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BEGINNER MENS
BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY:
If you’ve looked at the MAX’S 12 Week Challenge Website and been inspired to
follow in the footsteps of the amazing transformations that many of our Challengers
have made, where can you start? These programs are dedicated to helping you
to prepare yourself for the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge which commences
in February 2015. We give you a comprehensive guide to training and nutrition
to help you tackle the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge and make an amazing
transformation.
Begin your journey to a new improved body and better health. While you can elect
to follow the programs of our 12 Week Challenge right now, in our experience we
have found that your chances of spectacular success are much higher if you actually
wait and participate in the official MAX’S Challenges. There are now two Challenges
each year. One starts each February and the other starts around the end of July so
you don’t have to wait too long to join our next Challenge. We recommend you
wait for the next Challenge because the support, advice, and camaraderie of our
coaches, ambassadors, and fellow Challengers, plus all the information provided on
our website, forum, Facebook and our MAX’S Muscle TV television show will help to
keep you highly motivated and informed and makes doing the Challenge a fantastic
experience. We have designed this preparatory program to get you ready to tackle
the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge.
If you haven’t done much structured training before, or dieting to strip body fat. You should aim to put on
you haven’t exercised for some time, it’s important to muscle and keep body fat levels moderate over the
get the basics of training and nutrition right. Building coming months. During the MAX’S Challenge will be
a quality physique takes time. Consistent training and the time to diet harder and strip off the body fat to
attention to good nutritional principals are the keys. reveal your new improved physique.
You can’t do it in a few weeks. It usually takes several
months to make a noticeable difference and may If you are a bigger build and carry a fair bit of body
take several years to build a great body. Many of the fat then you may want to use the time before your
transformations you see on the Challenge website Challenge to strip off some body fat while maintaining
have been training for some time, but they have never and building on the muscle you already have. You
made the effort to get really serious until they actually should aim to steadily reduce your body fat levels
commit to the Challenge. So the message here is to so that by the start of the Challenge you are within
be patient. Use your time before the next Challenge to striking distance of your goal weight. For some trainers
learn how to train well, this may mean 10kgs above their goal weight, for
others it may be 15 – 20kgs.
UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPALS OF In summary, use the training and nutrition programs
GOOD NUTRITION AND TO START detailed here to prepare for the next MAX’S
Challenge. Use them to learn how to train correctly,
BUILDING SOME QUALITY MUSCLE. to eat the right foods, at the right times and the right
amounts, and to organise your lifestyle so you are
If you are a thinner build you don’t necessarily need ready to tackle the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge
to worry about your body fat levels right now. Why? head on.
Because it’s easier to build muscle when you aren’t
WHAT ARE your goals ?
Before you start any exercise program, and especially if you are going to take on
the MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge it’s really important to work out what you want to
achieve. Having a clearly defined vision of where you want to be and by what date is
what we are talking about. Work, family commitments and plain old laziness are parts
of life that can tug you away from your plans. Don’t get us wrong, your kids’ school
play is important, but there’s a big difference between making a rare exception and
routinely letting your workouts slip down the priority list. Focus and persistency are
crucial to building a strong healthy body, so here are a few tips on how to get your
mindset right:
1. Your first step should be to define a long-term 3. Once you have your goal and your timeline
goal in as specific terms as possible. Have a defined, establish a number of milestones, say a
specific idea for where you want to be for the start month apart, that you can use as checkpoints to
of your Challenge in February. Then where do make sure you’re on track. This helps make the end
you want to be at the end of your Challenge? Do goal less daunting. Adding 10kgs to your bench
you want to lose fat, increase your muscle, and press by next month is probably within your reach
increase your strength? Get specific. How much do while adding 30kgs by February can feel far-
you want to weigh? What strength levels do you fetched and discouraging. As an extra incentive,
want to achieve? you can give yourself a little reward when you hit
your target.
2. The next step is to establish how you will measure
your success. Make a realistic assessment of how 4. Keep revisiting your goals and surround yourself
long this should take and write down to the target with positive reinforcement. Going to a good
date. If you are new to this stuff this may be hard to motivating gym is a great way to keep you on
estimate, but make your best guess and allow for track. Find a motivated training partner that pushes
some wiggle-room if your guess is off target. you. Check out the amazing transformations on
our Challenge website. All these types of inputs
will help.
NUTRITION FOR BEGINNERS:
A good training program is very important for building a great body, however your
nutrition plan is even more important. Our nutrition plans are designed to prepare
you for the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge that commences in February 2015.
Before we get into the details of these plans we want to introduce you to some
basic principles of nutrition that you should know to get the most out of your
nutrition and training.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS: sources of protein. They contain all the amino acids,
There are 3 main types of nutrient groups provided in approximately the right proportions to support
by food – proteins, carbohydrates and fats. To build human muscle growth. The only downside of all these
a quality physique requires you to make consistently foods is they also contain significant amounts of fats,
good choices to ensure you get the right amount and including unwanted saturated fats. So eating too
quality of each of these nutrient groups. much of these protein sources is not ideal for building
muscle and overall good health. Don’t get us wrong,
PROTEIN: we recommend these protein foods in our diet plans
Protein is the key nutrient required for building muscle. however you need to ensure you aim for the leaner
Without enough protein in your diet you simply won’t cuts of meat, remove all the skin from your chicken
build muscle, no matter how much training you do. breast, not too many egg yolks, and not use too much
Your muscles, and also many other components of oils or fats in your cooking.
your body, like skin, hair, nails, blood, even your bones,
are largely made up of protein. Protein consists of What about protein powders, where do they fit in?
complex chains of compounds called amino acids. At a basic level, the key benefits of a good quality
There are 22 amino acids that make up human protein formula is that you get a pure high quality
protein, and their order and proportion determine the concentrated source of protein without the things you
characteristics of each protein. For example, muscle don’t want, especially the fat. MAX’S have formulated
protein contains higher levels of the Branched Chain a highly effective range of proteins that all Challengers
Amino Acids Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine than do can use to help reach their goals . For example, each
the proteins that make up hair or nails. serving of the MAX’S SuperShred contains around
30 grams of high quality protein, but with virtually
Hard weight training actually damages muscle no carbs or fat. The Challenge range also includes
structure. Your body’s response to this muscle nutrients that stimulate muscle recovery, muscle
overload is to repair the muscle, but to also make it growth and fat burning to help maximise your results.
thicker and stronger to cope with the added stress.
To constantly build new muscle your body needs
substantially more protein than the average diet
usually supplies.
MAX’S SuperShred:
The ideal protein to get you ripped and shredded.
If your goal is for a lean and shredded physique
then MAX’S SuperShred is the protein you need.
Our meal plans recommend that you consume 2 – 3
serves of SuperShred each day as part of our special
fat stripping diet. MAX’S SuperShred contains highly
bioactive Whey Protein Isolate which is quickly
absorbed by your body to repair and rebuild muscle
tissue. It also contain Casein protein, which is slower
digesting muscle builder that helps to keep you
feeling satisfied for several hours which is a great
advantage when you are dieting. The other big benefit
MAX’S Supersize: to be a bit of a chore, it’s much easier to just throw
A great muscle and weight gainer. down a MAX’S Nitetime. Now the theory of Nitetime
For trainers who want to build muscular size and gain nutrition is that you want slow digesting and absorbing
weight MAX’S Supersize is the protein formula for proteins that feed your muscle all night. Supplements
you. It contains a blend of high quality Whey Protein that are mostly WPI are too fast digesting so they
Concentrate, which is a great muscle builder, plus are not the best choice at night. Micellar Casein is
a blend of complex carbs and no added sugar to the best protein, while Calcium Casein and WPC are
provide the building blocks for maximum muscle also good choices. MAX’S Nitetime contains all 3 of
gains and the energy to fuel monster workouts! Most these proteins. It also contains specific botanicals that
guys who have trouble gaining muscular weight just promote relaxation and sleep, and Growth Hormone
don’t eat enough of the right foods to grow, especially boosters to really get you growing while you sleep.
protein and carbs. Taking 3 serves of Supersize each
day on top of a healthy weight gain diet plan will give When to use Nitetime:
you a protein and kilojoule spike that is usually all that This is a pretty simple one – just take a serve of
most trainers need to get really good results. Nitetime about 15 minutes before bed. If you are on
the Shred program mix in water, for Build Size mix in
When to use Supersize: milk.
Simply follow the recommendation our meal plan,
otherwise use MAX’S Supersize mid-morning and
mid-afternoon as a mass building shake. After your
workout is a really important time to get a quick influx
of protein and carbs to maximise your recovery and
growth. The best idea is to have a Supersize shake as
soon as possible after completing your workout. We
recommend taking your Supersize powder in your
shaker with you to the gym. Then as soon as you finish
your workout, add water and you’re sorted!
MAX’S NAGG:
Faster recovery, less fatigue, reduced muscle soreness.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your
body and plays a key role in your energy recovery
systems. When you train hard you put your body into
MAX’S BCAA’S: a highly stressed state. Your system reacts to this by
Switch on muscle growth. trying to protect your vital organs, especially your
Another supplement must for any serious trainer is brain. It breaks down or catabolises muscle tissue to
BCAA’s. The Branched Chain Amino Acids are Leucine, release amino acids, particularly Glutamine, that your
Isoleucine and Valine and they play a special role in brain can use for fuel. This protective mechanism
muscle growth, particularly Leucine: evolved to help keep you thinking clearly when in
• BCAA’s are tightly integrated with your muscle’s stressful situations – and in years gone by, it may have
energy systems and can contribute significantly to been the difference between life and death for your
improved workout output. ancient ancestors. Today it means that after training
• BCAA’S, particularly Leucine, switch on muscle your muscles will keep breaking down for many hours
tissue synthesis after training if provided in the after a workout if you don’t provide the right recovery
right quantity. nutrients. The cool thing is that just a small intake of
Glutamine can stop this breakdown and turn your
Our MAX’S formula is quite high in Leucine having muscle state from catabolic to anabolic. That means
a 10:1:1 ratio of Leucine: Isoleucine: Valine, so the muscles can rebuild much sooner so you will recover
emphasis on this formula is switching on muscle faster and be able to train harder, sooner. So once
growth after your workouts. again Glutamine is a supplement we recommend to
any serious trainer – it’s simply one of the best recovery
nutrients you can use. Now as usual, MAX’S don’t just
throw some plain old Glutamine in a jar. They have
sourced the most stable and potent sources you can
use. MAX’S NAGG is a blend of N-Acetyl L-Glutamine
and free form L-Glutamine meaning its rapidly
absorbed and utilised for maximum recovery.
• Protein serve at each meal – To keep building • Vegetables are essential – While protein is a key
muscle you need to be in what’s called “Positive nutrient for building muscle mass, plenty of fresh
Nitrogen Balance”. This simply means you need a vegetables are essential. Vegetables are full of
constant intake of protein, nitrogen being a key vitamins, minerals and fibre, and will help keep
constituent of protein, to build maximum muscle. your body healthy and in optimum shape during
The best way to do this is to make sure you have rigours training and dieting. Try to include several
a quality protein source in each of your daily 6 – 7 servings of fresh vegetable in at least three of your
meals. daily meals.
• Do not skip breakfast – Nutritionists often refer to • Carbs, Yes or No – Many trainers often view carbs
this as the most important meal of the day, and as taboo. What is the truth? It depends on your
for building muscle and getting in top shape, goals. If you are trying to build size and muscle
breakfast is very important. This is because in the mass, carbs are your friend. Good quality ‘clean’
morning most people have not have eaten for 8 carbs like wholegrain cereals, brown rice and
hours or more, so the body will go into starvation sweet potato are an essential part of any mass
mode and your metabolism will be running slowly. gaining diet. If your goal is to strip fat, moderating
Breakfast kick starts your metabolism. Quality carbs is important. Although, some carbs are
protein and carbs with relatively low fats is the always required to help you burn fat and keep
perfect way to start your day. your metabolism functioning properly.
1. BUILD SIZE
BUILD SIZE:
This is typically the goal of the younger thinner trainer When you are training to build size you need to eat
or someone with a metabolism and body type that quite a lot of good quality food. Many trainers find it
finds it hard to gain weight and build muscle. The hard to consume the amount of kilojoules they need
goal here is not to add fat, but to add solid quality to force their body to grow. If you follow this program
muscular weight. However, your goal here is not to and find you are not gaining weight and size you will
get lean and ripped because it’s actually very hard to need to further increase your kilojoule intake. The best
build significant muscular size if you are dieting to get way to do this is to increase the portion size of each
ripped. So maintaining a moderate level of body fat is meal a little until you start gaining. Initially you may
fine during this “building up” phase of your training. feel full all the time and find it hard to face up to each
When you have built some decent muscle you can meal, but your system will soon get used to the extra
then think about changing your diet to strip some fat food as your metabolism adapts.
and reveal your new muscularity.
Finally, to get the very best results you need to
This diet plan has an emphasis on quality proteins, stick with this nutrition plan faithfully. Use the
clean unprocessed carbohydrates and the right recommended protein formulas and supplements
amounts of good fats. It is designed to help you at the recommended times. Prepare your meals in
steadily build muscle and gain size. Sticking to a advance, eat the correct quantities, don’t skip meals
well-planned nutrition program and consistent hard and don’t cheat. It’s as simple as that.
training are the keys to success. However you need to
understand that no one can continue to gain size and
muscle indefinitely. There will be a natural limit beyond
which it becomes very hard to keep building muscle.
But the good news is that most people can add a SEE THE 7 DAY BUILD SIZE NUTRITION
significant amount of muscle and totally transform PLAN ON THE NEXT PAGE...
their body before they reach this limit.
BUILD SIZE NUTRITION PLAN
BegiNner WEEKLY PLAN *EAT PORTION SIZE BASED ON APPETITE **UNCOOCKED WEIGHT
MONDAY Tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday sunday
- 100g rolled oats - 4 poached eggs - 150g serve of natural - 100g rolled oats - 4 poached eggs - 150g serve of natural - 100g rolled oats
with milk - 4 pieces wholemeal muesli with milk with milk - 4 pieces wholemeal muesli with milk with milk
- 4 – 6 egg omelette toast mixed with 2 scoops - 4 – 6 egg omelette toast mixed with 2 scoops - 4 – 6 egg omelette
- 2 tubs yoghurt MAX’S SuperSize - 2 tubs yoghurt MAX’S SuperSize
- 2 pieces wholemeal - 2 pieces wholemeal - 2 pieces wholemeal
BREAKFAST toast - Fruit juice - 2 – 4 pieces toast - Fruit juice - 2 – 4 pieces toast
- Coffee or tea wholemeal toast with - Coffee or tea wholemeal toast with
- Coffee or tea peanut butter - Coffee or tea peanut butter - Coffee or tea
- 1 tub yoghurt - 1 tub yoghurt
- Coffee or tea - Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S Muscle Meal - MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S Muscle Meal - MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S Muscle Meal - MAX’S SuperSize
shake Cookie shake Protein Bar shake shake
MID MORNING Cookie
- 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit
- Medium tin tuna - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Grilled - Medium tin tuna - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Grilled
(185g) chicken breast* lean steak* chicken breast* (185g) chicken breast* lean steak*
- Garden salad - 2 Cups steamed - 2 Cups Steamed - 2 Cups Steamed - Garden salad - 2 Cups steamed - 2 Cups steamed
broccoli broccoli broccoli broccoli broccoli
LUNCH - 2 Cups steamed - 2 Cups steamed
brown rice - 150 – 200g Sweet - 2 Cups steamed - 150 – 200g Sweet brown rice - 150 – 200g Sweet - 2 Cups steamed
- 50g almonds potato** brown rice potato** - 50g almonds potato** brown rice
- 1 piece fruit - 50gm almonds - 1 piece fruit - MAX’S Muscle Meal - 1 Piece of fruit
Bar
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperSize WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperSize WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S SuperSize
- Teaspoon MAX’S shake - Teaspoon MAX’S shake - MAX’S SuperSize shake shake
PRE WORKOUT Cre8 Carnage - 1 piece of fruit Cre8 Carnage - 1 piece of fruit shake - 1 piece of fruit - 1 piece of fruit
- 1 piece fruit - 1 piece fruit - 1 piece of fruit
- MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S SuperSize - MAX’S SuperSize
shake shake shake
AFTER WORKOUT With milk NO TRAINING With milk NO TRAINING With milk NO TRAINING NO TRAINING
- 1 Serve BCAA’s - 1 Serve BCAA’s - 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG - 1 Serve NAGG - 1 Serve NAGG
- 200 – 300g lean steak* - Spaghetti with - 200 – 300g grilled fish* - 200 – 300g Beef or - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Beef or - 200 – 300g Grilled
- Large salad or bolognese med – - Large salad chicken and chicken breast* chicken & vegetable chicken breast*
2 cups steamed large bowl (meat vegetable stir fry* - Large salad or stir fry* - Large salad or
sauce) - 2 baked potatoes
vegetables - Wholemeal pasta or 2 cups steamed - 2 Cups Rice noodles 2 cups steamed
DINNER - 2 baked potatoes - Garden salad - Strawberries and brown rice vegetables - MAX’S Muscle Meal vegetables
blueberries with 200g
- MAX’S Muscle Meal - Fruit salad with 200g natural yogurt - MAX’S Muscle Meal - 2 baked potatoes cookie - 2 baked potatoes
cookie natural yogurt cookie - Fruit salad with 200g - Fruit salad with 200g
natural yogurt natural yogurt
- MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime
shake shake shake shake shake shake shake
EVENING - 2 pieces wholemeal - 50g mixed nuts - 1 piece of fruit - 50g mixed nuts - 2 pieces wholemeal - 50g mixed nuts - 2 pieces wholemeal
toast with peanut toast with peanut toast with peanut
butter butter butter
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
GET LEAN AND MUSCULAR: but reduced in starchy or sugary carbohydrate foods.
Getting lean and muscular is typically the goal of We do recommend plenty of fibrous, non-starchy
trainers who are carrying higher than desirable level of vegetables for their dietary fibre and micronutrient
body fat. In some cases this can be a lot, maybe 30kgs levels. Competition bodybuilders know that reducing
or more over their ideal weight, or perhaps you may starchy carbs forces your body to burn more fat for
be a more moderate amount or 5 – 10kgs above your energy which helps you get leaner. Your meals should
goal weight. Your aim should be to build or maintain consist of a good protein source like chicken breast,
muscle while stripping fat so that by the start of your lean red meat, fish or eggs, combined with fibrous
MAX’S Challenge you are within striking distance of vegetables like broccoli, string beans, capsicum and
your goal weight. In our experience the type of food bok choy. Fats in your diet should mostly come from
you eat, the amount you eat and when you eat are very monounsaturated oils like olive oil and flaxseed oil,
important in helping to strip body fat while you build and from foods like avocados and nuts. Try to reduce
or maintain muscle. animal fats and processed fats like margarine and
watch for hidden fats in processed foods. You do need
Many trainers think that you need to do lots of cardio some carbs in your diet to help power workouts and
to burn off fat. However sports science shows us that fuel your muscle building and fat burning metabolism
a combination of hard weight training and regular as we’ve explained. We also recommend several
cardio is the best way to stimulate your metabolism protein shakes each day that are low in carbs and fats.
and burn maximum fat while building lean muscle. It is By following our Get Lean diet plan you will avoid
true that you lose weight by dieting alone, but this will most of the pitfalls of a bad diet and get enough of the
not give you that lean muscular look. Sure, cardio will right nutrients to help you build muscle and strip fat.
help you to look thinner, but dieting without weight
training also results in muscle loss, so you won’t get How much fat can you expect to lose if you follow
that muscular ripped look that you see on top class this program? Depending on your training intensity
physiques. The key is combining this nutrition plan and food intake, most trainers could expect to lose
with our training plans for a great result. Whatever the between 0.5 – 1.0 kg per week.
amount of body fat you want to lose, this diet program
will help you sustain steady fat loss while maintaining
and building muscle.
SEE THE 7 DAY GET LEAN AND
To get lean and strip fat we recommend a diet high MUSCULAR NUTRITION PLAN ON THE
in quality proteins, moderate levels of essential fats, NEXT PAGE...
GET LEAN AND MUSCULAR NUTRITION PLAN
BeginNer WEEKLY PLAN *EAT PORTION SIZE BASED ON APPETITE **UNCOOKED WEIGHT
MONDAY Tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday sunday
- 6 egg white/1 yolk - 1–2 Scoops MAX’S - 6 egg white/1 yolk - 1–2 Scoops MAX’S - 6 egg white/1 yolk - 1–2 Scoops MAX’S - 6 egg white/1 yolk
omelette SuperShred omelette SuperShred omelette SuperShred omelette
- 2 pieces wholemeal protein mixed with1 - 2 pieces wholemeal protein mixed with1 - 2 pieces wholemeal protein mixed with1 - 2 pieces wholemeal
toast cup oats and water toast cup oats and water toast cup oats and water toast
- Tea or coffee - Small tub low fat - Tea or coffee - Small tub low fat - Tea or coffee - Small tub low fat - Tea or coffee
BREAKFAST yoghurt yoghurt yoghurt
- Tea or coffee - Tea or coffee - Tea or coffee
- 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8 - 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8 - 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8
Carnage Carnage Carnage
- MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred
protein protein protein protein protein protein protein
MID MORNING
- 1 apple - 1 apple - 1 apple - 1 apple - 1 apple - 1 apple - 1 apple
- Medium tin tuna - 200 – 300g Lean steak* - Grilled chicken breast* - 200 – 300g Lean steak* - 200 – 300g Meat & - Grilled chicken breast* - Medium tin tuna
(185g) - 2 Cups steamed - 2 Cups steamed - 2 Cups steamed vegetable stir - 2 Cups steamed (185g)
vegetables vegetables vegetables fry* vegetables
LUNCH - Salad - Salad
- 1 cup steamed brown - 1 cup steamed brown
- 1 cup steamed brown - 150g sweet potato** - 1 cup steamed brown - 150g sweet potato** - 150g sweet potato**
rice rice rice
rice
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperShred WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperShred WEIGHT TRAINING DAY - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred
- 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8 - 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8 - 1 Tsp MAX’S Cre8
PRE WORKOUT Carnage Carnage Carnage
- MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred - MAX’S SuperShred
AFTER WORKOUT With Milk With Milk With Milk
CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO
- 1 Serve BCAA’s - 1 Serve BCAA’s - 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG - 1 Serve NAGG - 1 Serve NAGG
- 200 – 300g Lean - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Chicken or - 200 – 300g Grilled - 200 – 300g Chicken or - 200 – 300g Lean
steak* chicken breast * fish* beef & vegetable chicken breast * beef & vegetable steak*
- Large salad or 2 cups - Large salad or 2 cups - Large salad stir fry* - Large salad stir fry* - Large salad or 2 cups
DINNER steamed vegetables steamed vegetables steamed vegetables
- MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime - MAX’S NiteTime
EVENING protein protein protein protein protein protein protein
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING:
This Program is designed to get you ready to tackle the Next MAX’S Muscle-Up
Challenge. As we’ve mentioned, you can do the 12 week Challenge any time of the
year, but our experience shows that most trainers have a much better result when
they participate in the official Challenges that currently run twice per year. This is
because the support from our Coaches and Ambassadors, along with the great
Challenge community, tends to really motivate most Challengers, keep them on track,
and inspire them to great results. The following programs are suitable for trainers
who want to either build size and gain weight, or get lean and shredded. They are
designed to help you build a good base before the Challenge.
However, like all good athletes would agree, we don’t HOW TRAINING WORKS:
recommend really hard training and strict dieting all Your body is a very clever device. If you always keep
year round. This approach is very tough to handle both doing the things you always do, your body will stay
mentally and physically, and most people burn out and the same as it is. However, if you apply some type of
lose motivation if they try this approach. What we do stimulus over and above what your body can normally
recommend is a cyclical approach to your training, diet handle, it will attempt to adapt by improving it’s
and overall conditioning. This means setting a goal, or capabilities, like strength or endurance, so that the next
several goals throughout your year and basing your time it encounters this greater stimulus, it will be better
training and diet around them. For some trainers and prepared to handle it. These adaptions occur in small
athletes this means reaching peak condition once or steps, not giant leaps. So to make a significant change
perhaps several times per year, and using the times to your body, you must stimulate your body beyond its
between your peaks to recover and to work on areas normal capabilities many times, over weeks, months
like improving your fitness, adding more muscle, and years. The result of these many small adaptions
increasing strength, balancing up weaker areas, etc. over these longer periods can result in significant
improvements in muscle size, strength and endurance.
This is a similar approach that is used by most
competition bodybuilders. They have an “off season” STRENGTH TRAINING ADAPTIONS:
and a “competition season”. They use the off season to When starting a strength training program, most
work on improving their physique and the competition trainers find their strength in various lifts increases quite
season to maintain muscle but strip body fat to look quickly. This is usually due to the trainer first learning
their very best come competition day. In the off season to do the exercise movement correctly and then the
they usually focus on heavier mass building programs neuromuscular recruitment of more muscle fibres in
to add more muscle, and they also work on improving the lift, allowing more weight to be lifted. After a period
areas of their body that may be lagging behind. For of several weeks to several months, depending on the
example, they may focus on more leg development individual, strength improvements begin to taper off as
during their off season by really hitting heavy squats or the trainer becomes a more efficient lifter, improvement
leg presses. Most competitive bodybuilders don’t try to now relies more on actual increases in muscle
stay in competition shape all year round because they strength. Strength increases are usually accompanied
realise that with building muscle and gaining size it is by increases in muscle size – bigger muscles tend
very hard to restrict your diet. What trainers do is follow to be stronger muscle. The actual mechanism of
a moderate mass building diet, understanding that a muscle growth revolves around damaging the
reasonable increase in body fat is ok as long as it can individual muscle fibres that make up your muscles
be stripped away with their pre contest diet program. by overloading them with hard weight training. In the
With this approach in mind, our Beginner Program is recovery time after your workout, your system repairs
designed to help set you up for the next MAX’S Muscle- and regrows the muscle fibres, a little bigger, stronger,
Up Challenge. and a little more efficient. A constant cycle of hard
training and proper recovery results in bigger, stronger
When starting out on any training program it’s and better conditioned muscles.
important to start off in the right way. In this section we
will run you through the basics of training and then give
you a whole body training program to get you started.
CARDIO TRAINING: • The best exercise programs are those that combine
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is repetitive lighter intensity cardio type exercise (walking, jogging, cycling,
exercise that raises your heart rate and causes you to etc.) with a well planned weight training plan.
gain overall fitness and improved muscle condition. This will help you build strength and fitness, you
An added benefit of cardio training is that it burns won’t just look good, your health will also improve
body fat to help you look leaner and more defined. dramatically. So whatever program you use, look for
Cardio training improves the efficiency and strength of a combination of these exercise types.
your heart, the ability of your vascular system to move
blood around your body, the ability of your blood to • You need to decide where you want to train. If you
deliver nutrients to your muscles, and the ability of your join a good commercial gym, they should have
muscles to convert fuels and oxygen to energy, all very all the equipment you need plus experienced
important to improving your fitness, conditioning and instructors that can help you with your training
muscularity. When starting out you should aim for 2 – program and diet. If you plan to train at home
3 cardio sessions per week of about 20 – 30 minutes you may be a little more restricted in the scope
each. Examples of good cardio exercises include brisk of exercises you can do unless you have a good
walking or jogging, cycling or stationary bike, steppers home gym set up. However you can still put a very
and rowing machines. You should keep the intensity effective training program together, which can be
moderate for maximum fat burning. A good way to further enhanced with the acquisition of some basic
judge if you have the intensity right is you should be weight training equipment. More on this later.
able to talk reasonably normally without gasping for air.
• Don’t go to hard, too quickly. If your body isn’t
TRAINING GOALS: used to hard training you can easily overdo things
As we’ve already mentioned before embarking on your in your first weeks of training, resulting in extreme
body transformation campaign, we recommend you muscle soreness. This can really slow your progress,
define your goals. A goal is a measurable result you or even worse, make you lose motivation causing
want to achieve by a specific date. We find that trainers you to give up on your goal. The best approach is to
with specific goals are much more likely to get the ease into your training over a 4 – 6 week period to
results they want compared to those who only have a condition your body for the hard training to come.
vague aim. Train with a purpose! So sit down and write
out your goals. If your goal is a big change from where TRAINING BASICS:
you are today, break it down into a number of smaller This Beginner program is designed to introduce you
achievable goals, then stick your goal somewhere to the basics of weight training. You should follow it for
prominent to constantly remind you where you are the next 4 – 6 weeks. You will train your whole body in
heading. Some examples of specific goals are: each workout and you will train 3 days per week. The
• I want to lose 10kg by and get a six pack by idea of this training is to help build a strong base and to
Christmas condition your body for the next phase of your training
• I want to add 5 kg of lean muscle and reduce my program. If you haven’t really done any weight training
body fat to 8% before, stay on this program for 6 weeks. If you have
• I want to run the Melbourne Marathon next year. done a reasonable amount of weight training before
and are getting back into training, use this program
for 4 weeks. At the end of your 4 – 6 weeks you can
A GOAL IS A MEASURABLE RESULT progress onto our Intermediate programs
YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE BY A Use the following training principals for maximum
SPECIFIC DATE muscle building results:
As you become more experienced you can add other pieces of equipment to your home set up.
CARDIO:
Cardio is the other important element in your training plan. If you are training to build size and
gain weight start with about 20 minutes 2 - 3 times per week. If your aim is to strip fat aim for
3 – 4 sessions per week and build up to 30 – 40 minutes per session. Your cardio can be any
suitable exercise that gets your heart rate up to a level where you raise a sweat, start breathing
moderately heavy and can still carry on a conversation, but only just. If you are a home trainer
cardio can include includes exercise like brisk walking, jogging, or perhaps stationary bike (if you
have one) or cycling.
3 x 8 - 10 repetitions Warm up with 4 – 6 Chins. Then perform your 3 working sets. Take a
grip about a hand width wider than shoulder width on each side. Pull
Back Chin-Ups Rest 2-3 minutes
up to bring your chin to bar height then lower under control. Focus on
between sets stretching your back muscles while hanging with your arms extended.
Start with a lighter weight and warm up your shoulders well with
3 x 10 repetitions 10 – 15 reps, then perform your 3 working sets. Grab the bar with an
Standing Barbell over hand grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Lift the barbell to
Shoulders Rest 2-3 minutes
Press shoulder height then press up powerfully and lower slowly. Increase
between sets the weight with each set but make sure you maintain good form. Don’t
arch your back excessively.
Grip a barbell with an under hand grip at about shoulder width. Start
3 x 10 repetitions with your arms hanging straight. Curl the weight up in a controlled and
steady arc until your biceps are fully contracted, then lower again in a
Biceps Standing Biceps Curl Rest 2-3 minutes
controlled arc. Increase the weight with each set. If you have to heave
between sets up the weight or arch your back, the weight is too heavy, so back it off
a little.
Your arms should already be warm so just jump right into this exercise.
3 x 10-15 repetitions Adopt a push up position but with your hands close together under
Triceps Close grip push ups Rest 2-3 minutes your chest, with your thumbs just touching. Press up and down like a
between sets push up but focus on keeping your elbows tucked in close to the side
of your body. You should feel the majority of the effort in your triceps.
CARDIO:
Cardio is the other important element in your training plan. If you are training to build size and
gain weight start with about 20 minutes 2 - 3 times per week. If your aim is to strip fat aim for
3 – 4 sessions per week and build up to 30 – 40 minutes per session. Your cardio can be any
suitable exercise that gets your heart rate up to a level where you raise a sweat, start breathing
moderately heavy and can still carry on a conversation, but only just. Cardio includes exercise like
cycling or stationary bike, treadmill or brisk walking, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, etc.
Warm up with a lighter weight then start your three sets. On your
3 x 10 repetitions last set you should find the last few reps very difficult. To keep
Triceps Triceps Pushdown Rest 2-3 minutes tension on your triceps don’t lock your arms at the bottom of the
between sets movement, just keep your arms moving in a controlled steady
motion.
Warm up with a lightweight then perform your 3 sets. You will need
a squat rack to perform this exercise properly. Your feet should be
shoulder width apart and the bar should sit comfortably across
3 x 10 repetitions
your shoulders. When squatting, keep your head up and your back
Barbell Squats Rest 3-4 minutes
straight. Squat down until your thighs go a little further than parallel
Legs - Alternate between sets
to the floor. Start with a lighter weight and concentrate on correct
squats one day form. If you are training in a gym, ask an instructor to show you the
with leg press the correct technique.
next.
Perform one light warm up set with 10 – 15 reps then perform 3
3 x 10 - 15 repetitions
working sets. Set feet about shoulder width apart and focus on
Leg Press Rest 2-3 minutes
pushing through your heels. Increase weight in each set and aim to
between sets
work to failure on your last set.