1

Diploma in

FITNESS
Beginner to Advanced

Motivate and Educate Yourself to Move More and become a Master

at designing your own (and others) fitness routines

AKASH SEHRAWAT, HHP, CPT, PES

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Copyright © 2019 by Fabulous Body Inc

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced
or used in any manner whatsoever—electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, on the internet, recording or by any system of storing and
retrieving information— without the express written permission of the
publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Fabulous Body, Inc
340 S, Lemon Ave #6416
Walnut, California 91780
United States
For more information about Fabulous Body please visit
www.fabulousbody.com

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 DISCLAIMER
The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed in this book are intended to be
used for educational purpose only. The information contained in this book
should by no means be considered a substitute for the advice of a qualified
medical profession, who should always be consulted before beginning any
new diet, exercise or other health/spiritual program.
This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat
any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem,
consult your own physician.
The information in this book has been carefully researched, and all efforts
have been made to ensure accuracy. The publisher and author assume no
responsibility for any injuries suffered or damages or losses incurred during
or as a result of following the exercise, diet or spiritual program in this book.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
FAQ’s……………….…………………………………………………..7
FAQ’s Resources Etc…….…….…………………………………….… 8
CPD Certification Details…………………………………………..…..10
Titles you can use-once you are successful graduate……………………12
Module 1: Introduction to Fitness………………………………14
How this course is structured………….……………………….………16
Body Mass Index [BMI]……………………………………….……….21
Body Fat & Obesity…………………….………………….………..…23
Is Exercise really that necessary?………………….……………..…..…28
Module 2: Introducing The FBX Training System.……………31
The FBX Model: An Introduction………………………….….….……31
Cardio Training……………………………………….………………..37
High Intensity Interval Training [HIIT]…………………………..……43
Strength Training & its benefits………………….…………………….46
Walking—The New Black?…………………..……………….……..…51
Body Weight |Flexibility | Neuromotor | Training………………...…53
Module 3: FBX: Basic Program [Workout] Design…………..57
Introduction to Basic Program Design……………………………..….57
Number of Workout Sessions in a week…….………….……….….….61
Number of Hours to Workout in a week…………..…………….…….62
Module 5: Final Exam & CPD Certificate……………..………63
Instructions on how to get CPD Certificate……..…………………….65
About the Author………………………………………………….….67

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 FAQ’s
1. How to get access to the resource section of this course?
A. Please check out the video titled: FAQ-Resources Etc

2. Is CPD certificate different from what Udemy provides?

A. Yes it is. Once you mark this course complete (even if you don't give the
final exam), Udemy automatically sends you the certificate and it is different
from what I offer.

3. How I secure my CPD Certificate?

A. You need to pass the final exam with 50% marks and above. 70% and
more will help you get the mark 'Distinction' on the certificate. Read all
instructions in Module 6: Final Exam.

4. Do you charge extra for the CPD certificate?

A. No I don't. It's included in the price you paid

5. If I don't pass the exam the first time (pass mark is 50%) do I get
another shot to pass?
A. Yes, you get unlimited shots. However, its best to sit down for the exam in
a serious manner and not half-heartedly. After all, its about learning and
growing instead of passing!

6. Do I have lifetime access to this course?

A. Yes, you have lifetime access to this course.

7. I have some questions about this course, how I do I connect with

you?
A. Use the Udemy messaging service. Look for the Q&A section.

8. Where can I download the complete manual of this course?

A. Check for the Lecture titled: Fitness Master Course Manual

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 FAQ’s Resources Etc
Hi Guys, in this section, I will tell you how to figure out few things that you
might have trouble looking for.

First are the resources. The resources are very easy to find and download.
So let’s say I am watching ‘Lecture 24’ on ‘Buddha’s noble truth’ in my
course- Diploma in Meditation.

If a given lecture has a resources, then, it will show below the Video in
Udemy. If a lecture does not have a resource, it will not show. So if you have
a resource, then just click on it, and then this side screen will open up.

So this is pretty straightforward. Now, lets look at other few important things:

How to download the actual lecture in case you want to view it offline.

So you look at the bottom right of your screen, there is a setting button. Find
the download button and click on it.

A pop up will open asking you to download the file on your computer.

Then another interesting feature Udemy has is the speed at which you can
watch your lecture. If you find my talking slow you can fast track it by
clicking here. If you find my speed fast then you can slow it down.

Whatever you prefer.

There is a Q &A section where you can ask any question about the course.

Do note students, if you have questions why something isn’t downloading, or

why the Udemy app is not working, all technical issues you need to sort out
with Udemy Support.

Any questions that are course related, you can surely ask me.

Lastly a great feature is the subtitles. As you can see I don’t have an American
accent and the Udemy speech software is not able to pick my words correctly.

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If it is annoying you, please click disable, and there will be no subtitles.
Simple.

Hope you found this video useful. I wish you all the best, enjoy this course
and thanks once again for enrolling.

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 CPD Certification Details
All Diplomas's provided through Fab Academe (my.fabulousbody.com) are
independently accredited by an internationally recognized body for CPD
purposes.

Courses are also accredited by the CPD Certification Service, which is an

independent body that ensures qualifications are in line with the most current
professional standards.

My mission is to provide you with LOW COST Diploma [4weeks] and

Advanced Diplomas [12 weeks] which will not only add significant value to
your CV and impress your employers but also help you learn and grasp the
relevant topic on hand pretty well!

This is how your Diploma Certificate will look like (do note: currently there is
only an option to get an e-diploma emailed to you. You can surely print it on
a 300GSM paper-thick paper for it to look awesome)

YOUR NAME

Authorized Signatory
Director

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The CPD Certification Service

London.

Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service is the independent CPD

accreditation centre working across all sectors, disciplines and further learning
applications based out of England.

Our unique experience and history working with training providers,

professional bodies, academic institutions and corporate organizations
enables us to support organizations seeking authoritative accreditation for
their CPD activities.

Thousands of CPD training courses, events, e-learning programs,

conferences, workshops and seminars are formally accredited by us every year
adding significant value for audiences and providers alike.

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 Titles you can use once you graduate
I know 90% of you are not interested in a career in health and fitness.

But it feels good to secure a certificate doesn't it?

I too have at least a dozen and you bet they feel good. I get a sense of
achievement when I think of the times when I worked hard to secure them.

On the other hand, if you are serious about your health and fitness career,
well I can provide you with some insights and tips.

If you are new to Fabulous Body (www.fabulousbody.com) and don't know

much about me then here is a brief intro:

-I have been in the Health and Fitness Industry since 2005.

-I have worked in various positions as a fitness consultant, fitness trainer,

personal trainer, gym manager, nutritional consultant, and went on to operate
my own health club with thousands of active members and managing a staff
of more than 20.

-From the perspective of a gym owner and someone who is onto his second
fitness venture, the number one thing I look at when deciding to work with
someone is desire and passion. No doubt these things can take anyone far.

But do credentials really matter?. Half of my trainers were not certified, as I

had my gym in India, and having a good physique and few years of
experience is good enough (Its not mandatory for a gym to hire a trainer with
a certification). Its sad, but it will change soon, it has to!

Times are changing pretty rapidly! Most of you would probably work for
yourself, online like I am doing. Don't we all want to work from home, stay
close to your families, have flexible work schedule and have no boss? No one
like their bosses...haha!

Anyways, if you have the money to shell out $500-$5000 go out, secure
yourself a NASM, ACE certifications. I have two of them. But most of my

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knowledge had come from extra reading, reading journals, scientific books,
and authoritative blogs. You cannot buy passion, nor can you buy success.

Before you think about shelling few hundred dollars to get your NASM/
ACE/ISSA/Golds Gym Certification (and many others like them), get this
one.

Its Free, and I only charge an admin fee if you want to get your diploma
certificate (to cover up all the expenses I incur to bring this to you as I am
doing it full-time, plus some profit so that I can keep my wife and child
happy:) )

Hope all this helps you, and if you have any doubts, comments, questions,
please do ask them below!

- Fitness Coach

- Fitness Advisor

- Fitness Consultant

A great blog article by Alan Argon that will give you more insight on the
topic on hand: 

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/11/18/paper-credentials-vs-the-
fitness-industry/

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 Module 1: Introduction to Fitness
Welcome!

A n average adult sits for 9-10 hours a day. Chronic sitting is a threat and
is considered the new smoking according to a study. We have engineered
exercise right out of our lifestyle with automation and technology!

Diploma in Fitness will help motivate anyone to move and exercise more. 

As Dr John Ratey in his amazing book ‘Spark’ puts it: 

Regular exercise isn’t just good for your body. It can also dramatically help
you in:

-Brain Growth

-Boosting learning capabilities

-Reducing stress levels, ward off depression and anxiety

-Smoothening out Hormonal Fluctuations

-Reversing signs of ageing”

Welcome To Diploma in Fitness-Beginner to Advanced. I am Akash

Sehrawat and I am going to be your instructor, educator, teacher, or trainer or
whatever you want to call me.

Never ever before has it been so easy and affordable to get a Diploma in
Fitness and that too a Diploma which is internationally Accredited &
Certified by a top organization in the world.

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And please don’t let the word ‘Advanced’ worry you...Hehe...
Yes, even though the modules may seem overwhelming or even downright
scary, but let me assure you they are not.
I am not saying it will be easy, but I will make it simple for you. I will try and
minimize the use of scientific words. There are many trainers who use big
complex words to probably impress you, but my approach is completely
opposite.
My aim has always been this:
To help you understand fitness (or nutrition or any topic on hand) in the
easiest manner possible.
This is only possible when the teacher himself is well versed with the
concepts being discussed and obviously he has at least a decade worth of
experience.
Combine that with passion and willingness to teach (yes a willingness to teach
is very important). I know few fitness guys, who have great physiques, good
knowledge, but have no desire to teach others.
Again, I let you be the judge of that, but I will do my very best not to
overwhelm or confuse you.
Now, essentially you are getting 2 courses at the price of 1.
So you have a choice.
Whether you want ONE certificate or TWO!
Certificate 1: Diploma in Fitness.
You need to give Final Exam provided in Module
Certificate 2: Advanced Diploma in Fitness.
You need to give Final Exam provided in Module
Lets understand how this course is structured in the next lecture.

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 How this course is structured
Module-1: Introduction to Fitness will start off by discussing the
characteristics of a fit or an unfit person. You will understand the concept of
Body Mass Index and why it may not be the best indicator of one’s health
and fitness. 

We will then dive deep into understand about body fat and various body fat
percentages for both men and women and finally figure out why one should
not take exercise just an event but rather as a lifestyle!

Module-2: Introducing will introduce you to The FBX [Fabulous Body

Training System] Model. Fabulous Body as you may have realized is the name
of my company as well.

FBX is a multifaceted training system that will not only help you get fit, look good, but it
will also help you master your own exercise program. 

This module will discuss various exercise modalities like cardiovascular

training, strength training, HIIT, bodyweight, flexibility and neuromotor
training briefly.

Module-3: Basic Program Design using The FBX Model is where we will put
together everything that we have learned.

This module will also provide you with ‘Four' Case studies to put all the
theory into action. Do note, this is the basic program design and in
forthcoming Modules I have discussed Advanced Program Design. So if you
are keen in going advanced then it can be good to possess that knowledge.

When it comes to FBX training, the core activity is strength training besides
HIIT, cardio, yoga, flexibility, neuromotor training and walking. We will be
discussing all of these training forms and their benefits as well.
Now, strength training is a vast topic, and is the bedrock of FBX- Training.
Strength training has become hugely popular in the 70’s when Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s pumping iron came out. People started to flock to gyms,
and to cater to this increasing demand more and more gyms started to
mushroom in every nook and corner of the world.
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If you are almost new to my courses, then let me also share that I have been
in part of the gym industry for 10+ years out of which I have the privilege to
be a gym owner for 6 long years. It was actually a pretty big set up with yoga,
zumba and spa services along with a complete weight training and cardio
area. Thousands of people joined and I had so much fun and learned a lot.
My desire to reach to more and more people enabled me to concentrate full
time on e-commerce side of fitness, launching my website fabulousbody.com.
More details in About Me lecture.
So strength training forms a core of FBX training and it will form the bulk
of this course.
If you think strength training is not for you, then think again. Any teenage
after he turns 14 years can start with weights, and studies have proven that
strength training has immense benefits for the elderly people.
Ladies, it’s the biggest myth that weight training will make you bulky, it will
NOT. Just take a look at so many Hollywood, and Bollywood actresses and
regular women who look amazing when they do weights.
The best way to build muscle is through weights, the best and the most
effective way to lose fat is with weights, and when you do that the fabulous
way- the exact and detailed way that I will teach you in this course, not only
will you build a fab body but also will become optimally healthy.
I have no desire to build huge bulky bodybuilder muscle, nor do I believe in
physique competitions, where one becomes obsessed in trying to perfect their
physique. That’s a big ‘NO’ for me. I like Lean and sure I would prefer more
size, but my goal and my sole priority has always been the other benefits
weight training provides me.
It helps me save time. Just 3 hours of weights a week is good enough.

It is the best way to build lean muscle and lose fat. Keeps me looking good
and in shape.
It also provides a big boost to my metabolism and allows me to eat enough
calories which also allows me to include my favorite foods like ice creams,
cookies, cheesecakes and some alcohol.
There are many other benefits, when it comes to weights, and if you are
planning to start with then I strongly recommend it.

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And if you still prefer zumba, yoga, or want to play a sport that’s fine too,
you can get fit and healthy and also look good with those activities as well.
Advanced Diploma in fitness discusses FBX: Strength Training in a LOT of
detail.
To secure certificates is optional! You can just listen to the lecture for
educational sake. They are explained simply enough if you have the
willingness and passion to learn advanced concepts on fitness and weight
training!
The real deal starts with Module 2: Body Part/Anatomy. Now, there are 604
muscles in human body, but my aim is not to make you a doctor and this is
not a course in anatomy (may be in future, I will come out with a diploma in
anatomy and physiology), but for now, I have explained all major muscle
groups that is good enough to know if your plan is to become a personal
trainer or a fitness consultant. 
Moving on, Module 3 is an in-depth discussion about the workout variables
[sets, reps, amount of weight, rest intervals, volume etc] which makes up a
workout. 
We will be answering questions like:
How much weight should you lift and use for each exercise?
Number of reps you should do for each exercise. 
How many sets should you perform for every muscle group?
Which are the best and most effective exercises for every muscle group?
Which are the best weekly training schedule?
 and so forth. 
Module 4 is Program Design where we shall put together all the variables
discussed in Module 3 like a zig-saw puzzle!
Here I will discuss about different types of workout splits, which are the best
exercises for each muscle groups and why, and will finally introduce FBX-Cut
& FBX-Gain!
Module 5 will deal in FBX Modifications, FBX progressions. For example,
the workout volume, number of reps and sets will be different for a beginner
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when compared with an experienced lifter who has been working out for
more than 2 years!
FBX Women is introduced here. Although the protocols for women and men
are 95% similar, but here I will discuss the 5% difference applicable for
females!
30+ FBX Workout Charts are provided which are neatly divided into:
Beginner Workout Charts, Phase-1 & 2
Intermediate Workout Charts, Level-1 & 2 [Further sub-divided into FBX-
Cut & FBX-Gain]
Advanced Workout Charts, Level-1 & 2 [Further sub-divided into FBX-Cut
& FBX-Gain]
Furthermore, same workouts charts are provided when training 2 times a
week!
FBX Women workout chart, modifications if any one wants to train more
than 3 times a week and much more!
FBX Training system is not complete without cardio, HIIT and flexibility
training. 
Comprehensive discussion related to the above modalities are discusses in
Module 6 & 7 respectively!
Module 8 is a BONUS module where I discuss how to build an ideal male
physique. 
You see being super-specific is very important if you want more passion in
your workouts. If you have a clear goal of where you want to go, you become
efficient and effective. 
The use of Golden Ratio, Sexy-Weight Range and how to figure out your
ideal body fat percentages and a lot more is discussed in this module. 
Finally, 21 top fitness and weight training guidelines and a complete course
manual [250+ pages] is attached so that from time to time you keep referring
back to these lectures to completely imbibe the key concepts. 

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A 100 Question Graded Exam is there for anyone who wants to secure a
CPD certificate [provided that you secure 50% or more] is included in the
price. 
Students, I am always there for you. Unlimited doubts/queries can be
immediately cleared with me through the Udemy portal.
I hope you enjoy this course and find it useful:) 
Your coach and instructor, 
Akash 

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 Body Mass Index [BMI]
What do you mean by Fitness? What are some key characteristics when you
see a fit person?
I believe the first thing you see in a person is that ‘he is not fat’. He is not
overweight or obese and that probably means that he or she has a flat tummy.
From fitness perspective, you also look for his cardiovascular conditioning,
i.e. how strong his lungs and heart are.
Weight is visible, but his heart and lungs are not, but fortunately, there is a
metric which measures one’s cardio conditioning.
First it is his/her resting heart rate.
I won't go deep into the details in this module, and you will have to wait for
module 2 for me to explain each characteristic in details.
For now, just keep these points in mind. An unfit person will be quite the
opposite:
-Reduced Cardiovascular fitness
-No Muscle Endurance & Strength -Overweight/Obese
-No Flexibility
BMI-Body Mass Index
It is the most basic metric to track your fitness levels.
BMI is simply your weight in (kilograms) divided by your height in meters
squared.
You are underweight if your BMI is less than 18.5, you are in normal range
if it is between 18.5 to 24.9, and Overweight if your BMI is between 25 to
29.9 and Obese if it is over 30.
It’s same for both men and women.
Now the question that demands attention here is that is BMI a good index to
measure one’s health and fitness?

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The first thing you should know is that BMI is only based on height and
weight and not on body fat.
It does not take into account muscle mass, bone density etc.
Consider a natural bodybuilder and an overweight person.
Both are 6 feet tall, both weigh 90kg.
Let’s calculate their BMI: 90/ (1.82)(1.82)= 27.1 which is overweight. Natural
bodybuilder seems absolutely fit and healthy to me, and that is the limitation
BMI possesses. It only takes your weight and height into consideration, and
might not be accurate if you are into weight training or have higher bone
density/muscle mass.
But it is still a useful starting point for important conditions that become
more likely when a person is overweight or obese.
In my view, it's a good idea to know your BMI. But it is also important to
recognize its limitations. Is there any better alternative? I like to think so. Its
body fat percentage.
Next lecture, we are going to discuss body fat, body fat percentage and
obesity.

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 Body Fat & Obesity
We covered BMI and Fitness in the previous lecture in case you have missed
watching that presentation I urge you to watch that first. As I believe
pursuing this course in the given sequential order is important for better
understanding of the concepts as they build upon one another.

This lecture is all about body fat, the type of body fat that we store, where we
store and the role it plays.

We are going to discuss briefly about obesity and its complications, we will
then move on to body fat percentages and finally discuss about the ideal body
fat percentage that a man or a women should strive for.

What is Body Fat?

Body fat is the total mass of fat divided by total body weight. One pound of
body fat has 3500 calories.

Let me give you a hint: One or two questions in the final exam will be come from this slide,
so you might want to practice it thoroughly.

The main role of body fat is to provide energy; it also helps in absorption of
fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K.

Back in the days, when I got confused between water soluble and fat soluble
vitamins, one of my teachers taught me this method.

Some of you may probably know this one: when you say A, D, E & K in one
breath, it sounds like headache, right? This is the best way to remember what
your fat soluble vitamins are.

Body fat also helps you insulate and protect your organs. This type of fat
is the visceral fat that surrounds your organs. It is also called the ‘belly fat’
that has become a global concern.

Obesity and its complications.

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We have read that when one’s BMI goes above 30, that person is considered
obese.

Excessive body fat brings along a host of medical issues like high blood
pressure, sleep apneas, some type of cancers like prostrate, kidney, colon and
type-2 diabetes.

Diabetes has started to become a major epidemic. India, by the way, is the
diabetic capital of the world with 40 million diabetic patients.

This is just part of the story. The other half provides us with the fact that 77
million are pre-diabetic and they don’t even know about it.

Being pre-diabetic means that they have insulin resistance also termed as
Metabolic Syndrome X. These people are very close to developing type-2
diabetes if they don’t take any steps in lowering their body fat levels and also
implanting healthy lifestyle habits.

Now let’s look at the chart that I designed for you to get a clear
understanding of different body fat ranges.

FOR MEN [Please refer to the lecture for body fat pictures]
It’s pretty clear that unless you are competing in a bodybuilding competition,
going below 6% body fat is futile.

Let’s start with the body fat range of [7-9]%

This is the range I achieved when I got my fashion portfolio done way back
in 2007. This is where my abs were clearly defined, my face got super angular
and there were clear muscle separation and vascularity.

Most fitness models, Hollywood/Bollywood actors are required to be in this

range. We live in a world where LEAN-NESS is celebrated.

This range of body fat is NOT sustainable. Most of these actors, when they
are not pursuing a movie role, definitely carry around more fat.

Body fat range of [10-12]%

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I strongly feel this is the range which is ‘IDEAL’ for any man to maintain.

Again this is still a very personal decision, but unless you are planning to
become a fitness model/actor or even a bodybuilder, going below 10% is not
worth the sacrifice.

In fact when you look at the world most popular bodybuilders of all times,
Steve Reeves and Arnold Schwarzenegger they competed at 9% body fat
percentage.

Why then average folks like you and me want to go below 10%?

Let’s move up to the body fat range of [14-16]%

For men, this is where the muscle definition starts to go away. The
separation, and vascularity also starts to be covered by a layer of fat.

Although there is still some visibility of your six-pack provided you have
worked them with weights and made them blocky.

Body fat range of [16-18]%

For men, your six-packs will completely disappear here! Your belly starts to
protrude and your face will look rounder.

When you start to go over 20% body fat things start to get out of hand and
out of shape!

I strongly recommend for any man reading this to strive and stay below 20%
for overall health.

However if you want to drastically improve your looks, I would suggest you
aim to go below 15%, ideally between 10-12%.

LADIES, it is your turn now.

For women going below 14% body fat is useless.

Women have essential fats on their breasts & hips for reproduction purpose
and therefore their level of essential fat is 8-10%.
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For men, their level of essential fat is 2-3% which is required by the body to
function and protect its organs.

So the corresponding range for females will be approximately 10% more. For
example: 12% in men would mean approximately 22% for females.

Body Fat [14-17]%

This range is again reserved for female athletes/fitness models who are
competing.

Body Fat [18-21]%

This is the range where you’ll find all your favorite actresses/fashion models.
Their main focus is not to display muscles, but simply to attain a defined
chiseled/angular face, flat tummy, shaped legs and being in this body fat
range provides just that! This range is still considered pretty low, and it is
super tough to maintain.

Body Fat [22-25]%

Females start to store more fat on their breasts, hips and thighs. If they have
good muscle mass, they can look the best in this range.

I strongly feel this is the best range for any female to have if they want to
look their best and be optimally healthy. Studies have shown when a female
starts to go below 20%, they can develop ‘Female Athlete Triad’.

The female athlete triad is an interrelationship of menstrual dysfunction, low

energy availability (with or without an eating disorder), and decreased bone
mineral density; it is relatively common among young women participating in
sports.

Diagnosis and treatment of this potentially serious condition are complicated

and often requires an interdisciplinary team. Athletic endeavors such as
gymnastics, figure skating, ballet, distance running, diving and swimming that
emphasize low body weight and a lean physique can also increase the risk of
developing the female athlete triad.

Body Fat [26-29]%

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Good news for females is that [26-29]% is still a very much desirable range!
The corresponding range for men is [17-20]%

It’s very easy to maintain this range provided you have an active lifestyle and
good eating habits.

Notice the women in the picture have good muscle tone, her tummy is
almost flat with good curves.

Body Fat [30-33]%

This body fat range is still ok from the health point of view. I would suggest
you to stay in the 26-29% not only to look your best but also feel your best.

Lastly Do Note: The chart and pictures both for men and women in their
corresponding body fat range simply gives you an idea and are simply an
estimation.

In actuality, the body fat range and the way one looks are dependent on many
factors. 

For example, if a person is more muscular, even if he has more body fat, he
will give an illusion that he has less fat.

What percentage do you think Mark Wahlberg would be in this picture?

(please watch the corresponding lecture for all pictures)

 
Well, it’s really tough to guess, I think he’s around [21-24]% but do note if a
person has more muscle mass he may give an illusion of being leaner than
otherwise, especially if he has his clothes on.

The other thing that matters quite a lot is where your fat cells are distributed.

For a Skinny-Fat person (like me and millions like me) the site to store fat is
on the belly, face (yeah I know all the wrong places) where for someone like
Mark Wahlberg, it’s all over the body.

27
 Is Exercise Really Necessary?
Hello everyone I am Akash your teacher for this course Diploma in Fitness.

Wow, teacher!

Never ever I thought I would be an educator.

Sure, I do enjoy helping people with their health and fitness problems but
creating courses like these is a dream come true for me.

It is such a noble profession. It is doing a good for lot of people around the
world.

Did you know that only approximately 7% of the world’s population goes
through a formal college or a university education?

What about the remaining 93%?

They don’t have the means or the money to enroll themselves in colleges.

I have been privileged. And thats why I feel responsible.

Thats why I am trying to create a platform that with the power of technology
I can reach anyone and everyone only with an internet access.

If you like this course, and like my work, please please share. This course on
your social media page, share it on your company where you work, share it
with anyone who you think will find it useful.

If you ever have any questions about this course or health and fitness in
general please don’t hesitate to connect with me. Just keep it short, to the
point and be specific.

Let's get started with lecture 3, Module 1. This is the last lecture in this
module after which we shall head over to Module 2, the FBX model.

28
So, let’s get this clear once in for all: Is exercise really necessary? Like really
necessary?

Can’t you simply eat a good diet, sleep enough and still remain healthy? and
stay within the normal BMI range?

Right, we have already figured out that BMI as a single measure is not a
comprehensive indicator of one’s health.

A person can be in the normal BMI range and still be unhealthy. Most
common example is that of a skinny fat person, who has belly fat and still
may be in the normal BMI range!

We were meant to move. Movement is in our DNA.

Let me share this very important insight with you: building muscle, losing fat
is simply a side effect of doing exercise.

Exercise’s main benefit is on your brain. It makes you smarter.

Not everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, not everyone wants to get ripped, I

get it but everyone I am sure would want to be smart.

Recently, I read this book by Dr John Ratey: ‘Spark’ and he shares some great
insight about the practical benefits of exercise.

It is a pretty technically book, but highly recommend as additional reading.

Don’t worry your exam questions won’t come from this book.

Besides making you smarter, exercise can also help you significantly lower risk
of chronic lifestyle diseases like type -2 diabetes and heart diseases which are
at an all-time high.

It can also ward off depression. In fact exercise is world’s best known
anti-depressant.

It can lower your anxiety levels and it can make you look young.

29
It also helps maintain your muscle mass, bone density and helps with fat loss
and therefore, I want you to think of fitness as a lifestyle and not an event.

We all think about losing 10-15kg in 3 months- We slog on a cardio machine

for hours daily and eat a chronically caloric depleted diet just to lose weight.

Most people are worried about the outcome but they don’t take out time to
enjoy the process.

I strongly recommend that you find an activity that you truly enjoy only
then you would be able to sustain it for the rest of your life.

Don’t like weight training, its ok! It’s is not the end of the world.

See if you like yoga, perhaps a dance class, how about a sport? Experiment
and see what suits your personality and be regular with that.

So bottom-line we were meant to move, and exercise is super important. In

short term you may eat a good diet and lose some weight maybe few kilos
may be some more.

But that is only part of the story. Exercise has the potential to transform your
outlook on life and I advise you to find an activity and do it every day.

You’ll be happy to hear that recent research indicates that you need to work
out and exercise for only 3-6 hours a week.

That’s not even 10% of your week (there are 168 hours in a week by the way).

Just 3 to 6 hours per week and we shall find out more when we move on to
Module 2: The FBX model.

30
 Module 2: The FBX Training System

Introducing the FBX Model

H i Everyone Akash here and a warm welcome to you all.

To make the most out of this course, it's always a great idea to go in order-
Module-1, 2, 3, 4. You will learn much better this way and hopefully secure a
90% in your final exam:)

Yes, if you go through all the lecture slides, listen to all voice over
presentations and do all the practice quizzes at least few times, chances of
your securing a high percentage is pretty high!

Now, let's get started with module 2.

Module 2 has 6 lectures. I will start by explaining exactly what The FBX
model is and then we move on to different activities and training modalities
in a lot more detail.

If you have been my student in other courses, or have read my book the
fabulous body and some of my blog articles on my website,
fabulousbody.com then you are probably aware of what FBX model is all
about.

It stands for Fabulous Body Training System.

FBX is a multi-faceted training system that will help you to optimize your
gene expression.

What do you mean by that?

It means that you control your health destiny. Even if you have a history
of heart disease or diabetes running in your family you can override those
31
issues by choosing to live a better and healthier lifestyle, workout and eat a
good diet.

In the additional reading section: I have given a link to Dr Bruce Lipton's

video: 'Biology of belief', watch that.

It is a one hour video that explains the foundation of epigenetic, and how the
true secret to life does not lie within your DNA, but rather within the
mechanisms of the cell membrane. The way Dr Bruce explains it is amazing.

Besides optimizing your gene expression, you will become functionally

strong, look good, defined and sexy, and optimize your health.

There are three components to THE FBX Model:

DNA science,

ACSM guidelines and

Principles from old school bodybuilding.

Essentially a beautiful combination of anecdotal evidence and hard-science.

Let's look at all these three components in detail:

With the recent mega-success of paleo diets, which mimic the diets of
ancient hunter-gatherers, research also suggests that a fitness routine similar
to the activities our ancestors routinely performed is most effective. In
general, hunter-gatherers were lean and probably almost never obese.

James H. O’ Keefe’s comprehensive research into the lifestyle of hunter-

gatherers describes their lifestyle as follows:

-A large amount of light to moderate activity, such as walking. Most estimates

indicate that hunter-gatherers covered an average daily distance in the range
of 6 – 16 km (3.7 – 10 miles).

-Hard days, resulting in expenditures of at least 800 – 1200 kcal, were

typically followed by easier days.

32
-Life in the wild often called for intermittent bursts of moderate to high-level
intensity exercise (hunting and stalking animals, shelter construction, carrying
20 – 30 kg of meat back to camp, etc.) with intervening periods of rest and
recovery.

-Their routines promoted aerobic endurance, flexibility, and strength, thereby

providing them with multifaceted fitness. This varied pattern of movement
would have also conferred resiliency and reduced the likelihood of injury,
allowing them to hunt and forage without major interruptions.

-Virtually all of the exercise was done outdoors in the natural world. Outdoor
activities help maintain ultraviolet-stimulated -Vitamin D synthesis. ...look up
this very important topic in additional reading...

-Ample rest, relaxation, and sleep were generally available to ensure complete
recovery after strenuous exertion.

In addition to these guidelines on hunter-gatherers, which gives us a good

idea of what kind of training protocol to follow, let’s look at what ACSM
(American College of Sports Medicine) suggests for a healthy adult between
14 and 65 years of age.

The official ACSM guidelines for exercise are 30 minutes of low to

moderate activity each day.

However, many people have misconstrued these guidelines and count a

“general stroll” as a form of exercise.

ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) clears up the confusion with

these specific guidelines:

Cardiorespiratory Exercise

Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per

week.

Exercise recommendations can be met through 30 – 60 minutes of

moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20 – 60 minutes of
vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week.

33
One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes
are both acceptable to accumulate the desired amount of daily exercise.

Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency, and intensity is

recommended for best adherence and least risk of injury.

People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise

Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week
using a variety of exercises and equipment.

Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary
adults starting exercise.

Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and
power.

For each exercise, 8 – 12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10 – 15

repetitions improve strength in middle age and older persons starting
exercise, and 15 – 20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise

Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to
improve range of motion.

Each stretch should be held for 10 – 30 seconds to the point of tightness or

slight discomfort.

Repeat each stretch two to four times for a total of 60 seconds per stretch.
Static, dynamic, ballistic, and PNF stretches are all effective.

Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light
aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

34
Neuromotor Exercise

Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is

recommended for two or three days per week.

Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination, and gait),
proprioceptive exercise training, and multifaceted activities, such as tai chi and
yoga, to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.

Twenty to thirty minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

And now let's talk about the golden age of bodybuilding and how we can
adopt the key principles.

Looking back at the bodybuilding history, I like to think the bodybuilders in

the period from 1940 and 50s used to look the best.

At that time there was no steroid use, bodybuilders used to train only 2-3
times a week using full body routines and use to look like the ones you are
seeing in this slide.

Here is Steve Reeves, John Grimik, two of the most well know bodybuilders
of the golden age of bodybuilding.

In the 1940s and 1950s, bodybuilders looked pleasing and better than
bodybuilders you find these days; the majority of us would agree on that
point. Then isn't it common sense to train like someone you want to look
like? Remember they only worked out three times a week maximum!

As for Arnold, he started using split routines only after having built sufficient
mass using full body routines three times a week!

Why, then, do people like you and me with average genetics want to use split
routines when most of us have not even built enough mass?

I followed modern conventional training (spilt routines) for a decade, and I

failed terribly. Most of my gains have come only in the past few years after I
started following a more abbreviated training system.

I will discuss more in the strength training lecture of this module.

35
So this is the end of lecture 4 and in the next lecture, we shall discuss cardio
training. Thanks for listening

36
 Cardio Training
Hi everyone, I am Akash and welcome to this course Diploma in fitness. In
the previous lecture, we discussed The FBX Model and the three
components it draws its power from.

Now, let's look at different training and activities and in this lecture we shall
discuss cardiovascular training, commonly known as cardio.

I will teach you how to calculate your maximal heart rate. We will also discuss
cardio zones and how to calculate them too.

We will move on the most common cardio myths that are floating around,
followed by the benefits that accrue to anyone who does cardio training.

And finally, we will discuss the two types of cardio training: aerobic and
anaerobic, their definitions & pros and cons.

Ok, let's get started.

What is cardiovascular training?

Any physical activity that raises your heart rate.

A cardio activity can be aerobic or anaerobic depending on the level of effort

required to do that activity.

Level of effort can be categorized into 3 zones. Let's discuss those, but first,
let me teach you how to calculate your maximal heart rate.

A simple formula to calculate your MHR is ‘220-age’.

If you are 30 years, old, your maximal heart rate is 190 beats per minute.

Now let's figure out what we mean by cardio zone and how to calculate these.

Zone 1 is essentially what your trainer would term as the 'fat burning' zone.
When your heart rate is between 65 to 75% beats of your MHR and at least
50-60% of the energy comes from fat (this may vary from individual to
37
individual ) but generally speaking at low-moderate intensity a large part of
calories comes from your fat reserves and that's why its termed as a fat
burning zone.

However, it's actually a misnomer, a common cardio myth, because it's

actually the total calories you burn that matters the most even if less
percentage of calories come from fat sources.

You see, when you go into zone 2 and zone 3, the EPOC is higher.
That is energy post oxygen consumption in simple words- Your
metabolism stays elevated even after your training and 100% of calories come
from fat when you are at rest.

So when you do cardio in the fat burning zone for 30 minutes, and 60% of
calories come from fat and another individual does HIIT for 15 min and lets
say only 30% of calories come from fat reserve but the overall calorie burn
and the fat loss will be greater in case of HIIT because of EPOC.

As you will also learn that HIIT has positive effects on your endocrine system
i.e. it boosts HGH and testosterone which has a solid effect on fat loss.

Zone 2 is between 75 to 85%. This is for aerobic endurance and builds up

your aerobic capacity.

Somewhere between 80-85% is where you have your anaerobic threshold, this
may be lower in untrained individuals.

What do you mean by anaerobic threshold?

A.T. also known as lactate threshold, is the point where lactic acid begins to
accumulate in the bloodstream exponentially.

This is where you need to take rest from exercise so that your body can work
towards removing the lactate buildup in your blood.

Here is a chart that I created for you to understand this concept better.

Zone 3 is your anaerobic zone which is between 85% to 95% of your

maximal heart rate. More in-depth details about energy systems are out of
scope as this is not an advanced diploma, therefore, knowing briefly about
the zone is good enough for now.
38
Aerobic training does not go beyond 85% of your MHR and therefore can
be sustained for a longer time, as there is oxygen in your system to remove
the lactate buildup.

Aerobic training is which cannot be sustained for more than 2 minutes as

lactate builds up exponentially and one needs to take rest before another bout
of high intensity can be pursued.

The anaerobic energy system is highly inefficient and happens without the
presence of oxygen.

Moving on, let's discuss cardio myths.

We discussed previously one of the cardio myth was working out in the 'fat
burning' zone. Studies have shown that just being in Zone-1 does not burn
fatter and rather going into Zone 2, 3 is more beneficial to effectively burn
fat because of higher EPOC and positive effect on your endocrine system.

Another myth is that cardio shapes your body.

Now, being in the fitness industry for more than 10 years I can attest to the
fact that this is untrue. I have been a health club owner for 6 years and
whenever being on the floor, people in the weight training area are generally
more defined and shaped than people who slog away in the cardio area.

Please don't take this personally especially if you are a cardio lover, as this is
simply my observation.

Cardio burns fat no doubts, but it does not build muscle especially if you
purely focus on being in the so-called 'fat burning' zone.

Muscle is like a piece of iron. Its solid whereas fat is like cotton, it's fluffy.

Therefore, when you lose weight just by doing aerobic training and not
weights, you just get smaller and not defined.

Another myth is also very common when a trainer asks you to do cardio for
20-30 minutes first especially before your weight training session.

39
You see weight training requires a lot of energy, especially if you are
progressively overloading.

Doing 20 -30 minutes of cardio can leave very little energy for you to have an
effective weight training session and therefore I recommend that you either
do your cardio training post your weight workout or on your off days.

Most people relate cardio with aerobic training whereas HIIT is more
inclined towards anaerobic training.

Let us now discuss benefits of doing cardio training.

Cardio training has many adaptations like it helps you reduce the risk of heart
disease and some types of cancer. It surely helps with weight loss, helps you
to sleep better, reduces stress and makes your heart and lungs stronger.

These adaptations are good and doing cardio training is much better than not
doing anything, but cardio training is not complete training.

You need flexibility training, you need HIIT and weights i.e. take your heart
rate in zone 2 and 3. That's why The FBX Model is a multifaceted training
that encompasses all these modalities to offer you complete fitness.

Previously we discussed that cardio training is divided into aerobic and

anaerobic training.

Let's discuss these and their pros and cons.

Aerobic training is low to moderate intensity activity that requires oxygen

and therefore it can be sustained for a longer period of time, often up to 2
hours in trained individuals.

It allows a person to fluctuate into Zone 1 and 2.

Some great examples are walking, cycling, running on the treadmill,

swimming and jogging.

There are many aerobic pros and we have already discussed some of them.
There is obviously very fewer chances of injury when you do only low-
moderate intensity activities like walking or jogging, it does burn calories, no
40
skill is required and literally, anyone can do it, no matter their age or ability or
training level.

When we talk about aerobic cons, the first one is that it does take too much
time!

Seriously in today's world, people are getting impatient and want faster
results. With HIIT, as we will learn soon, that one can get all the aerobic
adaptations in literally less than half the time.

It can also get boring. I just cannot imagine myself on a cardio machine
working out in so-called 'fat burning' zone for one hour and that too few
times a week. That's just not me, and I am sure many of your listening to me
would agree to that.

Aerobic training burns fewer calories than activities which are intense and
lastly some of the benefits are missing that we will discuss in anaerobic
training.

Anaerobic training on the other hand is moderate to high-intensity activity

that does not require oxygen to happen and that they very reason it can be
sustained for more than 2 minutes, maximum 3 minutes.

Being in the anaerobic zone causes a lot of lactate to build up, which is the
burning sensation you get and because of this, you need to stop training for
some time so that your body can clear all the lactate.

Anaerobic pros are that it burns more calories than aerobic training because
of the EPOC, it helps build muscle mass, as being in Zone 3 helps with the
release of human growth hormone and testosterone. It's also more effective
at burning fat and lastly, it takes less time to do.

Some of the anaerobic cons are that it has a higher risk of injury if sufficient
warm-up is not done, especially when it comes to sprinting.

High-intensity activities also need longer time to recover and therefore you
need to careful that you are not overtraining which again increases the
chances of you being injured.

41
There are the lot of people who are de-conditioned and have muscle
imbalances and putting stress on your system by doing HIIT or weight
training can cause problems so a person who is reasonable conditioned and
has some fitness levels can do it.

Having said this, a beginner can start with moderate HIIT on cardio
machines which I discuss in the next lecture HIIT.

Lastly, doing intense activity requires you to have a high pain threshold. Not
everyone would like to experience pain and would prefer to be in Zone 1 and
take it easy.

Ok, this wraps up the cardiovascular training and in the next lecture, we shall
discuss HIIT training.

Thanks for listening.

42
 High Intensity Interval Training [HIIT]
In this lecture, we will understand what is HIIT, its type, formats and its
advantages and disadvantages over steady state cardio.

HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It's a form of cardio

training which alternates periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less
intense recovery periods.

Variety of HIIT formats based on duration, intensity, the frequency of the

work intervals and length of recovery intervals.

HIIT can be categorized into 4 types:

HIIT Sprint
HIIT Tabata
HIIT Bodyweight
HIIT on a Cardio Machine

Alright, here it is, the various formats and types of HIIT.

A beginner can do HIIT. But the work and rest will be more relaxed for you
guys when compared to anyone with advanced trainees.

Either way, it's important to be conservative and gradually increase the

intensity and slowly progress. Be safe than sorry.

I know many people get a torn hamstring when they have gone overboard
with sprints so start slow and build it up slowly.

Ideally, start with HIIT on a cardio machine, not treadmill, but a recumbent
cycle or a cross-trainer.

This is good especially if you are an overweight person because you may be
de-conditioned with muscle imbalances and postural distortions.

If you jog your weight will put a greater stress on your ankle and your knees.

43
Know this: Over 100,000 ACL tears happen in the United States which are
non-contact. ACL is short for anterior cruciate ligament which helps stabilize
your knee.

Non-contact means that the tear happens without any external contact and
only via running or playing a sport or even jogging
on the treadmill.

So be careful!

The format for HIIT is based on two variables: work and rest. Work is the
high-intensity interval which usually lasts from 30 sec to 90 sec. Based on
your fitness levels, your heart rate can go from 85% to 95% [Zone 3].

Rest is the low-intensity interval which can last from anything from 30 sec to
up to 5 minutes. Best rest and work there is the total duration of your HIIT
session. With work, start with 30 sec and then rest for 90 sec, take longer rest
if required.

Eventually, you can build up your work up to 90 sec or even 2 min, it all
depends on how hard you are willing to go. 45 sec of work is an average
number that most people go for.

During rest interval, you can completely rest, although some movement may
be there. HIIT benefits are immense.

I have linked up few articles that have some studies comparing HIIT and
steady state cardio. Please do take a look. The number one benefit is the
effect that HIIT has on your human growth hormone (HgH) and
testosterone.

You see after you turn 30, human growth starts to rapidly decline, high-
intensity training like weights and HIIT can significantly boost it.

HIIT also burns a lot of fat because it helps you build lean muscle and
muscle are catabolically more active tissues than fat tissue. Therefore, when
you increase your muscle mass it increases your resting metabolism rate.

The EPOC with HIIT is high that is there is an oxygen debt is creating when
your use anaerobic energy system.
44
When I lift super heavy doing compound lifts like squats and deadlifts I can
literally feel the super-fast metabolic effect.

Whatever I eat just gets absorbed in a much faster rate!

It's just an amazing feeling.

The biggest benefit of HIIT is that it saves time. A lot of time.

Just 10-30 minutes of HIIT sessions few times a week is what is required to
get super-fit. And when combined with weight training, it an excellent
combination to help you achieve any goal.

45
 Strength Training & Its Benefits
Hey, guys Akash here and welcome to Diploma in fitness, this is lecture 7:
strength training and its benefits.

This is my favorite lecture as I literally swear by strength training.

Strength training is an umbrella term for weight training or resistance training

where external resistance like weights, bands, machines are used.

Strength training is predominantly an anaerobic activity. It became

increasingly popular since 1970's when Arnold's Pumping Iron documentary
was released.

When I saw that, I got excited, I got pumped up and in fact, that was when I
joined a gym for the first time. That was more than 15 years ago, and I
haven't looked back since.

I swear by weight training, and I train 2-3 times a week pretty consistently.
When compared with other people who go for bro-splits and train 5-6 times
a week doing weight training. I feel this is not a sustainable way to weight
train and get good results.

This regime of training 5-6 times a week can get tedious and people may end
up giving up altogether.

When life takes over, it's not easy to go to the gym that many times a week.
Given today's traffic conditions, you would agree that it's a good 3-4 hours
process each time!

Doing that every week for a long time is not sustainable. When I put my
clients on a 2-3 day per week weight routine, they really start to enjoy it, as
they realize that it can easily be balanced with other aspects of their life.

Alright, now let's start with some common myths of strength training.

The first one is that it makes women bulky. Actually, it does not! Women only
have 1/16th the testosterone that men has so it's very tough for females to
build a lot of muscle.

46
Look at all the Hollywood/Bollywood actresses. Most of them weight train
and they all defined and toned.

Next myth is that cardio is essential to losing weight. No! This is not true.

Anyone can simply weight train, eat a good diet and follow a healthy lifestyle
and can lose a lot of weight.

Although, a combination of cardio and weights is highly effective and The

FBX Model highly recommends it.

Another myth is that strength training is not good for your heart. This is also
not true. Heart muscle is comprised of slow twitch and fast twitch muscle
fibers. Weight training works your fast twitch muscle fibers as well.

It actually does the opposite and makes your heart stronger.

Next is that weight training does not burn enough calories. This is also not true as
when you do weights you enter into Zone-3 many times and this causes a
higher EPOC-Energy post oxygen consumption. This raises your metabolism
even after you have finished your weight training session.

High risk of injury. Well, I have linked up a study in the additional reading
section, where it says that weight training is one of the safest sport in the
world.

You may only injure yourself only if you don't use proper technique and/or
you don't sufficiently warm up.

Men and women should train differently. I got a lot of emails from females
asking me whether they should train differently.

No, they should not. 99 percent of all training and even diet protocols are the
same.

Having said that, not everyone is comfortable doing barbell squats or

deadlifts. And that's why there are exercise substitutions that can be of help.
So these were the training myths, and now let's look at the fabulous strength
training benefits.

47
I have covered in detail, provided studies that support whatever benefits that
I have mentioned here. It's a great idea to pause this presentation now and
head over there and go through that articles and have a look at the studies if
you wish.

Still, let me briefly talk about the benefits for you. Weight training fights
depression, it slows down ageing, prevents osteoporosis, burns a lot of fat
and builds muscle.

Losing fat and building muscle also makes you look defined toned and sexy.
Its also helps you improve your game. Look at tiger woods, David Beckham.

They all have an extensive weight training supplementary regime in addition

to their sports training.

Lastly, weight training can greatly help with diabetics as it improves your
insulin resistance.

Ok, now let's look at the strength training terminology.

First is a rep. A rep is a complete movement through a particular exercise.

There are three phases in a rep.

For example, when you are doing a bicep curl, and when you flex your bicep
muscle and come up against the gravity, this is the concentric phase. When
you hold the weight, without any movement, this is an isometric phase. And
when you go down, this is termed as the eccentric phase.

A set is a collection of reps. For example, 5 reps done together can make a
set. Tempo is the speed at which you perform your repetitions. Usually, a
concentric phase is for 2 sec, isometric can be 0-1 sec and eccentric is usually
slower and can be close to 2-4 seconds.

Rest interval is the rest taken in between the set of the same exercise and in
between different muscle groups.

Workout volume is termed as ‘set x reps’. A workout volume can be for a

given workout. For example, if workout A is shoulder and legs. Then the
total volume would be a sum of all set and reps for both shoulder and legs.
Workout volume can also be for a given muscle group.
48
For example, if I am training my shoulder 2 times a week. And I am doing 9
sets in total with 10 reps. Then the total workout volume for shoulders for a
given week would be 90 reps. Ok, now let's discuss Intensity.

Intensity is defined as the "effort" you put in your workout.

Say you are lifting 20kg in shoulder press. And if you increase it to 22.5 kg
for the same reps then you increase your intensity.

Therefore, the amount of weight one is lifting is a true measure of intensity.

I also use The 'Scale' Method and I feel it the best way to measure your
intensity levels.

So I have a training diary [I highly recommend everyone to have one]. And

when I am done with my workouts, I give myself a number between 1-10.

With 1 being the lowest intensity and 10 being the highest.

Usually, I stay between 5-8. 5 is when I didn't have a good workout. This is
probably because I didn't get proper sleep, or I didn't eat good food or
probably I drank the previous night.

And when I give it an all-out effort I give myself a 7 or an 8.

I think the scale method is a really good method to understand how hard you
are working out.

Now, let us compare compound movements with isolated movements.

A compound exercise involves multiple joints and muscle groups. Some great
examples are squats, deadlifts, military press etc. They significantly raise your
growth hormone and testosterone and therefore builds a lot of muscle.

They also build real-life functional strength and also raises your metabolism.
Isolated movements or exercises, on the other hand, are single joints
movements involving only one muscle group. Some examples are bicep curls,
triceps pushdown and calve raises.

49
They do have a place in one's workout routine and can help rectify muscle
imbalances and help bring up lagging body parts like calves or upper chest
muscle.

However, most 'bro' splits primary focus is on isolated lifts which is the not
the best way to build muscle and a great physique.

The FBX model prioritized compound lifts over isolated lifts and I strongly
feel this is the most effective way to not only build muscle and lose fat
effectively but also build functional strength.

Now, The FBX workout routines are divided into FBX-Cut and FBX-Gain.
FBX-Cut helps you to lose fat. One needs to perform between 2-4 sets for
each exercise in the rep range of [8-10]. The tempo is slow and controlled
with 2-1-3 as concentric | isometric | eccentric phases respectively.

Rest intervals are between 1-2 minutes and the workout volume for major
muscle group is between 7-12 and for a minor muscle group is between 4-6.
When we talk about FBX-Gain. The number of sets is the same as FBX-Cut
but the reps are lower i.e. [5-7]. The tempo is slightly faster 2-0-2 and rest
intervals are longer that is between 2-4 minutes with workout volume being
almost the same as FBX-Cut.

That's it for strength training and in the next lecture, we will discuss walking.
Thanks for listening.

50
 Walking-The New Black?
“Walking is a man’s best medicine” Hippocrates

Unfortunately due to technologically advancement and automation, people

are walking less, very less its certainly true for people in their 20s or 30s as
they consider walking to be uncool or boring.

If you belong to that age range I will not try and convince you to walk more.
Instead, I will provide you with some compelling scientific data and some
anecdotal evidence to rest my case.

In the end, you are free to take this advice as you like.

With that thought in mind, let's get started.

Now, I won't go deep into the science part and will briefly discuss what these
studies are suggesting but if you are the nerdy types like me, in the bonus
section of this course, I have attached an article where you would be able to
find links to these studies, in case you want to delve into them further.

According to a meta-analysis in British Journal of Sports Medicine which

incorporated more than 400,000 participants, walking is inversely associated
with CVD risk and all-cause mortality in men and women.

Another meta-analysis which consisted of twenty-four randomized controlled

trials of walking as an intervention showed that walking increased VO2 Max
and decreased body weight

Overall what these collection of high-quality studies are suggesting that

walking improves cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure,
diabetes, obesity, inflammation and even mental stress.

I personally work in front of the computer for 10 hours a day and most of us
probably have the same lifestyle. Besides using a standing desk to work, I
ensure that I walk for 5-10 minutes for every 20-30 minutes that I sit and
work. Movement often gets my creative juices flowing and some of the great
ideas and insights have come to me this way! Research also supports the fact
that your brain works better when you are moving!
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What makes walking beneficial is that when you are walking, you are not
sitting.

“Sitting for more than six hours in a day greatly increases your risk of
early death. Just after two hours of sitting your good cholesterol drops by 20
percent.”

And of course, You can lose lot of weight with walking.

Most people walk an average of 2,500 steps daily and just by increasing your
step count to more than 7,500 steps daily or ideally to 10,000 steps you have
the potential to lose around 18 pounds of body fat in less than 12 months.

Let me explain the math: let's say you have started to walk an additional 6,000
steps daily. This amounts to an extra burn of roughly 150-200 calories which
then adds up to 60,000 calories/year.

1 pound of body fat has 3,500 calories and that close to 18 lbs of fat burned
annually with just walking. And yes, all the calories burned comes purely from
your fat cells!

Walking requires no skill there is no age barrier and its free. Its as natural as it
gets and person of any age can avail wonderful benefits of walking at any
time of the day.

You can multitask while walking.

Walking gives me the luxury to use that time for various other important
activities. For example, I simply love to walk with my son. We usually walk to
the grocery store together soaking in the much needed Vitamin D (which by
the way more than 1 billion people worldwide are insufficient/deficient in).

I also try and make it a point to always walk whenever talking on the phone
and so on and so forth.

In fact why don't you try listening to this course while walking?

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 Bodyweight |Flexibility |Neuromotor Training
Variety is the spice of life!

Hey Guy, Akash here. Welcome to Diploma in Fitness and this is Module 2,
Lecture 9 our last lecture for this module.

We have covered cardiovascular training, HIIT training, strength training and

walking. This lecture is all about bodyweight training, flexibility and
neuromotor training.

Let's get started with bodyweight training.

Body weight training is a form of strength training using your own body
weight as resistance. It utilizes simple abilities like pushing, pulling, squatting,
bending, twisting and balancing.

Movements such as push-ups, the pull-up and the sit-up are some of the
most common bodyweight exercises.

There are many advantages when it comes to bodyweight training.

The first one is pretty obvious. That you don't need access to the gym or
need to buy any types of equipment to do it. This saves a lot of costs.

Then it's very functional in nature. What do we mean by function?

Let me explain you in very simple terms. You have good function if you have
no issue tying your shoelaces or probably getting out of your car without any
aches or pains.

This ties in with flexibility which we shall come to in a while.

And lastly, it can burn a lot of calories especially if you do it in an intense
manner like Tabata for example which then can help you to lose a lot of
weight.

There are not many disadvantages of body weight training, however, there
are still some.

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First, an overweight/obese individual who is not fit, not flexible will find it
very tough to do bodyweight training.

Not many people are able to do even a single pushup or a pull-up or even a
free squat until they build enough strength and flexibility to do it, right?

Which is why I recommend a recumbent cycle or a cross trainer for an

untrained individual.

Then bodyweight training is not easy to progress.

With weight training, you simply add weights but with bodyweight training,
it's very very tough. This also limits as to how much muscle you can build!

Now let's shift our focus to Flexibility Training.

Flexibility training is the normal extensibility of all soft tissues that allow the
full range of motion of a joint.

In simple terms, a flexible person is able to do the everyday movement like

tying a shoelace, getting out of a car, or any exercise with relative ease.

In order to get flexible, a person should employ static stretches, active

stretches and foam rolling as part of a multifaceted fitness system.

Let's understand what static stretches are. This is a process of passively taking
a muscle to the point of tension and holding the stretch for a minimum of 20
seconds. Yes, a minimum of 20 seconds.

It is used to correct muscle imbalances and static stretches should be

performed after your workout.

When we talk about active stretches, this is a process where agonists and
synergists are used to dynamically move the joint into a range of motion.

Agonists basically are the prime movers in a movement. For example, while
doing a chest press, pectoral major is an agonist whereas pectoral minor and
triceps are synergists providing their secondary support to the movement.
Active-isolated stretches are usually suggested during pre-activity warm up,
with typically 5-10 repetitions and holding the muscle for 2-4 seconds.
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Active stretches can also be during in between sets.

What about Foam Rolling.

Foam rolling is a technique where muscles are rolled over a cylindrical piece
of foam (foam roll) using body pressure to massage micro-adhesions (or
knots) in the fibrous tissue that surrounds and supports muscle tissue.

It can be used as a cool down process before static stretches.

Benefits of flexibility training are:

-That it helps you correct your muscle imbalances like a forward neck,
rounded shoulders, an anterior pelvic tilt which are very common postural
distortions which happen as a result of chronic sitting.

Yeah, we are sitting a lot these days, on an average of 9-10 hours a day
especially in front of the computer which results in some muscles staying in
flexed position for extended periods of time.

This causes tightness, micro-aggressions or knots and tissue trauma which

ultimately leads to inflammation and a potential injury to happen.

A good flexibility regime can help rectify all these problems and therefore
improve your posture, reduce lower back, neck or knee pain, this obviously
decreases your chances of injury.

Being flexible allows you to move freely and with relative ease.

Lastly, having good flexibility means increases blood flow and therefore more
nutrients to your muscles and other soft tissues.

Neuromotor training

Training that involves motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait),
proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities like yoga to
improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.

20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for this kind of training.

55
The best example o neuromotor training in the gym is when you see anyone
doing an exercise on an unstable surface. Common examples are pushup on a
medicine ball or single leg bicep curl.

Outside of the gym Yoga is one of the best forms of neuromotor training.

Some exceptional benefits of neuromotor training are that it improves your

posture, decreases the risk of injury, especially prevents falls in the older
population.

It increases your ability to do any movement with ease and many sports uses
this training to improve their game.

In the extra reading section of this course, please look for links and videos
that I have provided for flexibility, neuromotor training and foam rolling
videos that you can watch and understand this concept better.

Further discussion is out of the scope of this course.

So this is an end of module 2 and the next module is all about program
design.

Thanks for listening.

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 Module 3: FBX— Basic Program [Workout]
Design

Introduction to Basic Program Design

Hi Everyone, a warm welcome to you all. this course is diploma in fitness and
we have progressed to module -3.

Wow, you guys have made some great progress.

I hope you have gone through the slides and presentations in Module -1, 2.
This module will build upon the previous two so if you have not gone
through the first two, I recommend you do so.

This module is about program design and some case studies to put the theory
in real life situations.

Let's get started.

What is program design?

Program design is proper utilization of acute variables in order to create a

personalized FBX program.

When it comes to your weight training routines, acute variables are reps, sets,
rest intervals, tempo, workout volume and exercise selection.

When we talk about the overall variables when trying to figure out one’s
weekly routine, then the most important questions are:

-How many hours of workout per week?

-How many sessions of workouts per week?
These are two very important questions and therefore I created two videos
which you can find in lecture 11 and 12.

Further personalization is based on one’s goals, preferences and ability.

Let's talk about all these three in details in the remaining slide.
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Goals: you must have heard of ‘SMART’ goals where S stands for specific,
M for measurable, A for achievable, R for realistic, and T for timely.
Having a clarity, an absolute clarity in which you are trying to achieve is of
paramount importance.

It's not enough to say, “oh you know I just want to get fit, or I want to lose
some weight.”

I have trained and counseled thousands of people most of them who joined
my gym.

The clients I knew would achieve results were super specific with their goals.
They are like, “Akash I want to lose 3 inches off my belly in next 2 months”

“Currently, I am 35 inches and I know I want to fit into my favorite jeans which have a
waistline of 32 inches.”

That person has a goal which was specific, measurable i.e. 3 inches. He
wanted to achieve that in 2 months [8 weeks] so it was definitely achievable.
I knew he has strong reasons not just to fit into his jeans but he was also
getting married in 3 months. He wanted to look and feel his best.
Always apply smart goals and you will not be disappointed.

What about one’s preferences?

Some people have strong preferences, they like to run.

They just love the idea of putting on their jogging shoes and just run.

As a coach, I simply cannot ask them to do weight training and not run it's
not sustainable for them.

But if they ask me if they can build substantial muscle this way?

My answer is no. Obviously not.

Running does not build muscle. in fact, if you run a lot you risk losing
muscle. So you need to absolutely sure what is important for you.

58
If you want a beautiful, lean muscular body and your body type is that of an
ectomorph that unless you gain 30-40 lbs off muscle you will always look
thin.

If you have a strong desire to build muscle and lose fat, weight training
should be your core activity.

If your goal is simply to stay fit, you don’t care about building too many
muscles than you can pick up a sport, or do bodyweight training to stay in
shape.

You can look good, with just that the only thing you need a multifaceted
approach which consists of flexibility training, HIIT taking your heart rate in
Zone 3 and so forth.

Your lifestyle also matters a lot.

I am busy, so are you. Even though looking good, building muscle is a need
for me, not just a want. I mean I absolutely want it but I also have other
needs like spending quality time with my family, working super hard and
building a business. I need to balance everything.

Over the main years going to the gym 3 times a week has worked wonders
for me.

I do HIIT either viz swim if the place where I am staying has access to it if
not then I go out to a nearby park or beach (if I am lucky) else I also do
HIIT in my room.

Plus I do use a standing desk and walk at least 5000 steps a day.
That's my preference and if I hire a coach in order to keep progressing
[everyone needs a coach], I am going to tell him these are my preference,
maybe my limitations.

What are yours?

Find out, write it down.

Aggressive or Relaxed? This aspect is also very important.

59
I have phases in my life where devoting time to my physique becomes my
priority. I then go all out. I become aggressive when it comes to the timeline,
I give myself to achieve a certain target.

This is where I stop drinking, I get off sugar, I don’t party out, I only
socialize if it is absolutely necessary and even then, I make it clear to my
friends and family about my goals. Sometimes they do understand sometimes
they don't, but as long as you are determined to achieve your target, nothing
can stop you.

The intensity on my scale is pretty high. This is like maybe 5-6 months a year,
the rest of the time, I maintain. I add more variety, I try out more yoga.

So you have to decide what your preference is, more clear and specific you
are with your mindset, better results you will get.

What about ability?

Naturally, if you are a male, your preference would be more towards weights,
but it is also good to see that many females have started to adopt weight
training as a way to lose weight which is great.

One’s medical history becomes important. What if someone has a back injury
and the doctor has asked him to avoid putting too much stress on their lower
back, that means squat and deadlifts are out.

Similarly, you may have muscle imbalances, adhesions, tightness, all this
relates to your conditioning and fitness levels.

Finally, your ability is also related to your age. If you are above the age of 50,
then a higher rep range is much beneficial.

The detailed instructions to take care of these points are out of the scope of
this diploma and you will have to wait for the advanced diploma learn about
these, for now, let's just focus on the overall framework and that starts by
figuring out the two most important questions:

-Number of workout sessions in a week and number of hours you need to

workout in a week, coming up in Lectures 11 and 12.

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 Number of Workout Sessions in a Week
Hi, in this video I will discuss just how many sessions you should do in a
week. Higher the intensity of your workout, fewer sessions you need to do
per week.

Overall, the number of sessions should be between 3-5 times. This also
depends upon your lifestyle. If you are super busy, you can make do with 3
sessions per week, otherwise, you can go up to 6 sessions a week.

This does not include your walking.

When I talk about training, I like to divide it into movement and exercise.
Movement is something that we do with just basic walking, and standing
whereas exercise is something that we do for a specific goal like to build
muscle or lose fat.

And with exercise, there is a minimum effective dose. The dose that is
required to achieve certain results. Anything above that is simply not required.
For example, when a skinny guy is trying to build muscle, and he is having a
tough time to do so, I may put him on only 2 FBX-Gain sessions per week
minus any other exercise.

Of course, gaining weight depends upon your diet too, but exercise is also
very important.

If a person is trying to lose fat, more sessions with less intensity are usually
recommended.

Based on the chart given in the video, weight training should be done 2-3
times for approximately one hour each.

HIIT sessions usually last between 10-30 minutes and the same goes for
flexibility and neuromotor training.

The numbers of sessions may increase to more than 5 times if you perform
shorter sessions of cardio or flexibility training.

But in general, 3-5 sessions are a good average to shoot for.

61
 How many hours you should workout per week:
FBX training requires only 3—6 hours a week of your time commitment.

Most people go crazy by working out almost 2 hours daily doing long steady
state cardio.

If you keep doing that you will not only lose a lot of lean muscle in that
process but may also injure yourself.

If you look at the FBX Chart, you should only train 3-6 hours a week. Weight
training is 2-3 times for one hour each.

HIIT is for 30 to 90 minutes, same for flexibility and neuromotor training.

This when added amounts to 3-6 hours a week.

No more.

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 Module 4: Final Exam & CPD Certificate
Introduction
You made it till here! I am proud of you:)

I can promise you one thing, if you give this exam, and then continue with
your meditative practice for more than a month. If you grasp the theory
provided in this course and your intellect agrees with it (may be not all of it,
as the truth may vary from people to people), you will have sufficient
motivation to give this ancient practice a sincere try and that’s all I want for
you!!

Obviously, I cannot hold your hand throughout, but I wish you Good Luck.

Now, I do recommend that you go through this course again, listen to the
lectures you were specially interested in and give the Final Exam your first
try!

If you secure 50% and above you will graduate from this course and can
secure your CPD Certificate, the instructions of how to do is provided below.

Do note:

You will need 70% marks and above to score a distinction on your
internationally accredited certificate.

60-69% will secure you a Credit

50-59% will enable you to Pass
Below 50%, please take the exam again to secure your certificate.

Instructions when taking the exam:

-You can pause the test at any time and resume later.
-You can retake the test as many times as you would like.
63
-The progress bar at the top of the screen will show your progress as well as
the time remaining in the test. If you run out of time, don’t worry; you will
still be able to finish the test.
-You can skip a question to come back to at the end of the exam.
-You can also use “Mark for Review” to come back to questions you are
unsure about before you submit your test.
-If you want to finish the test and see your results immediately, press the stop
button.

64
 Instructions on how to secure your CPD Certificate
Hi Students, 

Please read this carefully if you need the CPD Certificate that I provide Free
with this course. 

Instructions [Please follow it exactly as mentioned below]:

Step 1: Take the Final Exam and score a 50% at least [Basic requirement]*

Step 2: Mention your Full Name in BLOCK LETTERS ONLY [as you want
on the Certificate ]

-Your Exam Score [Send me a screenshot]

-You Email ID [Where I can send you the certificate]**

-Course Title

Email the above information to support@fabulousbody.com

DO NOT Private Message or use Q&A to send your details. Only Email your
information.

Step 3: You give me 1 week to send you the certificate. Please don't send
reminders, as you will get your certificate if all information is provided
systematically as mentioned above.

If, you still haven't received any response from me within 1 week (which is
very rare), then please send me a gentle reminder:)

Thanks!

Akash

65
*If you want a 'Distinction' mark on your certificate, re-take exam again, and
score above 70%. However, once I have send you a certificate, you cannot get
it again. 

** I love Udemy and strongly prefer to play within their rules and guidelines.
Its against policy, if an Udemy Instructor asks for Personal Information from
their students. However, in this case, its very easy to send you your CPD
certificate if the communication happens directly through email, and as per
Udemy policy, its ok if a students wants to provide their information to the
instructor.  

So, please know its optional to provide your email id. But in order to secure
your certificate, its the most efficient way. 

Note: I will not use your email-id to spam you with other offers. Your email is
safe with me. My sole intent is to provide you a certificate only once. Again
the CPD Certificate is optional, in the end the decision to provide your email-
id lies with you:)

*** I request you not to provide a low-rating just because there has been a
delay in sending certificates. I have the best interest for you and sometimes,
there are delays! Its very rare (almost non-existent) that anyone who passes
exam don't get certificate within the week, but if thats the case, just send me
a private message and I will take care of you.

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About the Author

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