
Tuesday
(Quads, hamstrings + calves)
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Exercise | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Leg Extension | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Cable Romanian Deadlift | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Barbell Squat | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Unilateral Leg Press | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Leg Extension | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 | 6/25-30 |
| Leg Curl | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 | 6/25-30 |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 | 6/25-30 |
| Leg-Press Machine Calf Raise | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 |
6/25-30 |
*Do an equal number of reps with each leg. Don't rest until you complete all sets.
B.L.E.N.D. ADVICE
Maximize each isolation exercise to pre-exhaust large muscles and
stimulate growth. Keep your reps within the
prescribed range throughout the
program.
For more info
on this and other fusion-type workouts from the editors of Shape, Men's Fitness, Natural Health
and Muscle & Fitness Hers, please visit FusionForFitness.com. You can also sign up
for a free interactive diet and fitness
program, Get FusionFit.
Wednesday
Superset your reverse crunches and cable crunches for a true ab burn (shoulders, Traps + ABS)
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Exercise | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps |
| Triset: | : | | | |
| Bent-Over DB Lateral Raise | 3/8-10 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Wide-Grip Cable Upright Row | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3/8-10^ | 4/10-12^ | 5/12-15^ | 6/15-20^ |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Smith-Machine Back Shrug | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Smith-Machine Front Shrug | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Reverse Crunch | 3/15-25 | 4/15-25 | 5/15-25 | 6/15-25 |
| Cable Crunch | 3/12-15 | 4/12-15 | 5/12-15 | 6/12-15 |
*Make the last set a drop set
by reducing the weight 25%
and continuing to failure.
^Run the rack: Do your sets
without a break. Dropping
to lighter dumbbells each
time allows for the same
number of reps on each set.
Thursday
(back + CALVES)
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Exercise | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Straight-Arm Pulldown | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Bent-Over Barbell Row | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| One-Arm Dumbbell Row | 3/8-10^ | 4/10-12^ | 5/12-15^ | 6/15-20^ |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Pulldown to Front | 3/8-10 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Reverse-Grip Pulldown | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 | 6/25-30 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3/12-15 | 4/15-20 | 5/20-25 | 6/25-30 |
^Run the rack: Do your sets without a break. Dropping to lighter dumbbells each time
allows for the same number of reps on each set.
B.L.E.N.D.
ADVICE
When running
the rack, if you can't get the same
number of reps on each consecutive set, move to a lighter pair of dumbbells and
fulfill the set goal.
B.L.E.N.D. SUPPLEMENT INGREDIENTS
>> Creatine immediately increases muscle size by allowing more water to be stored in muscle cells. Over time this results in long-term muscle gains. It increases strength by bolstering levels of creatine phosphate in muscle cells, which in turn boosts ATP, the quick energy source your muscles need to pound out reps.
Take: 3-5 grams before and after training with your protein shake and carbs.
>> Arginine enhances production of nitric oxide (NO), which improves blood flow to working muscles, bringing along nutrients, hormones and oxygen. The net result is a pump like Arnold's, higher levels of growth hormone (GH), better workouts, faster recovery.
Take: 3-5 grams of arginine or an NO product containing arginine (common forms include L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate,
arginine alpha-ketoisocaproate and arginine malate) on an empty stomach in the morning, 30-40 minutes preworkout, and again before bed.
>> Glutamine promotes muscle recovery -- something you'll need big-time during intense training this month. Glutamine helps to boost GH levels, prevents muscle breakdown and promotes muscle growth. It, too, enhances the volume of muscle cells by pulling in more water.
Take: 5 grams along with arginine doses.
Friday:
Skull-crushers and overhead extensions will forge your tri's into iron horseshoes
(arms + forearms)
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Exercise | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps | Sets/Reps |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Skull-Crusher | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Overhead Rope Extension | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Incline Curl | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Barbell Curl | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Cable Concentration Curl | 3/8-10* | 4/10-12* | 5/12-15* | 6/15-20* |
| Superset: | | | | |
| Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl | 3/8-10 | 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
| Barbell Wrist Curl | 3/8-10 4/10-12 | 5/12-15 | 6/15-20 |
*Make the last set a drop set by reducing the weight 25% and continuing to failure.
B.L.E.N.D.
ADVICE
The weeklong
rest period between bodyparts is designed to allow
the most recovery possible, due to the amount of extremely intense training
sessions in this
program.
B.L.E.N.D. nutrition ingredients
>> Divide 3,500-4,000 daily calories among 6-8 meals spaced 2-3 hours apart. Add a seventh meal on
off days in the form of
a meal-replacement shake.
>> Thirty percent of those calories should come from protein, 50% from carbs and 20% from fat. That should supply 1.5 grams (or more) of protein and 3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. This meal plan yields 78 grams of fat.
>> The emphasis here is on eating for recovery from the grueling workouts, which explains why carb intake is high, and why protein and carbs are emphasized before and after workouts. Those high-energy foods will sustain the higher-rep sets during this phase, although carbs will drop along with reps in Month 2, and further in Month 3 as we shred your newly gained muscle mass.
Food Calories Protein (g) Carbs (g)
Breakfast
6 egg whites, 4 yolks 334 33 2
2 cups cooked oatmeal 300 14 50
Late-morning snack
1 scoop whey protein 85 20 1
32 oz. skim milk 90 9 9
1 cup cooked brown rice 214 6 46
Lunch
4 oz. turkey breast 155 30 0
4 slices whole-grain bread 320 12 60
Afternoon snack
6 oz. cottage cheese 145 23 6
Large baked potato 220 4 50
Preworkout meal
Meal replacement shake 390 40 40
Postworkout meal
1 scoop whey protein 85 20 1
4 slices white bread 320 9 60
1 banana 110 1 28
Dinner
8 oz. lean hamburger 500 48 0
2 large baked potatoes 440 8 100
2 cups cooked broccoli 100 11 14
Before-bed snack
1 scoop casein protein 110 20 2
1 cup cooked oatmeal 150 7 25
Totals 4,068 315 494
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