M&F ULTRA Month11 Screen

Gea Johnson

BLKYELMAGCYNTrim Size 8" X 101⁄2"

ITNESS&USCLEM

F

194

Ultimate Long-Term Resistance and Aerobic System

U.L.T.R.A.1 2 - M O N T H S Y S T E M

By Christopher M. Lockwood, MS, CSCS

en may be from Mars and women

from Venus, but if there were a

planet called Lean Muscle, both sexes would

aspire to be its ruler. What guy doesn’t want to

have better-defined abs, bigger pecs and the

ability to blast through heavy workouts like the

Tampa Bay Bucs’ Warren Sapp, Derrick Brookes

and Hardy Nickerson pancaking an offensive

line? And what woman wouldn’t want the

muscular curves of Lena Johannesen or Lisa

Lowe, or the Olympic-caliber athleticism of Gea

Johnson or Mia Hamm? Although everyone’s

optimal physique and performance will differ,

the fact that you’ve been following ULTRA for

almost a year suggests that you’re willing and

able to test your limits.

Which brings us to Month 11. If you’ve been

with us from the beginning, think of this as the

fourth quarter of regulation play in a basketball

game: The game may be close to over, but you

can’t stop giving it 100% until the final whistle

blows. You’ve got a good coach at your disposal,

m

Pho

tos

by P

er B

erna

l

MONTH 11

194 MUSCLE & FITNESS May 2000

Gea Johnson

MU22460P194-201 2/14/00 9:08:29 AM 1190442914

BLKYELMAGCYN

195

too, because to help devise this month’s fat-burning and muscle-definition installment, I’ve enlisted the help of Roger Earle, MS,CSCS, a former bodybuilder and college strength coach who iscurrently director of certification education and exam develop-ment for the National Strength and Conditioning Association(Lincoln, Nebraska). He’s also co-authoring and co-editing thesecond edition of The Essentials of Strength Training and Con-ditioning (Human Kinetics), a must-have reference book for

designing training programs that develop functional strength.The weight-training workouts shouldn’t take you more than

about an hour; the cardio sessions, no more than 50 minutes. Ifyou have even less time than that, merge the individual work-outs into a total-body blast by choosing 1–2 exercises per body-part, combining them and then completing that workout twicea week. Limited access to equipment isn’t an excuse, either: Allof the exercises prescribed in ULTRA are merely guidelines, andyou can replace any of them with something of similar quality.

If you have some bodybuilding experience under your weightbelt and are simply new to ULTRA, use your common sense tojudge if your fitness and strength can accommodate thismonth’s training demands. If you’re new to bodybuilding alto-gether, however, begin by choosing only one exercise per body-part. Using a very light weight, complete one set of eachexercise, 10–15 reps per set. For cardio, also begin at a lowintensity. Then, as your confidence and endurance increase,gradually build toward the levels prescribed in this month’s pro-gram. Sure, it’ll take you at least five months to reach that point,but it’s a much safer and smarter way to begin training.

May 2000 MUSCLE & FITNESS 195

The ULTRA System Training Progression

Though Earle recommends training abs every workout, he alternates the area of emphasis each time. Specifically,he suggests doing three sets, 15–25 reps apiece, of a single ab exercise per workout. Just make sure that, workout toworkout, you rotate among different ab exercises that alternate emphasizing your upper and lower regions, as well asyour obliques.

Says Earle: “The way you can make this workout more intense and difficult is to shorten your rest periods betweensets. It’s easy to do three sets, 10 reps apiece, with four minutes rest in between them, but if you want a more difficultworkout, shorten your rest periods to 30–60 seconds.”

Earle suggests doing two 20-minute cardio exercises in succession. “Variety helps combat overtraining,” he says.“Besides, it can help psychologically to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do 20 hard minutes on a bike and then 20 hard minuteson a stair-stepper,’ as opposed to 40 hard minutes on one or the other.”

“Because your overall intensity during cardio is going to be high, you’ll burn more total calories — and therefore alarger amount of fat in absolute terms — than if you’d exercised at a lower, ‘fat-burning’ intensity,” Earle says.

“During this phase, cardio is at least as important as your weight workouts, since your primary goal is to burn fat andcalories,” Earle explains.

The best day not to do cardio, he says, is the day after your leg workout. “Because of injuries, I’ve experienced much success avoiding overhead pressing movements for shoulders,” states

Earle. “For that reason, I suggest doing tri-sets comprising three shoulder exercises that aren’t presses.”

coach’s cornertips from roger earle, ms, cscs

1

2

3

4

5

67

Christopher M. Lockwood, MS, CSCS, has a master’s degree in exercise and sportsscience. He’s a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association,American College of Sports Medicine and International Society of Biomechanicsin Sport. He’s also a personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exer-cise. A former M&F staff writer, Chris now works for Weider Nutrition Interna-tional in Salt Lake City.

Perhaps no femaleathlete embodies

ULTRA performancebetter than Olympic

hopeful Gea Johnson.

MU22460P194-201 2/16/00 10:31:11 AM 1519144384


ITNESS&USCLEM

F


196

uccessful bodybuilders and their coachesknow a few tricks from which the rest of uscan learn a thing or two: like how to lose

bodyfat while holding on to the very muscle massyou worked so hard to build in the first place.Since we’re approaching summer, what bettertime to put into practice some of these ideas andmake them work for you? I’ve enlisted anotherexpert, noted protein researcher Peter Lemon,PhD, from the University of Western Ontario inLondon, Ontario, Canada.

Lemon says that preserving muscle whilereducing caloric intake is the most vital compo-nent in achieving low bodyfat levels. “Duringsevere caloric restriction, a combination of fatand muscle mass is lost. Usually, very low-caloriedieters who don’t engage in exercise will lose apound of muscle for every pound of bodyfat.”

The consequences are dramatic: “If you startlosing muscle while dieting, your average rate ofmetabolism drops,” Lemon explains. To preventthe loss of muscle and the accompanying meta-bolic downshifting, he stresses the need for weighttraining rather than simply doing lots of cardio. “Idon’t think any fat-loss program with exerciseshould be attempted without stressing weighttraining,” he notes. “Weight training more than aer-obic exercise imparts a muscle-saving effect on thebody. Stressing the muscles with weights even dur-ing low-energy intakes can help you hold on tomuscle mass; aerobics, although a good fat-burn-ing exercise, does little in this regard.”

How much fat can you lose per week? Lemonbelieves 2 pounds is about the maximum that canbe safely lost without sacrificing muscle.

He further suggests that you increase your pro-tein intake during dieting. “Decreasing your calo-ries impacts protein needs. Whatever proteinintake was sufficient for you to grow may becomeinadequate while trying to get leaner. During acalorie deficit, some of the protein you eat will beused as energy, which means less remains toeither build or hold on to muscle.” Lemonbelieves the majority of those in a building phasewill need 0.7 gram of protein per pound of body-weight daily, as long as calorie intake remains high.In a bodyfat-stripping phase, dieters may need upto about 0.9 gram of protein daily per pound of bodyweight.

What if you’re already eating even more protein than that?“Certainly, the recommendation for protein is a gross onerelated to bodyweight and energy intake, and those who trainextremely hard and frequently may need more protein,” he says.“But in many cases, those who eat way too much protein yet cuttheir calories excessively are eating too few calories to train hard

anyway, and the extra protein probably won’t help.”He advises both caution and patience while trying to lose fat.

While dieting, you should never reduce protein; instead, the re-duction should come from dietary fat and carbohydrates. “If yourfat intake is high, obviously that’s a good place to start, but reduc-ing your carbs too low will prevent you from training at a levelof intensity high enough to save your muscle,” Lemon concludes.

NUTRITION

sEating to Dial In Your Physique

By Chris Aceto

Ready to be dubbed the official ULTRA man, or woman? For complete details on how you can win M&F’s ULTRAcontest, refer to page 159 in the July 1999 issue of M&F. Who knows? You may be just one month away frombeing chosen to appear in a future issue!

and the winner is...

Bria

n Le

atar

t

MU22460P194-201 2/13/00 5:34:58 AM 2254648209

This month’s focus is on reducing bodyfat. To do so, eat 250–400 fewer caloriesthan you consumed during your growth phase. Therefore, each of this month’s 10 meal selec-tions contains 450–500 calories, with a calorie ratio of 50% carbohydrate, 35% protein and15% (or slightly less) dietary fat. The snacks yield about 250–300 calories with a similar carb,protein and fat ratio. Combine meals and snacks to meet your personal caloric demands.

BLKYELMAGCYN

197

MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH

8 large egg whites, scrambled 120 0 24 0with 1 slice fat-free cheese 28 2 5 0

3⁄4 cup dry oats, cooked 232 41 8 58 oz. nonfat sugar-free yogurt 100 17 8 0Totals 480 60 45 55 oz. chicken breast, grilled 152 0 33 31 cup cooked rice 209 44 6 11⁄4 cup black beans 61 11 3 01 cup shredded zucchini, steamed 32 7 1 0Totals 454 62 43 451⁄2 oz. top round steak, grilled 237 0 36 87 oz. baked yam 205 54 4 01 cup broccoli, steamed 56 10 4 0Totals 498 64 44 85 oz. red snapper, grilled 172 0 38 21 dinner roll 130 24 4 21 cup Italian-style 72 14 4 0

frozen vegetables, steamed1 apple 86 21 0 0Totals 460 59 46 46 oz. swordfish, grilled 194 0 34 78 oz. baked potato 252 57 5 01 cup cauliflower, steamed 34 7 3 0Totals 480 64 42 75 oz. ground turkey, browned 182 0 33 62 oz. cooked pasta 210 44 7 11⁄2 cup fat-free tomato sauce 45 10 1 01 cup green beans, steamed 40 8 2 0Totals 477 62 43 75 oz. chicken breast, grilled 152 0 33 31 onion bagel 230 46 8 11 Tbsp. fat-free cream cheese 15 1 2 02 tsp. mustard 16 4 0 0Small green salad with 60 12 3 0

nonfat dressingTotals 473 63 46 45 oz. eye round steak, grilled 159 0 31 41 cup cooked rice 209 44 6 11 cup peas & carrots, steamed 122 22 7 1Totals 490 66 44 63⁄4 can water-packed tuna 124 0 29 22 slices whole-grain bread 146 26 6 22 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 24 6 0 02 Tbsp. fat-free cream cheese 30 1 4 0Small green salad with 60 12 3 0

nonfat dressing1 cup cantaloupe 60 15 1 0Totals 444 60 43 45 oz. ground turkey, browned 182 0 33 61 cup cooked rice 209 44 6 11⁄4 cup red beans 61 11 3 01⁄2 cup salsa 36 8 1 0Totals 488 63 43 7

50%Carbs50%

Carbs

15%Fat

35%Protein

35%Protein

Cals Carb (g) Pro (g) Fat (g)meals

Cals Carb (g) Pro (g) Fat (g)snacks

ULTRA: Meal Planning

This month, continue with last month’s recommendationsfor creatine and glutamine. As you decrease your calories,creatine can keep training intensity high, and glutaminemay offset and prevent catabolism, which is always a pos-sibility when you’re trying to shed bodyfat.

If you haven’t already included ephedra and caffeine toboost your calorie-burning, this may be the time to give thecombo a try, but don’t exceed recommended dosages.(Check with your doctor first; this potent supplement isn’tintended for minors, people with heart trouble or high bloodpressure, pregnant or lactating women, or those with dia-betes, mood disorders or certain other medical conditions.)

The final supplement to spare muscle loss is branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). These three unique aminos —leucine, isoleucine and valine — can be used directly byworking muscles as fuel, thereby sparing muscle tissuebreakdown that’s so common when high workloads arecoupled with even the most mild reduction in caloric intake.

3–7 grams a day, in the meal that follows your training.

5–15 grams a day.

150–600 mg a day (standardized to 10–40 mg of ephedra alkaloids). Higherdoses (400–600 mg or 25–40 mg ephedra alkaloids)should be split into two or more even servings.

1 cup of coffee (about 80–100 mg caffeine) with each dose of ephedra.

300–400 mcg a day.

4–7 grams taken before training.BCAAs

chromium

caffeine

ephedra (or mahuang)

glutamine

creatine

➔

11

for leaning out


1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 217 29 21 3with pineapple

Totals 217 29 21 31⁄2 cup dry oats, cooked 155 27 5 34 Tbsp. whey protein powder 80 2 16 1Totals 235 29 21 412 oz. low-fat milk 160 18 12 42 Tbsp. whey protein powder 40 1 8 01⁄2 banana 60 14 0 0Totals 260 33 20 43 oz. deli turkey 90 1 15 32 slices whole-grain bread 146 26 6 22 slices tomato and onion 20 5 0 01 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 12 3 0 0Totals 268 35 21 59-inch tortilla 131 23 3 33 oz. chicken breast, grilled 91 0 19 11 Tbsp. fat-free mayo 12 4 0 0Chopped lettuce and salsa 15 4 0 0Totals 249 31 22 4

supplements

MU22460P194-201 2/13/00 5:38:23 AM 490456419

Shocking as it may seem, the saying “You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’tplease all of the people all of the time” even applies to ULTRA, the ultimate training system. Point being:If maintaining muscle mass while shedding bodyfat isn’t your most pressing goal this month, simply chooseone of the following customization schemes to suit your personal agenda.

1More Muscle: This month’s workout could definitely build bigger muscles, but that would be extremely difficult giventhe low number of calories and high amount of cardio prescribed. If size is what you’re after, eat 250–500 calories more perday than you burn; do only 4–5 days per week of lower-intensity cardio, 20–30 minutes per session; bypass the thermo-

genic supplements (for example, caffeine and ephedra); and increase your daily intake of carbohydrates and fat by roughly 10%and 5%, respectively.

2More Strength: Same suggestions for calories and cardio as in the first scenario, but upping your carbs and fat byan additional 5% can be helpful. Taking creatine can help increase strength, and consuming a preworkout thermogenic sup-plement can add some extra juice to your battery. (Check with your doctor regarding supplements, of course.) As for train-

ing, keep your reps in the 3–6 range on all core lifts and 8–10 on all assistive exercises. Rest 2–5 minutes between sets.

3Less Bodyfat/Weight Loss: Increasing your cardio to twice a day is the only recommendation I’m comfort-able making, since this month’s nutritional program is already extremely low in calories, fat and carbs.

4Greater Flexibility: Doing stretches with a part-ner, stretching more frequently and/or incorporating different modes of stretching into your flexibility routine

can all help you accomplish this goal.


ITNESS&USCLEM

F

198

ULTRA: Made to Order

Impressed with ULTRA so far? Well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Join us next month for the stunning conclusion to this yearlong program, which will include special guest appearances from the greatest names in bodybuilding and fitness.

Still not impressed? How about if we tell you this last installment is guaranteed to get your new hardbody shredded and peeled for summer? You won’t want to miss it . . .

rulesthismonth


Workout intensities are based on apercentage of your 1RM (the maximumamount of weight that you can lift properly for onerepetition). If you don’t know your 1RM for a partic-

ular exercise, estimate. Also, if you’re unable to com-plete the prescribed number of repetitions usingproper form, adjust the weight appropriately.

2

After your cardio warm-up andbefore your weight training, stretchthe muscles you plan to train that session. Performeach stretch 2–3 times, holding each stretchedposition for 15–30 seconds; don’t bounce. Earlealso recommends stretching between sets as yourmuscles continue to get warmer, as well as at theend of your workout.

1

Pay extremely close attention toyour rest periods between sets.

Begin your next set immediately after the pre-scribed rest time has elapsed.

3Precede the first exercise of eachbodypart with 1–2 warm-up sets. Choosea weight equal to about 50% of your 1RM and com-

plete 12–15 reps. If you still don’t feel ready to rock’n’ roll, increase the weight by 10%–15% and do

another warm-up set of eight reps.4

Weeks 2–5, follow a three-on, one-offschedule: train for three days, take one day off,repeat the cycle. So, day 1 workout is the same asday 5.5

nextmonthinULTRA

Per

Ber

nal

Burn, baby, burn

MU22460P194-201 2/12/00 10:19:49 PM 3989132764


BLKYELMAGCYN

MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH

weeklyguidelinesIntensity Rest Cardio Training

Between Sets Guide

85% 1RM on core exercises; 75% 1RM onassistiveexer-cises

75%–80% 1RM on coreexercises; 65%–75% 1RMon assistive exercises

2 minutes betweencore exercises;

1 minutebetween

assistiveexercises

1–11⁄2 minutesbetween core exer-cises; 30 secondsbetween assistiveexercises

In Week 2, choose two cardioexercises and do each in succes-sion, 15 minutes apiece, elevatingyour heart rate to about 80%–85%of your maximum heart rate. (Todetermine your MHR, subtractyour age from 220.) Don’t includethe warm-up time it takes to getyour heart rate up to your workinglevel. Do 5–6 such sessions. Bythe end of Week 3, you should bedoing two 20-minute cardio ses-sions in succession, six days perweek, elevating your heart rate to85% MHR.

During Week 4, do two 22-minutecardio sessions, in succession, 6–7 days. Elevate your heart rate to 85% MHR. By the end of Week5, you should be performing cardioat least six days. Complete two 22-minute sessions in succession, elevating your heart rate above85% MHR.

11

activerest To prepare physically and psychologically for your last eight weeks of serious training and dietingas part of ULTRA, refrain from any weight training. Instead, engage in what’s called active rest. “Continue to burn calo-ries and work your muscles through more recreational activities that don’t require a lot of skill,” says Earle. “Make itsomething you’re familiar with, and something that has a low risk of injury.” As for cardio, keep your intensity level low(50%–60%), but be consistent: 5–6 days, 30–40 minutes per session.

weekone .

Burning calories through all-out intensity is the name ofgame: You should be using aweight sufficiently heavy thatthe prescribed number of repsand amount of rest results infailure on each working set.Cardio sessions should also behigh intensity. “You shouldn’t beable to carry on a conversationwhile you’re doing your cardio,”says Earle.

Pay close attention to yourbetween-sets rest periods. Earlesuggests using a timer — when itgoes off, you should be startingyour next set. “It’s like having amechanical personal trainertelling you when to go,” he says.Don’t worry if you’re unable tocomplete the prescribed numberof reps because you don’t feelrested. Simply decrease yourweight slightly rather thanincreasing your rest periods.

weeksfour&five

weekstwo&three.

‘Burning calories through all-out intensity is the name of game. “You shouldn’t be able to carry on a conversation while you’re doing

your cardio,” says Roger Earle, MS, CSCS.’

Rei

ff

Ber

nal

Rei

ff

Measure your heart rateto track intensity.

➔

MU22460P194-201 2/12/00 10:22:27 PM 1907629886


ITNESS&USCLEM

F


200

HOW TO FILL IN: 75/10–12 is equal to 75 pounds for 10 to 12 repetitions. For example: Incline Barbell Press 75/ 10–12

weekstwo&three weeksfour&fiveIncline Barbell Press1

/6 /6 /6 /6 /10–12 /10–12 /10–12

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/6 /6 /6 /10–12 /10–12

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/12–15 /12–15

/15–20 /15–20 /15–20 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25

Dumbbell Flat-Bench Press

Warm-Up: 7–12 minutes of cardio, elevating your heart rate to 65% MHRStretch (pre- and postworkout): Internal and external shoulder rotators, front and rear delts, chest, tricepsdayone

Machine Crunch

weekstwo&three weeksfour&five

/6 2 /6 2 /6 3 /6 3 /10–122 /10–122 /10–123 /10–123

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15 /12–15

/15 /15 /15 /20 /20 /20

/15 /15 /15 /20 /20 /20

/15–20 /15–20 /15–20 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25

Leg Extension

Warm-Up: 7–12 minutes of cardio, elevating your heart rate to 65% MHRStretch (pre- and postworkout): Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, abductors and adductors, calves, low backdaytwo

Rope Pressdown

1 Core exercise2 Complete one set of each of the three exercises without resting in between. Rest for the prescribed length of time and then begin another tri-set.NOTE: Any exercise not labeled as core is assistive.

Barbell Lunge

Seated Calf Raise

Standing Calf Raise

Hanging Knee Raise

1 Core exercise2 High-and-wide foot positioning3 High-and-close foot positioningNOTE: Any exercise not labeled as core is assistive.

Low-Cable Lying Triceps French Press

Pec-Deck Flye

tri-set2

Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Dumbbell Front Raise

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extension1

Stiff-Legged Deadlift

Hack Squat1

MU22460P194-201 2/13/00 2:27:52 AM 2312186830

BLKYELMAGCYN

MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH MUSCLE & FITNESS ULTRA SYSTEM — MONTH 11


weekstwo&three weeksfour&five

/6 /6 /6 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10–12 /10–12 /10–12

/10 /10 /10–12 /10–12 /10–12

/10 /10 /15 /15

/10 /10 /15 /15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15

/10 /10 /10 /12–15 /12–15

/15–20 /15–20 /15–20 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25 /20–25

Warm-Up: 7–10 minutes of cardio, elevating your heart rate to 65% MHRStretch (pre- and postworkout): External shoulder rotators, upper, mid and low back, biceps, neckdaythree

Dumbbell Hammer Curl

1 Wide, overhand grip2 Core exercise, Weeks 2 and 3 only.3 Wide, neutral grip

4 Medium, overhand grip5 Core exercise, Weeks 4 and 5 only 6 Close, neutral grip

7 Close gripNOTE: Any exercise not labeled as core is assistive.

Oblique Crunch

Pull-Down (front)3

Shrug

Dumbbell Upright Row

Seated Cable Row6

Barbell Preacher Curl7

Pull-Up1, 2

T-Bar Row4, 5

201

‘Because your overall intensity during cardio is going to be high, you’ll burn more total calories —

and therefore a larger amount of fat in absolute terms — than if you’d exercised at a lower, “fat-burning” intensity.’

— Roger Earle, MS, CSCS

InclineBarbellPress

Hanging Knee Raise

RopePressdown

Left:

DeH

aan;

Mid

dle:

Sor

ense

n; R

ight

: Rei

ff

MU22460P194-201 2/13/00 7:20:50 PM 1587961271

Documents

M&F ULTRA Month11 Screen