David Carraturo's Blog - Posts Tagged "baseline-exercise"
Diesel Dad workout - goals and objectives
Once you have decided to commit to workout in the Diesel Dad fashion, the first thing needed of you is to grasp the time you will exercising each week. Okay, there are 168 hours in a week. Of which, this workout routine will take 5 hours a week in the first quartile of the cycle and gradually increase to 10 hours per week in the last quartile of your cycle. Your time commitment will go from 3% of your week to 6% of your week – I would venture to say that this is a fraction of the time you spend in front of the television or computer.
This is not a short-term gimmick to get huge in three months and then go back to the way you worked out before. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Think of this as a five year plan. After each twelve months of training, you return to phase one, but at a higher base level. There are 52 weeks in a year and each of the quartiles of training consists of four weeks at a consistent level and then you gradually increase poundage/mileage/repetitions. Twelve cycles of four weeks each give you one four week cycle to regroup and restart the following year. Your first phase should seem almost enjoyable, as you will be working out for only 5 hours a week, running shorter distances and pushing up weight you can handle. Phase two, three and four will change all this as you will be pressing heavy weight for reps, doing calisthenics like a Navy SEAL and running like a gray-haired gazelle. The secret here is that you will not have it any other way. By the second quartile, a switch will turn on in your brain and you will crave each workout and pushing yourself. Trust me here!
Before you start there are a few things needed. First, join a gym. The level of training, weights, machines, etc. you will need to use will only be found at a reputable sports club. I do not recommend a Crossfit gym, you will get more bang for your buck at a place like New York Sports Club, Equinox or the like. If you’re getting huge, don’t you want to show off in front of friends and complete strangers? Second, go to Dicks Sports or Modell’s and get compression shirts and shorts. Don’t wear cloth material. It does not sweat well, you will feel heavy and constrained and quite frankly a tight shirt showing off your ripped arms is just better! Buy some handgrips and good light sneakers. Florescent colors are fine, just please don’t look like a walking neon sign in downtown Tokyo.
I like to begin my first four week cycle in August. Depending on your schedule, start your week on the day that fits best for you. Personally, I start my week on Saturday. You will never need seven days to complete these workouts, and I recommend 2-3 days of rest in the first two phases. By phases three and four you will crave only 1-2 days of rest and your body will be itching to get back to work! You will have a checklist of exercises to perform each week NOT number of days to workout each week. If you have ample time and can complete a higher percentage of exercise in a lesser amount of days, or you can smooth it out and do a little each day. It is up to you. (You may have a week where you will be required to run 12 miles in total – you could run 2x6 miles or 3x4 miles). Personally, I like to cram as much in the early days of the week, because you get it out of the way when you are fresh and you also take the pressure off if a non-exercise related commitment gets in the way later in the week. If you fall short of your checklist, you can simply add it to the next week of activities to perform. You could also do more in a week if you feel you will have a time constrained week upcoming (this front loading is also good if you are planning to go on vacation or travel with work).
Map out how your ability to workout fits into your day/week. If you can get out for an hour at lunch during work, great. If you have to do the bulk of your workout on the weekend, then that is fine too.
Drink plenty of water, before, during and after your workout. I also recommend a scoop of creatine a few days a week. I get mine at CVS, and just add it to a drink of water. Creatine supplies energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscles. I have noticed the difference when I have taken it. In phases three and four of your exercises I also recommend taking additional supplements from GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. I take Rebuilt Mass and AMP Wheybotic Extreme in half dosages than recommended on the label. They also deliver noticeable results to strength, size and recovery, but you will not need full dosages unless you are competing in a bodybuilding event.
What about diet? I don’t diet, ever! I love to eat and drink and this includes dessert, beer, pizza, bagels or just about anything. This Diesel Dad workout will crave nourishment and you will be burning so many calories that you will not need to alter your eating habits. What may end up happening is that you may drink less on a Friday night because your priority is to be fresh for your Saturday bench press session versus your Happy Hour indulgence. Again, this workout is focused on body transformation, not weight loss. As I mentioned earlier, I have actually gained ten pounds of muscle while increasing the loops needed on my belt.
The last prelude of information is to get your baseline for working out. This should take place two week or so before you begin your first four week cycle. Determine your bench press goal and level. My goal for bench press is 175x50 reps. I will discuss this more in later posts. For this, I bookend the goal weight with focused workout goals at the end of my cycle of 185x45 and 165x55. I start phase one at 185x26 and 135x55. A person who has not benched much may feel that a realistic goal for bench press is 135x30 reps and a baseline could be 135x12 to start in phase one.
From these levels I gradually increase weights and reps throughout the twelve cycles until I have met my goal. The key baseline exercises are for bench press; what can you comfortably do for 20 reps. Dips & pull-ups; max reps. Jogging; 2-4 miles on treadmill at 8-10 minute mile pace. Squat ten reps. Pushups – comfortable amount. Box jump – height and amount you can do.
Once you determine the appropriate level you are comfortable with as a baseline then you are ready to start phase one. Next though, I will go through the various exercise and movements you will do throughout the Diesel Dad program.
This is not a short-term gimmick to get huge in three months and then go back to the way you worked out before. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Think of this as a five year plan. After each twelve months of training, you return to phase one, but at a higher base level. There are 52 weeks in a year and each of the quartiles of training consists of four weeks at a consistent level and then you gradually increase poundage/mileage/repetitions. Twelve cycles of four weeks each give you one four week cycle to regroup and restart the following year. Your first phase should seem almost enjoyable, as you will be working out for only 5 hours a week, running shorter distances and pushing up weight you can handle. Phase two, three and four will change all this as you will be pressing heavy weight for reps, doing calisthenics like a Navy SEAL and running like a gray-haired gazelle. The secret here is that you will not have it any other way. By the second quartile, a switch will turn on in your brain and you will crave each workout and pushing yourself. Trust me here!
Before you start there are a few things needed. First, join a gym. The level of training, weights, machines, etc. you will need to use will only be found at a reputable sports club. I do not recommend a Crossfit gym, you will get more bang for your buck at a place like New York Sports Club, Equinox or the like. If you’re getting huge, don’t you want to show off in front of friends and complete strangers? Second, go to Dicks Sports or Modell’s and get compression shirts and shorts. Don’t wear cloth material. It does not sweat well, you will feel heavy and constrained and quite frankly a tight shirt showing off your ripped arms is just better! Buy some handgrips and good light sneakers. Florescent colors are fine, just please don’t look like a walking neon sign in downtown Tokyo.
I like to begin my first four week cycle in August. Depending on your schedule, start your week on the day that fits best for you. Personally, I start my week on Saturday. You will never need seven days to complete these workouts, and I recommend 2-3 days of rest in the first two phases. By phases three and four you will crave only 1-2 days of rest and your body will be itching to get back to work! You will have a checklist of exercises to perform each week NOT number of days to workout each week. If you have ample time and can complete a higher percentage of exercise in a lesser amount of days, or you can smooth it out and do a little each day. It is up to you. (You may have a week where you will be required to run 12 miles in total – you could run 2x6 miles or 3x4 miles). Personally, I like to cram as much in the early days of the week, because you get it out of the way when you are fresh and you also take the pressure off if a non-exercise related commitment gets in the way later in the week. If you fall short of your checklist, you can simply add it to the next week of activities to perform. You could also do more in a week if you feel you will have a time constrained week upcoming (this front loading is also good if you are planning to go on vacation or travel with work).
Map out how your ability to workout fits into your day/week. If you can get out for an hour at lunch during work, great. If you have to do the bulk of your workout on the weekend, then that is fine too.
Drink plenty of water, before, during and after your workout. I also recommend a scoop of creatine a few days a week. I get mine at CVS, and just add it to a drink of water. Creatine supplies energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscles. I have noticed the difference when I have taken it. In phases three and four of your exercises I also recommend taking additional supplements from GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. I take Rebuilt Mass and AMP Wheybotic Extreme in half dosages than recommended on the label. They also deliver noticeable results to strength, size and recovery, but you will not need full dosages unless you are competing in a bodybuilding event.
What about diet? I don’t diet, ever! I love to eat and drink and this includes dessert, beer, pizza, bagels or just about anything. This Diesel Dad workout will crave nourishment and you will be burning so many calories that you will not need to alter your eating habits. What may end up happening is that you may drink less on a Friday night because your priority is to be fresh for your Saturday bench press session versus your Happy Hour indulgence. Again, this workout is focused on body transformation, not weight loss. As I mentioned earlier, I have actually gained ten pounds of muscle while increasing the loops needed on my belt.
The last prelude of information is to get your baseline for working out. This should take place two week or so before you begin your first four week cycle. Determine your bench press goal and level. My goal for bench press is 175x50 reps. I will discuss this more in later posts. For this, I bookend the goal weight with focused workout goals at the end of my cycle of 185x45 and 165x55. I start phase one at 185x26 and 135x55. A person who has not benched much may feel that a realistic goal for bench press is 135x30 reps and a baseline could be 135x12 to start in phase one.
From these levels I gradually increase weights and reps throughout the twelve cycles until I have met my goal. The key baseline exercises are for bench press; what can you comfortably do for 20 reps. Dips & pull-ups; max reps. Jogging; 2-4 miles on treadmill at 8-10 minute mile pace. Squat ten reps. Pushups – comfortable amount. Box jump – height and amount you can do.
Once you determine the appropriate level you are comfortable with as a baseline then you are ready to start phase one. Next though, I will go through the various exercise and movements you will do throughout the Diesel Dad program.
