Gym Technik works for both iPhones and Android smart phone platforms.  TMC has been using it since 2009 when we were on Blackberry.

Here are some highlights from the announcement.

By getting personalized attention from our certified trainers, Gym Technik members with a Premium Plus plan can benefit in the following ways:

•  Customized workout plans with streaming video, accessible from their iPhone or Android.
•  Direct messaging access to the trainer to ask any health related questions
•  An affordable and convenient way to get access to a personal trainer
•  Workout plans continuosly updated based on actual progress
•  Online and Mobile features tied in with social media, to motivate and help members reach their goals faster.

Friday Update

Date  Navel   Beltline    Bicep Chest
9/2/11       39.5       37.25      NA    NA
9/9/11       39.0       37.25      NA    NA
9/16/11     38.5       37.25       15     42
9/23/11     37.75     37.00      15     42
9/29/11     37.5       37.00      15     42
10/7/11     37.5       36.75       15     41.75
10/14/11   37.5       36.75       15     42.25

Not a lot of hard number improvement yet again this week, but a couple of positive developments.  Even though the belly measurement has stagnated a bit, the skinfold measurement there has dropped a couple of mm’s.  I’m also noticing a decrease in the subcutaneous fat in other places; ie cheekbones, neck, arms, chest, etc.  I know the belly fat is going to be the most stubborn, so I’m not discouraged.  The diet and workout plan has been kept stable at Jay’s suggestion until I meet again with my Docs on Tuesday, after which an updated plan of attack will surely follow.

Strength continues to improve, with a couple of interesting developments on that front; I’ve had to begin “strapping myself in” to several of the Hammer machines now as the weight I’m using is surpassing my body weight.  Also, as of last week, the weight has increased substantially enough that I’ve had to start using gloves again due to the pain in my palms that the heavier weight is causing.  (I’ve also ordered a pair of “Gripads”to replace the gloves, which are just a nuisance to put on.)

Some examples of the weight increases since 8/29/2011:

Incline Bench, up 20 lbs.
Pulldown, up 40 lbs.
Preacher curl, up 20 lbs.
Cable Presdown, up 20 lbs.
Decline Bench, up 50 lbs.
Row, up 20 lbs.
Dips, up 70 lbs. (!)

Last but not least, I broke down and jumped on the scale this morning (my wife has taken custody of it…but old habits die hard!).  198.  That’s a loss of about 4 1/2 lbs. since 8/29 while experiencing some major composition/measurement changes.  Oh, and I’ve still only missed 2 days of morning fasted cardio!

More to come next week…..stay tuned!

<TMC Commentary>

Keep on keepin on Steve.  Progress is never linear unfortunately.  It’s always an ebb and flow kind of storyline.

Once you’re “good to go” with your Dr’s recommendation, we’ll begin to tweak and adjust around it.

We continue to be excited for you and look forward to seeing you reach your ultimate goal!

MIHWCS

During the first two days there is a Rest Pause focus, so reps are a bit higher and weight @60-75% of max.

The 2nd two days are strict HIT focus.  Weights at 80-85% and Intensity Techniques like Negatives, Forced Reps, 10 Second Holds etc are utilized on almost every set.

Day 5

• CHEST
• Incline Machine Press-2 Warm Up Sets, 1 Maximum HIT set at 80% 1RM
• Decline Machine Press-Same

• DELTS
• Machine Overhead Press-Same
• Rope Up Right Rows-Same

• TRICEPS
• Triceps Rope Pushdown-Same
• Dip Machine-Same

• ABS
• Nautilus Ab Machine-Same

Day 6

• BACK
• Wide Grip Lat Pulldown-2 Warm Up Sets, 1 Maximum HIT Set @80% 1RM
• Hammer Wide Grip Rows-Same
• Negative Weighted Chins-10 Second Hanging Negative performed until failure

• BICEPS
• Cambered Bar Preacher-Same
• DB Hammer Preacher Curls-Same

• LEGS
• Lying Machine Squat Press
• Seated Hamstring Curl Machine

• CALVES
• Seated or Standing Calf Raise Machine

After performing this program for almost a month now, we can really say it’s INCREDIBLE.

It’s been so productive in fact, we’re going to stay on it (with some tweaks to account for lowered kcals) for our Contest Preparation for Muscle Mania/Model America in Las Vegas Nov 17th thru 20th @ Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.

Much more on that in an upcoming post.

Here is another picture from our shoot with Natalie Minh.  As stated previously, the best pics are “not viewable” yet. 

Enjoy the remainder of your Weekends!

MIHWCS

Day 2

• BACK
• Wide Pullups (1 Rest Pause Bodyweight Set Shooting for 30-50 Reps)
• T-Bar Standing Rows (1 Rest Pause Set of 3 10′ Breath Rotations)
• Close Grip Pulldowns (Same)
• Standing Cable Stiff Arm Pullovers (Same)

• BICEPS
• Standing Barbell Curl (1 Rest Pause Set at 75% 1RM 3 10″ Breath rotations)
• Hammer Curls(DBs or Rope Cable-Same)

• QUADS
• Flex Squat Machine (75% of 1RM for 3 excruciating full ass to the floor 10′ Breath Rotations-If you work this hard enough, make sure you have somebody to catch you at the end)
• Leg Extensions with Double Contraction and Hold (60% of 1RM and Same)

<TMC Notes>

***These rest pause training days take a lot of focus and concentration.  Try to limit your distractions.

***Always focus on the contraction and squeeze maximally for 1-2 seconds (this has to be learned and nothing teaches this better than HIT Master practioners

***We train back to back on the rest pause days and then take a minimum of two days off before our final two days of the 4 Day a Week Program.

***Stretch after every Rest Pause Set.  Depending on how advanced your training level, you can stretch dynamically or just enough to work the Fascia a bit.

***Eventually we are going to link exercise videos to each one of these movements so all of our readers from the newbie to advanced can understand how these are performed optimally.

There is lots going on in TMC’s life that is incredibly positive.

We are only 7 weeks away from Muscle Mania and Model America and both Anh and I are competing in the same class this year.

We also received our photos back from our photo shoot with world class fitness photographer Natalie Minh and we’re pretty proud of how they turned out.  Hope to reveal some of them soon.

Let’s just say “a few of them” we can’t reveal just yet. 

Here is a peak-a boo shot of Anh to give you an idea how amazing they are:

We’ll try and reveal Day’s 5 & 6 of this program before the end of the week.

Stay tuned!

MIHWCS

Our commentary below his report.

Day 32 Progress Report/Photos

With a full month under my belt, here is my Friday Update

Date Navel Beltline   Bicep Chest
9/2/11   39.5       37.25           NA    NA
9/9/11   39.0       37.25           NA    NA
9/16/11  38.5       37.25           15     42
9/23/11  37.75     37.00          15     42
9/29/11  37.5       37.00         15     42

Well folks, the numbers speak for themselves.  Considering I’ve likely only lost 2-3 lbs., I consider this great progress for my first 30 days.

Certainly solid lifestyle changes have taken hold and are becoming habit.  Took my first and only day off from morning cardio thus far about two days ago.  I’ve also been taking a skinfold measurement from the suggested Accu-Measure site of just right of my navel, and it has gone from about 30 mm down to 21 mm.  (I take three measurements and average them.)

All of this being said, I’d like to see more obvious results from my photos, but I believe I/you can see some progress.  I apologize for the poor quality pics; they are always taken in the morning, after cardio and certainly not “pumped”:

8/22/11

9/29/11

8/22/11

<TMC Commentary>

Wow.  Steve is definitely selling himself short.  There is very noticeable progress to the “trained physique watching eye”.

From side view (last photo above) it’s obvious he is losing trunk adipose and his skin/muscle mass appears to be tightening in all areas.

Clearly, there is no loss in mass/size but the “sagging/loose” areas are no more or barely visible.  We’re really proud of Steve as his family and friends.

TMC is now cooking up some changes to accelerate his progress and to fine tune his program.  Hopefully more on that next week.

For all who are following Steve’s posts and progress, send him a note thru his site here or leave a comment on the site.

Congrats Steve!  LET’S GO!

MIHWCS

Inches are falling from exactly where I want them to and nowhere else….I would call that great success!

1.75″ directly from the dreaded “belly fat”, and .25″ from right at the beltline (below the “muffin top”!) in 25 days.

I haven’t missed a day of morning, fasted cardio and combined with the HIT and high protein intake appears to be allowing me to maintain and possibly even add muscle (albeit only a tad) in the process.

Date      Navel      Beltline Bicep Chest
9/2/11       39.5       37.25           NA    NA
9/9/11       39.0       37.25           NA    NA
9/16/11     38.5       37.25            15     42
9/23/11     37.75     37.00           15     42

There’s no stopping me now!

And although I did throw out the scale, I don’t believe I am losing any noticeable amount of “weight”, which is great news!

<TMC Commentary>

This is absolutely stupendous brother Steve!  We are elated and you are clearly now “well on your way”.

In about two weeks, TMC adjustments are coming in FULL FORCE.

Be ready to get ABS BEFORE 48!

We encourage any of our readers to reach out to Steve contemplating anything similar.  He is a fountain of knowledge and one of the most motivated people we’ve ever worked with.

Lots more coming from us.

MIHWCS

Muscle Mania Model Universe in Las Vegas on November 21st

Because we have remained close to a competition level lean state for 6 months now, we believe our bodies are primed to put on muscle with the right kcal intake and training stimulus.

Starting today we’ll be employing this new training paradigm thru 3rd week of October(6 weeks) giving us about 25 days to diet down to a competitive condition again.  Our goal is to add about 6-10 pounds of skeletal mass that we can preserve for our next show.

This 4 Day Program incorporates the principles of Rest Pause(First 2 Days) and Strict HIT(Days 5&6) with varying Intensity Techniques added in. (Warmup sets are not listed/included but you must be intelligent and focused in choosing whether to perform one or two before engaging your work set.)

Day 1

• Chest
  • Barbell/Smith Flat Neck Presses (1 Rest Pause Set of 3 10 Breath Rotations @75% of 1RM)
  • Decline Hammer Presses(Same)
  • Cable Bent Elbow Flye with Pause and Max Contract ( 1 Set @ 55% 1RM to Failure-Burn Out Set pausing to contract at culimation of concentric)

• Delts
  • Lateral Raise Nautilus Machine (1 Rest Pause Set of 3 10 Breath Rotations @75% of 1RM)
  • Rear Delt Nautilus Machine (Same)

• Triceps
  • Standing Tricep Pushdowns (1 Rest Pause Set of 65% of 3 10 Breath Rotations @65% of 1RM)
  • Standing Rope Tricep Extensions (Same)
  • Bodyweight Dips (1 Rest Pause Set of Bodyweight only til failure each rotation)

• Abs
  • Heavy Weighted Rope Crunches Supersetted with Hanging Leg Knee Ups (x2 sets til positive failure)

Another amazing picture of Anh from the Miss Fitness Long Beach Contest on Saturday.

Stay tuned for Day 2, 5 and 6 this week.

MIHWCS

TMC is on the road back to Las Vegas after our one day Kamikaze mission with the Muscle B’s to capture the Miss Fitness Long Beach competition.

Anh looked absolutely stunning finishing in 2nd place.  She clearly brought her best overall conditioning yet and Daddy couldnt be more proud.  It is a true testament to her hard work and sacrifice. 

We celebrated by chowing down at our favorite restaurant Basil Thai in Arcadia where our good friends, owners Nina and Poki served us an absolute feast.

We are anxious to see the photos from our shoot with Natalie Minh.  We believe we will be repping a TMC not seen before.

We will have more in upcoming posts but one last show for 2011. Muscle Mania World and Fitness Universe here in Vegas on Nov 19-20th.  We are going to concentrate on adding a bit of muscle and refining some specific areas over the next 5 weeks before dieting down the last 3 weeks before the show.  We are both anxious to eat more and less restrictively in our attempt to refine and improve lagging areas.  Hopefully the length of time we have been dieting will prime us to add a bit of muscle with a higher kcal intake.  We’ll see.

Mad props to “Hot Mama” as Alex has affectionately dubbed Anh for her 2nd place finish. 

Onward and upward.

MIHWCS!

Recent daily bodyweights:

8/29 201.8

8/30 200.2
8/31 201.4
9/1   201.0

9/6   200.0

Wow…week one is solidly under my belt, with 1.8 lbs of (hopefully) BF lost. I have a few interesting observations to share:

Morning Cardio

My morning cardio is already a daily habit I don’t see giving up for a long time.  For a confirmed “non-morning person”, you may wonder how that can happen and what proof I have that it will continue.  First off, as I’ve mentioned, my entire demeanor has changed in the morning.  Literally from the first day, I became a morning person, and all I’ve given up is a few minutes of lying in bed half awake anyway.  All the caffeine in the world couldn’t make this happen. The positive feeling from day one kept me going the first few days, and as I got my music and routine sorted out I began to look forward to my morning sessions.  Secondly, we just came through a three day Labor Day weekend and I didn’t miss a session.  I slept in a little on the weekend, knocked out my cardio, and then enjoyed a nice cool-down on my back patio by the pool with the weekend paper.  If that is not proof that a habit is forming, I don’t know what is.  I also love the fact that when I get home in the afternoon/early evening, I can totally relax and do other things like help my son with his homework….by the time I roll up the driveway, both my cardio and weight training has been done for the day!

In regards to the more theoretical aspects of morning cardio; I have to think that this is where Mentzer and McGuff, et al, have got it wrong.  Sure, running 10 miles a day has got to be catabolic and detrimental to muscle growth in the weight training arena, but 30 minutes of steady-state cardio at a brisk pace in my opinion is more likely to aid in muscle growth and recovery than to hinder it.  Getting the entire bodily system up and pumping blood has got to be a good thing; and by doing it fasted in the morning the main energy source is going to be body fat…not carbs/glycogen, and not your hard earned lean body mass.  How different can it be from the brisk hike that had to take place at the start of the day by our hunter-gatherer ancestors setting off to locate the day’s kill?

Alcohol Consumption

I have to tell you, a three day weekend such as Labor Day, would not have passed for me in the last 25 years without alcohol consumption.  And I didn’t miss it a bit.  I certainly didn’t miss the hangover or cranky lethargy that normally follows the next day.  And here is something else that hit me during the last week; I’ve always promised myself that I would have open and honest conversations about alcohol use and abuse with my son, as I know that demonizing it will do nothing but peak his interest, especially when peer pressure sets in during the years ahead.  So having a bottle around or a few beers in the fridge, or laughing about my alcohol breath when I put him to bed, were not big issues for me.

(Keep in mind, we are only talking about once or twice a month; I wasn’t a hard-core “drunk” !)  But now I realize that although I’m sure he hasn’t noticed that there is no longer any around the house, his memory of my use of it will also start to fade (he’s 9 now by the way.)  And what is he seeing instead?  Dad on the stair machine every morning in the garage.  We already have a routine of him waking and walking out about half way through my 30 minutes and having a morning chat.  He and his mom have always been morning people, and now I get to enjoy the mornings with them.

We both started our pre-photo Shoot with Natalie Minh diets on Monday of this week.

Jay was on the road eating pre-made protein pancakes out of plastic bags layered with Almond Butter in between client visits while battling the blazing 117′ temperatures of Phoenix.

Anh was at home raising the Muscle B’s and maintaining her conditioning with Hot Pilates and sessions on the stationary bike.

She kept up with her diet as well and is looking really good about 11 days out from the shoot.  Daddy continues to beam with joy at Mommy’s dedication even as all hell breaks loose around her with the Muscle B’s constant need of attention.

ANH’S DIET:

Meal 1: Egg Whites with a Couple of Yokes, Small Sweet Potato

Meal 2: Tilapia/Chicken with Small Sweet Potatoe and Nuts

Meal 3: Same

Meal 4: Post Workout Shake with Natural Oatbar(Training Days Only)

Meal 5: Lean Protein, Salad with Healthy Oil as dressing

Meal 6: Same if she doesn’t fall asleep

JAY’S DIET:

Meal 1: Protein Pancake with 2 Tablespoons of Almond Butter

Meal 2: Same

Meal 3: Same

Meal 4: Same

Meal 5: Post Workout Shake with Oatbar(Training Days Only)

Meal 6: Lean Protein, Asparagus or Broccoli

Our diets are very simple right now and small portions.  Lowered kcals and Higher Protein/EFA’s is the order of the day.  Both of us eat about 10-13kcals per pound and cycle up and down accordingly based on training and intuitive feel.  If we’re starving or glycogen depleted from an incredibly hard HIT workout, we’ll add a few more carbs by eating another Oat Bar or splitting an extra sweet potato.

Last night we found this new High EFA Flax Granola that is low in sugar that can be used for post workout carb re-feeds.  Or even a late night carb meal with some water and casein protein powder to spike up thyroid/BMR.  Just have to make sure you don’t eat too much.

Because we’ve been doing this so long now, we don’t really need to measure everything out but recommend it as a safe and scientific practice for any of our readers new to dieting or competing.

We’ll eat like this up until next Friday including this weekend.  We’ll have some flexibility to eat salads with protein if we’re out and about tomorrow and Sunday with the Muscle B’s or perhaps a Vegas Pool Party or two.

In fact, our goal is to take a lot of pictures from this last weekend of pool parties and then do a TMC Mega Summer Blog Pictorial with all of our best photos of the summer.  You won’t want to miss that.  Trust me.

Here are some video’s we’ve recently taken at Any Time Fitness in Summerlin on West Charleston.

There are lots of good demonstrations of intensity techniques including:

• Negative Emphasis Training with 10 Second Eccentrics
• Stopwatch Training(more on that in an upcoming post)
• Slow, deliberate controlled HIT Rep Sets

10′ Negative Emphasis Training DB Presses

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os54aQaUjCQ

Stop Watch Training

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRIMkUSpRSw

Stop Watch Hammer Rows

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9nPwDAVc0A

Nautilus Machine HIT Full Contraction Crunches

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS1Z9CPDJG8

Wide Grip HIT Dead Hang Inverted Pullups

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdj_egEvJo4

Super Strict HIT Shoulder Machine Presses

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAzlBuMJoHE

As always, we appreciate your patronage of our site.

Check back on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for some incredible photos from this past summer.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.

MIHWCS