I was looking for a body building regime.. for obvious reasons..
At first, I was considering a very popular program - P90X. However, upon finding out more and watching some of its workout videos, I felt very discouraged, because
- you need to spend 1 hour a day,
- you need to do it for 90 days,
- and the workout is very very tough.
I am lazy, busy, and prefer playing Xbox 360. Need I say more?
Luckily, I was introduced to Body by Science, a research based program to get results you want in 12 minutes a week.
Body by Science
The book is very lengthy, with all the sciences and explanations. So I am providing the gist here:
The purpose of exercise is not to make the weight go up and down; it is to achieve a deep level of inroad, to reach the point where you can NO LONGER move the weight but still keep trying.
When your muscles reach a state where it is fully exhausted, yet you are still trying, it will recover and get stronger. That is body building. To do that, you do NOT need to train 1 hour every day (in fact, that is harmful to your body).
Body by Science recommend their Big 5 Workout, and doing it only once a week (which takes only 12 minutes). The 5 workouts are:
1. Seated Row
2. Chest Press
3. Pulldown
4. Overhead Press
5. Leg Press
How to perform the Big 5 Workout
- Do each of the workout for 2 minutes, with a 30 sec rest between each (total 12 minutes)
- Choose heavy weight (around 80% of the max you can)
- Do each repetition very very slowly (10-20 sec per rep)
- Breath continuously and naturally
- Do until you reach the point where you can NO LONGER move the weight, but still keep trying. If the weight doesn’t move, you are doing it correct!
The last point is especially important. If you don’t reach that point, then you should choose a heavier weight, or do it slower.
Let your body rest and recover for the rest of the week.
PS: I have not finished the book, and yet to go to the gym to try it. However I am so impressed that I want to write down the steps first, to remind myself what I have learnt.