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CHALLENGE PREPARATION GUIDE:
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
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
you haven’t exercised for some time, it’s important to
get the basics of training and nutrition right. Building
a quality physique takes time. Consistent training and
attention to good nutritional principals are the keys.
You can’t do it in a few weeks. It usually takes several
months to make a noticeable difference and may
take several years to build a great body. Many of the
transformations you see on the Challenge website
have been training for some time, but they have never
made the effort to get really serious until they actually
commit to the Challenge. So the message here is to
be patient. Use your time before the next Challenge to
learn how to train well,
UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPALS OF
GOOD NUTRITION AND TO START
BUILDING SOME QUALITY MUSCLE.
If you are a thinner build you don’t necessarily need
to worry about your body fat levels right now. Why?
Because it’s easier to build muscle when you aren’t
dieting to strip body fat. You should aim to put on
muscle and keep body fat levels moderate over the
coming months. During the MAX’S Challenge will be
the time to diet harder and strip off the body fat to
reveal your new improved physique.
If you are a bigger build and carry a fair bit of body
fat then you may want to use the time before your
Challenge to strip off some body fat while maintaining
and building on the muscle you already have. You
should aim to steadily reduce your body fat levels
so that by the start of the Challenge you are within
striking distance of your goal weight. For some trainers
this may mean 10kgs above their goal weight, for
others it may be 15 – 20kgs.
In summary, use the training and nutrition programs
detailed here to prepare for the next MAX’S
Challenge. Use them to learn how to train correctly,
to eat the right foods, at the right times and the right
amounts, and to organise your lifestyle so you are
ready to tackle the next MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge
head on.
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
goal in as specific terms as possible. Have a
specific idea for where you want to be for the start
of your Challenge in February. Then where do
you want to be at the end of your Challenge? Do
you want to lose fat, increase your muscle, and
increase your strength? Get specific. How much do
you want to weigh? What strength levels do you
want to achieve?
2. The next step is to establish how you will measure
your success. Make a realistic assessment of how
long this should take and write down to the target
date. If you are new to this stuff this may be hard to
estimate, but make your best guess and allow for
some wiggle-room if your guess is off target.
3. Once you have your goal and your timeline
defined, establish a number of milestones, say a
month apart, that you can use as checkpoints to
make sure you’re on track. This helps make the end
goal less daunting. Adding 10kgs to your bench
press by next month is probably within your reach
while adding 30kgs by February can feel farfetched and discouraging. As an extra incentive,
you can give yourself a little reward when you hit
your target.
4. Keep revisiting your goals and surround yourself
with positive reinforcement. Going to a good
motivating gym is a great way to keep you on
track. Find a motivated training partner that pushes
you. Check out the amazing transformations on
our Challenge website. All these types of inputs
will help.
Intermediate NUTRITION:
If you have recently finished the MAX’S Challenge and want to continue with your
healthy nutrition and training lifestyle, or you want to take on the next MAX’S
Challenge In February, then this Intermediate Nutrition program is ideal for you.
Alternatively you may be an experienced intermediate level trainer who is planning
to join next February’s MAX’S Challenge. Again, this program will ensure you hit the
ground running when you start the next MAX’S Challenge
We classify anyone who has completed the MAX’S Challenge with a good level of achievement, or
anyone who has 4 – 6 months of regular weight training experience as an intermediate level trainer.
A good training program is important for building muscle, but the reality is that if you don’t get
your nutrition right you will waste much of the effort you are putting in at the gym. Progressing to an
intermediate level of training means upping your training intensity, which places added strain on your
body’s ability to recover and grow. You must also step up your nutrition to support this extra effort if
you want to maximize your results.
Before we get into the details of your nutrition program we will just spend a bit of time reviewing the
basics of the macro and micro nutrient food groups.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS:
There are 3 main types of nutrient groups provided
by food – proteins, carbohydrates and fats. To build
a quality physique requires you to make consistently
good choices to ensure you get the right amount and
quality of each of these nutrient groups.
PROTEIN:
Protein is the key nutrient required for building muscle.
Without enough protein in your diet you simply won’t
build muscle, no matter how much training you do.
Your muscles, and also many other components of
your body, like skin, hair, nails, blood, even your bones,
are largely made up of protein. Protein consists of
complex chains of compounds called amino acids.
There are 22 amino acids that make up human
protein, and their order and proportion determine the
characteristics of each protein. For example, muscle
protein contains higher levels of the Branched Chain
Amino Acids Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine than do
the proteins that make up hair or nails.
Hard weight training actually damages muscle
structure. Your body’s response to this muscle
overload is to repair the muscle, but to also make it
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.
So how much protein do you need if you are a hard
training athlete? Whether you are trying to gain mass
or get lean and muscular, the accepted rule of thumb
is between 2.5 – 3 grams of protein per kilogram
of bodyweight each day. For example, if you are an
80kg trainer with an average body fat of 15 – 20%,
then you need 80 x 2.5 / 3 = 200 – 240 grams of good
quality protein per day. Getting this amount of protein
requires careful nutritional planning and the diet
programs in this guide are designed to deliver these
levels.
What are the best sources of protein? Foods like
lean meats, chicken, fish and eggs are excellent
sources of protein. They contain all the amino acids,
in approximately the right proportions to support
human muscle growth. The only downside of all these
foods is they also contain significant amounts of fats,
including unwanted saturated fats. So eating too
much of these protein sources is not ideal for building
muscle and overall good health. Don’t get us wrong,
we recommend these protein foods in our diet plans
however you need to ensure you aim for the leaner
cuts of meat, remove all the skin from your chicken
breast, not too many egg yolks, and not use too much
oils or fats in your cooking.
What about protein powders, where do they fit in?
At a basic level, the key benefits of a good quality
protein formula is that you get a pure high quality
concentrated source of protein without the things you
don’t want, especially the fat. MAX’S have formulated
a highly effective range of proteins that all Challengers
can use to help reach their goals . For example, each
serving of the MAX’S SuperShred contains around
30 grams of high quality protein, but with virtually
no carbs or fat. The Challenge range also includes
nutrients that stimulate muscle recovery, muscle
growth and fat burning to help maximise your results.
CARBOHYDRATES:
Carbohydrates consist of chemical molecules that are
known as sugars, like glucose or sucrose (table sugar),
or many sugar molecules joined together into chains
that make up starchy foods like potato and rice. These
starchy foods are often referred to complex carbs.
From a nutritional perspective there carbohydrate
foods that are highly nutritious and support muscle
growth, while there are other carb based foods that
have very little nutritional value at all and are simply
empty calories.
When you are trying to gain mass and strength getting
enough good quality carbs is essential. When you are
training to get lean and ripped, moderating your carb
intake is important but carbs are still a key element in a
balanced fat stripping diet.
In most instances, your carbs should be of the complex
type, sourced mainly from less processed foods. Less
processed carbohydrate foods generally are slower
digesting and give you an even and sustained release
of energy to keep you energized all day. Foods like
oats, brown rice, sweet potato, corn, beans and
lentils are good sources of slower digesting carbs
and should be the bulk of your carb intake. Fibrous
vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, string beans, lettuce
and capsicum are also important carb foods to include
in your diet. They are high in fibre, low in starchy
carbs and fat, but high in many types of micronutrients
including vitamins, minerals and other plant chemicals
that boost health and muscle growth.
Fruit, like vegetables, is another great sources of carbs
and micronutrients. Some fruits are relatively high in
sugar so we recommend limiting fruit intake to about 2
– 3 pieces per day on a mass gain diet and 1 piece per
day on a get lean diet.
How much carb food should you consume each day?
Our general guidelines are:
• For a Mass Gain program we recommend about
4 - 5 grams of carbs per kg of body weight per
day. For example, if you are an 80kg trainer with
an average body fat of 15 – 20%, then you need
80 x 4 - 5 = 320 - 400 grams of good quality
carbohydrate per day, which is quite an amount of
food.
• If you are training to strip fat and build lean muscle
then we recommend around 1 – 2 grams of carbs
per kg of body weight (1 gram for strict dieting
and faster fat loss, 2 grams for more moderate
and sustained loss). For the same 80kg trainer
this means around 80 – 160 grams of carbs per
day. Fortunately our meal plans take care of these
numbers so all you have to do is follow the diet.
There are many forms of carbohydrates that you
should limit or eliminate from your diet if you want
to build a healthy muscular body. As a general rule,
the more processed the food, the more you should
avoid it. Sugar and all foods that are high in sugar
like sweets, syrups, soft drinks and fruit juices should
be avoided. Foods made from white flour, or a
combination of white flour, sugar and fats like cakes,
white bread, biscuits and many forms of snack food or
fast food should be avoided. Highly processed carbs
are absorbed by your body very quickly, but just as
quickly are usually converted to fat and stored around
your body in adipose tissue. Quite simply, a diet high
in processed carbs will increase your body fat.
There is one exception to this. During a hard workout
your body, particularly your trained muscles, become
quite depleted in the stored carbs called glycogen
that your body uses to produce energy. Immediately
after your workout your muscles become hyper
sensitive to nutrient uptake and will absorb proteins
to repair muscle tissue and carbs to replenish energy
store at many times their normal rates. This window of
opportunity lasts only about 60 minutes, so we always
recommend that hard trainers consume a recovery
formula that contains fast acting proteins and fast
absorbing simple sugars as soon as possible after
their workout to maximise recovery and growth. This
can be a good protein and carb formula like MAX’S
Supersize, or you can simply add milk to your high
protein formula (like MAX’S SuperShred) and eat some
fruit like a banana.
FATS:
Like proteins and carbs, fats are nutrients your body
needs to maintain good health, but too much of the
wrong type of fats can cause long term health issues
including obesity, heart disease and contribute to a
host of other medical problems. Fats can exist in a
liquid form, like vegetable oils, or a solid form, like
butter or the layers of fat you find on red meat. Many
foods contain hidden fats, and you may only know
how much fat a food contains by reading food labels.
For example, many types of meat can contain up to
20% by dry weight of fat. Many cakes, biscuits, sauces,
dressings and marinades can be extremely high in fats.
Like carbohydrates, there are some fats that are
needed regularly by your body and need to be
obtained in your diet. These fats, known as Essential
Fats, are contained in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds,
and some vegetable oils like olive oil and flaxseed oil.
Some animal fats like fish oils also contain high levels
of essential fats, including the Omega 3 and Omega
6 fatty acids. We need to be consuming a moderate
amount of these foods on a daily basis to maintain
good health. Essential fats are also a vital component
in the structure of cell walls, so the construction of new
muscle cells must have a good supply of essential fats.
There are however a range of fats that should be
limited or avoided if your goal is to build a great body
and maintain good health. Saturated fats, which are
the types of fat you find in most animal meat, should
be limited wherever possible. This means things like
choosing leaner cuts of meat and chicken, trimming
all visible fats where possible, removing skin from
chicken cuts, and cooking with minimal amounts of oil.
Other ways of avoiding the wrong types of fats include
avoiding fatty and fast foods, reducing or avoiding
processed foods, and looking for hidden fats that
many types of foods may contain. The diet programs
presented in this guide will provide about the right
levels of essential fats to help meet your training and
health needs.
THE MICRONUTRIENTS:
This is quite a complex subject. Micronutrients are the
myriad of other nutrients your body needs and uses
for a wide variety of biochemical and physiological
processes. They include vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant chemicals),
just to name a few. The best way to get adequate
levels of micronutrients is by consuming a diet rich
in lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and
nuts. Variety is the key. Some bodybuilding diets can
be quite restrictive, so we will aim to add variety in
these programs to ensure you get a good supply of
micronutrients. As added insurance, hard trainers
should include a good quality multivitamin & mineral
supplement along with a good quality antioxidant
formula.
THE SUPPLEMENTS:
We’ve already mentioned several MAX’S Supplement products but let’s look at
supplement in a little more detail and why we recommend them. There are a wide
range of bodybuilding and sports supplements available and it can be quite a
confusing subject for new trainers. Do you actually need supplements, and if so,
which ones? The reality is you can build a good physique if you diligently plan and
follow a well-designed diet of highly nutritious foods. But the reality of modern life
is that we are all busy and it’s not always easy to get all the nutrients you need to
support your hard training, and that’s where supplements can help. There are different
types of supplements and we will give you a rundown on the supplements that we
recommend. We also provide some optional supplements you may wish to try if you
want to step your training and results up to the next level.
PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS:
In general, quality protein supplements are essential
for any serious weight training program. Whether
your goal is to gain mass and strength, get ripped and
shredded or just maintain a strong muscular body, a
high quality protein powder is the ideal supplement
to support your whole muscle building and muscle
recovery metabolism.
Many people ask – “why can’t I just eat protein foods
like steak or eggs to get the protein I need?” Don’t
get me wrong, we also advocate high quality real food
proteins like lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy,
but most of these foods also can contain a fair amount
of hidden fats, so eating these protein foods all the
time can add a lot of extra fat to your diet. On the
other hand, protein supplements are a concentrated
form of protein with virtually no fat. A single serve of a
high quality protein like MAX’S SuperShred has about
the same amount of usable protein as a 200 gram
steak, but with virtually no fat. It’s pretty easy to see
the advantages. So let’s run through the protein that
are recommended on the Challenge and tell you a bit
more about them and the best way to use them.
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
of SuperShred is the fat strippers and carb blockers
it contains. These plant extracts actively reduce the
conversion of ingested carbs to fat, and also stimulate
your body to mobilise and burn stored fats from
adipose tissue from all over your body. SuperShred
will help you attain maximum muscle while stripping as
much fat as possible.
When to use SuperShred:
If you are using our suggested meal plans simply
follow the recommendation on that plan. Otherwise
MAX’S SuperShred can be used between meals as
a high protein low carb/fat meal. You can also use
SuperShred immediately after training to accelerate
post workout recovery. After training we recommend
mixing your SuperShred in milk to help with recovery,
but for all other shakes mix in water. Follow the serving
suggestions on the pack and you can’t go wrong.
MAX’S Supersize:
A great muscle and weight gainer.
For trainers who want to build muscular size and gain
weight MAX’S Supersize is the protein formula for
you. It contains a blend of high quality Whey Protein
Concentrate, which is a great muscle builder, plus
a blend of complex carbs and no added sugar to
provide the building blocks for maximum muscle
gains and the energy to fuel monster workouts! Most
guys who have trouble gaining muscular weight just
don’t eat enough of the right foods to grow, especially
protein and carbs. Taking 3 serves of Supersize each
day on top of a healthy weight gain diet plan will give
you a protein and kilojoule spike that is usually all that
most trainers need to get really good results.
When to use Supersize:
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!
to be a bit of a chore, it’s much easier to just throw
down a MAX’S Nitetime. Now the theory of Nitetime
nutrition is that you want slow digesting and absorbing
proteins that feed your muscle all night. Supplements
that are mostly WPI are too fast digesting so they
are not the best choice at night. Micellar Casein is
the best protein, while Calcium Casein and WPC are
also good choices. MAX’S Nitetime contains all 3 of
these proteins. It also contains specific botanicals that
promote relaxation and sleep, and Growth Hormone
boosters to really get you growing while you sleep.
When to use Nitetime:
This is a pretty simple one – just take a serve of
Nitetime about 15 minutes before bed. If you are on
the Shred program mix in water, for Build Size mix in
milk.
MAX’S Cre8 Carnage:
MAX’S Nitetime:
Helps you grow while you sleep.
It doesn’t matter whether you are following the want
to build up or get ripped and shredded you should
be using MAX’S Nitetime Protein every night. Once
again, if you are using our meal plans simply follow
the recommendations. If you are doing your own
thing you should still be using Nitetime. This is a great
protein because it’s just so convenient. You can cook
up a meal just before bed but most people find this
More energy and lean muscle.
Creatine is a supplement that has been extensively
studied and is undeniably a real performance booster.
Most trainers experience strength and muscle size
gains in just a few weeks of use. If you haven’t tried
Creatine it’s worth considering as it can really enhance
your muscle growth. Creatine works by increasing the
amount of a compound called Creatine Phosphate
(CP) in your muscles. CP provides energy when you
lift weights, so if you have more you can do one or
two more reps in each set, which over time leads
to more gains. But studies also show that Creatine
also stimulates lean muscle growth and help reduce
body fat – which sounds like a good deal! Creatine is
definitely a supplement we would recommend to any
trainer, whether you are on the Challenge or simply
just hitting the gym regularly. Now not all Creatines are
the same. Without going into all the details, you need
to know that MAX’S Cre8 Carnage is one of the best
Creatine formulas going around. It’s actually a blend of
8 different types of Creatines with different absorption
rates so it’s both fast acting and sustained release, and
you just get pure actives. There are no fillers, flavours
or sugars so it’s highly potent and great value.
When to use MAX’S Cre8 Carnage:
We usually recommend taking a 5 gram dose (about
1 heaped teaspoon) twice a day. Take one dose about
an hour before weight training then another dose
straight after – in fact you can mix it into your post
workout protein shake. There are a few ways to take
your Creatine. You can just put a teaspoon of Creatine
on your tongue and wash it down with a glass of
water – it’s actually a pretty bland taste. Otherwise
you can mix it into a glass of juice or a sports drink.
Some trainers add it to their pre workout drink – so do
whatever it takes to get it into you.
When to use MAX’S BCAA’S:
Like Creatine, we recommend taking MAX’S BCAA’s
straight after your workout when your muscles will
absorb maximum amounts. The high Leucine levels
stimulate optimal muscle tissue repair and growth
for improved recovery and muscle size. You can add
BCAA’s to your recovery protein shake, or simply
wash down a serve by placing it on your tongue
and drinking a glass of water. Once again the taste
is pretty bland so either way is pretty easy. To really
accelerate your muscle growth we recommend adding
a teaspoon of BCAA’s to every protein shake you have.
MAX’S NAGG:
MAX’S BCAA’S:
Switch on muscle growth.
Another supplement must for any serious trainer is
BCAA’s. The Branched Chain Amino Acids are Leucine,
Isoleucine and Valine and they play a special role in
muscle growth, particularly Leucine:
• BCAA’s are tightly integrated with your muscle’s
energy systems and can contribute significantly to
improved workout output.
• BCAA’S, particularly Leucine, switch on muscle
tissue synthesis after training if provided in the
right quantity.
Our MAX’S formula is quite high in Leucine having
a 10:1:1 ratio of Leucine: Isoleucine: Valine, so the
emphasis on this formula is switching on muscle
growth after your workouts.
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
a highly stressed state. Your system reacts to this by
trying to protect your vital organs, especially your
brain. It breaks down or catabolises muscle tissue to
release amino acids, particularly Glutamine, that your
brain can use for fuel. This protective mechanism
evolved to help keep you thinking clearly when in
stressful situations – and in years gone by, it may have
been the difference between life and death for your
ancient ancestors. Today it means that after training
your muscles will keep breaking down for many hours
after a workout if you don’t provide the right recovery
nutrients. The cool thing is that just a small intake of
Glutamine can stop this breakdown and turn your
muscle state from catabolic to anabolic. That means
muscles can rebuild much sooner so you will recover
faster and be able to train harder, sooner. So once
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.
When to use MAX’S NAGG:
NAGG should be used at the same time as MAX’S
BCAA’s - that is immediately after training. Both of
these supplements are great for boosting recovery
and muscle growth and work really well together.
We also recommend taking another serve of NAGG
in your Nitetime protein shake to make sure you stay
anabolic all night.
MAX’S BETAPUMP:
Maximum energy and intense focus in every workout.
This is an awesome new Pre Workout formula and is
designed to be taken about 15 minutes before your
workout, ideally on an empty stomach. BetaPump
combines 2 nutrient systems that really give a kick:
• Energy Focus Matrix – This matrix includes Caffeine
and Acetyl L-Carnitine to increase performance,
plus CDP-Choline for intense mental focus.
• Nitric Oxide Matrix – these compounds, including
Citrulline Malate, highly potent Beetroot Extracts,
Agmatine and Arginine Ketoisocaproate work
together to increase blood flow to your training
muscles. This means more nutrients getting into
your muscles and more waste products leaving.
You will feel stronger, see great muscle pumps,
have more energy, and with you will recover faster
between sets.
It’s potent, so you only need one scoop per workout,
which makes a tub really good value at around $1.50
a serve. BetaPump is the ideal to help you really push
to the next level and is suitable for intermediate and
advanced level trainers.
MAX’S LAB SERIES:
There is new breed of compounds emerging in
the sports nutrition arena that are showing great
promise as safe and effective stimulants to sporting
performance, muscle growth and fat loss. The United
States is leading the world in this research so most
of the products emerging in this space are coming
from the USA. MAX’S, a wholly Australian company,
has taken the unusual step of teaming up with a
leading provider of these emerging products and
are bringing a range of potent new supplements to
the Australian market. Known as MAX’S Lab Series,
BetaPump and IntraBoost are the first two products in
this exciting new range. These products are designed
for intermediate and advanced level trainers so if
you want to take your training to the next level we
recommend MAX’S Lab Series products.
MAX’S INTRABOOST:
Power through your workouts with maximum attack!
IntraBoost is MAX’S new entry into the intra-workout
segment. What is intra-workout I hear you asking?
Intra-workouts are formulas that provide energy, focus
and recovery nutrients to keep you fresh and firing
right through even the toughest workout. They are like
supercharged sports drinks without the sugar. MAX’S
IntraBoost contains three powerful nutrient systems:
• Energy Complex – this includes Beta Alanine
which increases energy and delays fatigue and
Vinpocetine which is a powerful blood flow
enhancer to get oxygen and nutrients into working
muscles.
• Recovery Complex – includes micronised BCAA’s
•
•
and HICA (Alpha Hydroxy-Isocaproic Acid) along
with Glutamine peptides and our Recovery Mineral
Complex maximise recovery between sets and
also between workouts.
Electrolyte Complex – balances muscle electrolytes
and replaces lost minerals during hard workouts to
maintain maximum performance.
The flavours of IntraBoost are great making it a
refreshing drink while you train. Use this product
together with BetaPump and you won’t believe the
difference it can make.
Look out for more great Lab Series
products from MAX’S in the coming
months...
WELL THAT’S IT, A RUNDOWN ON THE SUPPS WE
RECOMMEND TO HELP YOU POWER THROUGH THE
REST OF YOUR TRAINING. REMEMBER IT MAKES
GOOD SENSE TO USE THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS WITH
YOUR TRAINING, YOU’LL SIMPLY GET BETTER RESULTS
OVER THE LONG TERM.
NUTRITION BASICS:
Now before we get into the details of our suggested meal plans there are some
basic nutrition principals that you should be aware of and build into your plan.
These principals apply to both the Building Size and Shredding diet plan, with minor
variations:
•
6 - 7 meals per day – Your metabolism will respond
much better to regular nutrition by working at
a higher rate. You will burn more kilojoules, get
leaner, have more energy to train, build more
muscle, and generally feel much better. If you
only eat a few meals a day your body goes into
starvation mode, believing it is not getting regular
food and so tries to conserve energy by slowing
down your metabolism and limiting your results.
This means lower energy, less gains and poorer
results. The message here is simple – spread your
daily food intake over 6 - 7 meals for maximum
results.
•
Drink plenty of water – Water plays a crucial role
in every part of your metabolism. You need it to
build muscle, burn fat, produce energy, plus a
myriad of other physiological processes. For hard
trainers you need 2 – 3 litres per day is a minimum
requirement.
•
Post workout nutrition – Perhaps the most
important nutritional time of your day. Fast acting
protein and fast acting carbs straight after your
workout will really supercharge your recovery. Mix
your favourite MAX’S shake in milk and perhaps
eat a banana or two!
•
Protein serve at each meal – To keep building
muscle you need to be in what’s called “Positive
Nitrogen Balance”. This simply means you need a
constant intake of protein, nitrogen being a key
constituent of protein, to build maximum muscle.
The best way to do this is to make sure you have
a quality protein source in each of your daily 6 – 7
meals.
•
Vegetables are essential – While protein is a key
nutrient for building muscle mass, plenty of fresh
vegetables are essential. Vegetables are full of
vitamins, minerals and fibre, and will help keep
your body healthy and in optimum shape during
rigours training and dieting. Try to include several
servings of fresh vegetable in at least three of your
daily meals.
•
Do not skip breakfast – Nutritionists often refer to
this as the most important meal of the day, and
for building muscle and getting in top shape,
breakfast is very important. This is because in the
morning most people have not have eaten for 8
hours or more, so the body will go into starvation
mode and your metabolism will be running slowly.
Breakfast kick starts your metabolism. Quality
protein and carbs with relatively low fats is the
perfect way to start your day.
•
Carbs, Yes or No – Many trainers often view carbs
as taboo. What is the truth? It depends on your
goals. If you are trying to build size and muscle
mass, carbs are your friend. Good quality ‘clean’
carbs like wholegrain cereals, brown rice and
sweet potato are an essential part of any mass
gaining diet. If your goal is to strip fat, moderating
carbs is important. Although, some carbs are
always required to help you burn fat and keep
your metabolism functioning properly.
•
Meal preparation – You need to plan out your daily
and weekly meal plan, then prepare your food in
advance. In many cases this means buying all your
ingredients for your meals for the next several
days, then preparing your meals in advance so that
you can stick to your eating schedule. Cook your
meals for the next day or two, put them in plastic
containers, then refrigerate or freeze them. Our
meal plan will give you a good range of easy to
prepare meals.
GOOD QUALITY ‘CLEAN’ CARBS LIKE
WHOLEGRAIN CEREALS, BROWN
RICE AND SWEET POTATO ARE AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY MASS
GAINING DIET
Build mass and size:
If you have thinner build or have a fast metabolism and find it hard to gain weight and
build muscle, but you have made some good progress to date, this nutrition plan is for
you. Your goal should be to continue to add as much muscle and size as you can, then
refine your body during the next MAX’S Challenge to reveal a new improved you! Use
this nutrition plan as a guide to help you put together your diet. The meals listed are a
general guide and can be adjusted to suit your tastes and food availability.
Building mass, strength and muscular size is not
something you can do in a few weeks. It is a process
that takes many months and years, particularly for
trainers who find gains hard to make. The key is not
to rush things. You want to add solid muscular and
strength gains, not just fat. So you need to get the
balance right. You should be lifting heavy, keeping
cardio moderate, getting plenty of recovery, and
supporting your training with a high kilojoule diet rich
in quality proteins.
Your long term plan should be to tackle your mass
building in a series of steps. This means you should
look at spending 6 – 8 months of mass building then
use the MAX’S Challenge to get into good shape
and assess your progress. Then spend another 6 – 8
months of building, then tackle the MAX’S Challenge
again to reveal your improvements. Several years of
this type of training and nutrition can really build a top
class physique.
To build size it’s OK to add a bit of body fat, but not
too much. You can monitor this by having your body
fat percentage tested, or simply by using the mirror as
your guide. If you are measuring body fat, you should
aim to stay below around 15 – 18% body fat. Most
good gyms should be able to test this for you using
the caliper test. Check this every few months. You
will soon get a feel for what your body looks like at a
certain body fat level. If you are monitoring yourself
in the mirror, keep an eye on your mid-section, if you
start developing too much of a stomach, then you are
adding too much fat. You then need to tailor your food
and supplement intake to keep your body fat levels
acceptable as you strive to build muscular weight.
JUST TO RECAP, BELOW ARE SOME KEY
GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW IF YOUR GOAL IS
TO BUILD MASS AND SIZE:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Eat 6 – 8 meals every day, spread out over your day
You should aim to eat at least every 2 hours
Each meal portion should make you feel
comfortably satisfied
Don’t overeat at one meal as your digestion
efficiency will suffer. You are better to eat a bit less
and have your next meal a bit earlier.
Eat your meals slowly and chew your food well.
This will help to digest your food more fully
allowing you to obtain the maximum nutrients and
satisfy your appetite more fully.
You must be disciplined about your eating plan –
schedule your meals and stick to your schedule
Prepare your meals in advance for each day
Eat minimal amounts of processed foods – choose
foods in their raw unprocessed forms wherever
possible.
Minimise junk food, fried food and fatty food
Minimise sugary foods including soft drinks.
Limit sweets however foods like fruit and
occasional ice cream are fine for a “mass building”
diet.
Eat plenty of good quality carbs such as whole
meal/wholegrain breads, pastas, rice and sweet
potatoes. Limit refined carbohydrate foods such
as white bread, biscuits and cakes.
Drink plenty of water each day – 3 litres or more.
SEE THE 7 DAY BUILD MASS AND SIZE
NUTRITIONPLAN ON THE NEXT PAGE...
TO BUILD SIZE IT’S OK TO ADD A BIT OF BODY FAT,
BUT NOT TOO MUCH
**UNCOOCKED WEIGHT
sunday
- 6 poached eggs
- 150g serve of natural
muesli with milk
- 4 pieces wholemeal
mixed with 2 scoops
toast
MAX’S SuperSize
- 2 tubs natural yoghurt
- 2 tubs yoghurt
- Fruit juice
- Coffee or tea
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
saturday
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
- 200 – 300g Grilled
lean steak*
- 2 Cups steamed
cabbage
- 2 Cups steamed
brown rice
- 1 Piece of fruit
friday
- 100g rolled oats
with milk
- 6 egg omelette
- Fruit juice
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups steamed
string beans
- 200g Sweet
potato**
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
Bar
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 2 Pieces of fruit
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 2 Pieces of fruit
- 300g Beef or
chicken & vegetable
stir fry*
- 2 cups noodles or
brown rice
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
cookie
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- 200g Sweet potato
- Fruit salad with 200g
natural yogurt
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 2 Pieces of fruit
NO TRAINING
- 100g rolled oats
with milk
- 6 egg omelette
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
Protein Bar
- 1 piece of fruit
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 2 Cups steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
Bar
- 300g grilled fish*
- Large salad
- 200g Sweet potato
- Max’s Muscle Meal
Cookie
- 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- 200g Sweet potato
- Berries with 200g
natural yogurt
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 300g Beef or
chicken and
vegetable stir fry*
- 2 cups noodles or
brown rice
- Fruit salad with 200g
natural yogurt
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1- 2 pieces fruit
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups Steamed
broccoli
- 200g Sweet
potato**
- 1 piece fruit
thursday
*EAT PORTION SIZE BASED ON APPETITE
BUILD MASS AND SIZE NUTRITION PLAN
INTERMEDIATE WEEKLY PLAN
- 6 poached eggs
- 150g serve of natural
muesli with milk
- 4 pieces wholemeal
mixed with 2 scoops
toast
- 2 tubs natural yoghurt MAX’S SuperSize
- 2 tubs yoghurt
- Fruit juice
- Coffee or tea
- Coffee or tea
wednesday
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
Tuesday
BREAKFAST
- 100g rolled oats
with milk
- 6 egg omelette
- Fruit juice
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
MONDAY
MID MORNING
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 2 Pieces of fruit
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups steamed
broccoli
- 200g Sweet potato**
- 1 piece fruit
- 200 – 300g Grilled
lean steak*
- 2 Cups steamed
string beans
- 2 Cups steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
Bar
LUNCH
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 2 Cups steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S Muscle Meal
Bar
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1- 2 pieces fruit
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
Cre8 Carnage
- 1- 2 pieces fruit
- 1- 2 pieces fruit
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
1 hour before
training
15 min before
training
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
NO TRAINING
During Workout
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- Spaghetti with
bolognese (meat
sauce)
- Garden salad
- Fruit salad with 200g
natural yogurt
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
After Workout
(mid afternoon)
- 300g Lean steak*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- 200g Sweet potato
- Fruit salad with 200g
natural yoghurt
NO TRAINING
DINNER
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
shake
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
EVENING
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
Maintain and Build Lean Muscle:
If you have worked to get yourself in great shape during the MAX’S Challenge
and you want a program to help you maintain condition while making gradual
improvements, then this nutrition plan is ideal. It is designed to help you maintain a
lean muscular condition but also provide enough nutrients to continue to add quality
muscle. After the disciplined dieting of the Challenge many trainers find it beneficial
to relax their diet a little. It’s mentally very tough to keep to a diet that maintains a low
body fat level. It’s also quite hard to gain extra muscle when you are on a restricted
kilojoule diet. So the plan here is to allow your body to gain a little extra body fat, but
to still stay in a relatively lean and muscular condition. This is a bit of a fine nutritional
line and will probably take a little fine-tuning before you strike the right balance.
The key is to continue to eat clean, high quality
food. You can have the occasional splurge but you
should be on track 90 - 95% of the time. Monitor your
body appearance or body composition and make
adjustments to your food intake accordingly. Also
base your food intake around how you feel. If you are
feeling tired and sore from hard training, up your food
intake a little to stimulate recovery and restore your
energy levels.
HERE ARE SOME BASIC GUIDELINES TO
FOLLOW TO HELP YOU MAINTAIN A LEAN
MUSCULAR BODY WHILE CONTINUING TO
ADD QUALITY MUSCLE:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Your training intensity should be considered when
planning your diet. As you cycle your training
intensity, so you should cycle your nutrition plan.
During heavier training phases your body needs
more nutritional support, so increase your food
intake. Conversely, during lighter training phases,
wind back your intake a little. Once again, the
more experience you gain the better you will be
able to intuitively adjust for this.
Eat 6 – 8 meals every day, spread out over your day
You should aim to eat around every 2 hours
Each meal portion should make you feel satisfied
but not full
Don’t let yourself get really hungry or you will tend
to overeat at you next meal. You are better to eat
your next meal a bit earlier.
Eat your meals slowly and chew your food well.
This will help to digest your food more fully
allowing you to obtain the maximum nutrients and
satisfy your appetite more fully.
You must be disciplined about your eating plan –
schedule your meals and stick to your schedule
Prepare your meals in advance for each day
Eat minimal amounts of processed foods – choose
•
•
•
•
•
foods in their raw unprocessed forms wherever
possible.
Minimise junk food, fried food and fatty food
Minimise sugary foods including soft drinks.
Minimise or eliminate refined carb foods like white
bread, biscuits and cakes.
Eat plenty of good quality protein foods or protein
shakes and eat moderate levels of good quality
carbs (like whole meal/wholegrain breads, pastas,
rice and sweet potatoes) and moderate levels of
essential fats (like olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados
and nuts).
Drink plenty of water each day – 3 litres or more.
EAT YOUR MEALS SLOWLY AND
CHEW YOUR FOOD WELL. THIS WILL
HELP TO DIGEST YOUR FOOD MORE
FULLY ALLOWING YOU TO OBTAIN
THE MAXIMUM NUTRIENTS AND
SATISFY YOUR APPETITE MORE FULLY.
SEE THE 7 DAY MAINTAIN AND BUILD
LEAN MUSCLE NUTRITION PLAN ON THE
NEXT PAGE...
Maintain & Build lean muscle NUTRITION PLAN
wednesday
- 200g Grilled
lean steak*
- 2 Cups steamed
cabbage
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
**UNCOOCKED WEIGHT
saturday
- 4 poached eggs
- 80g serve of natural
muesli with milk
- 4 pieces wholemeal
mixed with 2 scoops
toast
MAX’S SuperSize
- 2 tubs natural yoghurt
- 1 tubs yoghurt
- Fruit juice
- Coffee or tea
- Coffee or tea
friday
- 80g rolled oats
with milk
- 2-4 egg white
omelette
- Coffee or tea
NO TRAINING
sunday
- 80g rolled oats
with milk
- 2 Whole & 4 egg
white omelette
- Coffee or tea
MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S
BCAA’s
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- 200g Grilled
lean steak*
- 2 Cups steamed
cabbage
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
NO TRAINING
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- 200-300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- 100g Sweet potato
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 200-300g Beef or
chicken & vegetable
stir fry*
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 200g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups steamed
string beans
- 200g Sweet
potato**
- MAX’S SuperWhey
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S BCAA’s - 1 Serve MAX’S
- 1 Pieces of fruit
BCAA’s
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S
BCAA’s
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- 200g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups Steamed
broccoli
- 200g Sweet
potato**
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- 200-300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- 100g Sweet potato
NO TRAINING
thursday
*EAT PORTION SIZE BASED ON APPETITE
Tuesday
- 200g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups steamed
broccoli
- 200g Sweet potato**
- 80g rolled oats
- 4 poached eggs
- 80g serve of natural
with milk
muesli with milk
- 4 pieces wholemeal
mixed with 2 scoops
toast
- 2 Whole & 4 egg
MAX’S SuperWhey
- Fruit juice
white omelette
- 1 tub low fat or
- Coffee or tea
- Coffee or tea
natural yoghurt
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperWhey
- MAX’S SuperWhey
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S BCAA’s - 1 Serve MAX’S BCAA’s - 1 Serve MAX’S
- 1 Pieces of fruit
- 1 Pieces of fruit
BCAA’s
- 1 Pieces of fruit
MONDAY
INTERMEDIATE WEEKLY PLAN
BREAKFAST
MID MORNING
LUNCH
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
Cre8 Carnage
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
1 hour before
training
15 min before
training
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 200-300g grilled fish* - 200-300g Beef or
chicken and
- Large salad
vegetable stir fry*
- 100g Sweet potato
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
shake
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 200 -300g Lean steak* - Spaghetti with
bolognese (meat
- Large salad or
sauce)
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- Garden salad
- 100g Sweet potato
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
During Workout
- MAX’S SuperWhey
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
After Workout
(mid afternoon)
DINNER
EVENING
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
strip fat and Build Lean Muscle:
If you completed the MAX’S Challenge but you are still a “work in progress”, by
which we mean you need to continue to strip body fat and continue to improve
your muscularity, then this nutrition plan is for you. Your experience to date with
the Challenge will have prepared you well for the road ahead. Whether you want
to lose another 10kg or 30, the principal is the same. Your aim should be to steadily
reduce body fat while improving your muscularity, so that by the time the next MAX’S
Challenge comes around you are within sight of your finishing goal.
Stripping fat is generally about reducing kilojoules, so
that you are using more each day than you are taking
in. However, the types of kilojoules you consume can
also have a big bearing on your progress. Science
shows that a diet higher in quality protein combined
with a reduced intake of carbohydrates and a
moderate intake of the right fats is the most beneficial
for fat loss.
As a general guide, we recommend a loss of around
0.5 – 1 kg per week as a sustainable rate of loss. Sure,
you can lose more but you have to restrict your food
intake severely which means your energy levels can
really suffer. This in turn will have an adverse effect on
your training. So our goal here is to set a nutrition plan
to lose 0.5 – 1kg per week, train hard and build some
solid underlying muscle.
HERE ARE SOME BASIC GUIDELINES TO
FOLLOW TO HELP YOU TO STRIP FAT AND
BUILD LEAN MUSCLE:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Eat 6 – 8 meals every day, spread out over your day
You should aim to eat around every 2 hours and
each meal should contain some good quality
protein
Each meal portion should make you feel satisfied
but not full
Don’t let yourself get really hungry or you will
tend to overeat at you next meal. You are better to
eat your next meal a bit earlier. If you get hungry
throughout the day, add ½ SuperShred Shake
to your plan or increase your meal serving sizes
slightly
Eat your meals slowly and chew your food well.
This will help to digest your food more fully
allowing you to obtain the maximum nutrients and
satisfy your appetite more fully.
You must be disciplined about your eating plan –
schedule your meals and stick to your schedule
Prepare your meals in advance for each day
Eat minimal amounts of processed foods – choose
foods in their raw unprocessed forms wherever
possible.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Minimise junk food, fried food and fatty food
Minimise sugary foods including soft drinks.
Minimise or eliminate refined carb foods like white
bread, biscuits and cakes.
Eat plenty of good quality protein foods or protein
shakes and eat moderate levels of good quality
carbs (like whole meal/wholegrain breads, pastas,
rice and sweet potatoes) and moderate levels of
essential fats (like olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados
and nuts).
You need some carbs for energy to train hard, but
try to eat all your carbs earlier in the day and avoid
eating carbohydrate foods after about 2.00pm
Drink plenty of water each day – 3 litres or more.
DON’T LET YOURSELF GET REALLY
HUNGRY OR YOU WILL TEND TO
OVEREAT AT YOU NEXT MEAL. YOU
ARE BETTER TO EAT YOUR NEXT MEAL
A BIT EARLIER
SEE THE 7 DAY STRIP FAT AND BUILD
LEAN MUSCLE NUTRITION PLAN ON THE
NEXT PAGE...
strip fat and build lean muscle NUTRITION PLAN
*EAT PORTION SIZE BASED ON APPETITE
**UNCOOCKED WEIGHT
- 1-2 Scoops MAX’S
SuperShred mixed
with 1 cup oats and
water
- 1 tub natural yoghurt
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
- 6 egg white/1 yolk
omelette
- 2 pieces wholemeal
toast
- Coffee or tea
sunday
- 6 egg white/1 yolk
omelette
- 2 pieces wholemeal
toast
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
saturday
- 1-2 Scoops MAX’S
SuperShred mixed
with 1 cup oats and
water
- 1 tub natural yoghurt
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
friday
- 6 egg white/1 yolk
omelette
- 2 pieces wholemeal
toast
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
thursday
- 1-2 Scoops MAX’S
SuperShred mixed
with 1 cup oats and
water
- 1 tub natural yoghurt
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
wednesday
- 6 egg white/1 yolk
omelette
- 2 pieces wholemeal
toast
- Coffee or tea
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
- 200 – 300g lean
meat & vegetable stir
fry
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
Tuesday
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- 1 Apple
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Garden Salad
- 100g Sweet potato
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
MONDAY
INTERMEDIATE WEEKLY PLAN
BREAKFAST
MID MORNING
LUNCH
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- MAX’S SuperSize
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
NO TRAINING
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups Steamed
broccoli
- 100g Sweet
potato**
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
Cre8 Carnage
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 200-300g Grilled
lean steak*
- Large salad or
2 cups steamed
vegetables
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 200-300g Beef or
chicken & vegetable
stir fry*
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
- MAX’S NiteTime
shake
shake
shake
shake
shake
- 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG - 1 Serve MAX’S NAAG
- 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- Large garden salad
NO TRAINING
- 200 – 300g Grilled
lean steak*
- 2 Cups steamed
string beans
- 100g Sweet potato
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
- 200 – 300g Grilled
chicken breast*
- 2 Cups steamed
broccoli
- 100g Sweet potato**
1 hour before
training
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Betapump
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- Medium tin tuna
(185g)
- Garden salad
- 1 Cup steamed
brown rice
15 min before
training
- 1 Serve MAX’S
Intraboost
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
WEIGHT TRAINING DAY
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
During Workout
- MAX’S SuperShred
shake (Mix in below)
- 1 Serve BCAA’s
- 1 Serve NAGG
- Teaspoon MAX’S
Cre8 Carnage
- 300g Beef or
chicken and
vegetable stir fry*
NO TRAINING
After Workout
(mid afternoon)
- 300g grilled fish*
- 200-300g Lean steak* - 200-300g Grilled
- Large garden salad
- Large garden salad or chicken breast*
2 cups steamed
- Large garden salad or
vegetables
2 cups steamed
vegetables
DINNER
EVENING
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
TAKING THE NEXT STEP:
So you’ve completed your Challenge, or you’ve been using our Beginner Program
and you want to keep progressing. What now? This Intermediate Level Program
is designed to help you prepare for the next MAX’S Challenge that commences in
February, or to simply continue on your health and fitness journey.
CHALLENGE FINISHERS:
If you have just completed the MAX’S Challenge you
should have made some great strides in your personal
health and fitness goals. For many Challengers, this is
the start of a life long journey of health and fitness. For
other Challengers it’s about recapturing their fitness
and more youthful body. Unfortunately we know that
many Challengers lapse back into old habits and undo
a lot of the good progress they have made. This guide
is designed to help you stay on track, and to prepare
for the upcoming MAX’S Challenge next February.
So where to start? If you have just finished your
Challenge we would recommend that now is a good
time to take a short breather. Take a week or so off.
Let your body recover, relax your diet, and enjoy life a
little. After a week or so most people are keen to get
back into training and find they come back to training
fresher, stronger and more motivated than ever.
We don’t recommend hard training and strict dieting
all year round. This approach is very tough to handle
both mentally and physically, and most people burn
out and lose motivation if they try this for too long.
What we do recommend is a cyclical approach to your
training, diet and overall conditioning. This means
setting a goal, or several goals throughout your year
and basing your training and diet around them. For
some trainers and athletes this means reaching peak
condition once (like doing the Challenge once a year)
or perhaps several times per year (perhaps doing 2
Challenges per year), and using the times between
your peaks to recover and to work on areas you feel
need improving, like your fitness, adding more muscle,
increasing strength, balancing up weaker areas, etc.
This is a similar approach that is used by most
competition bodybuilders. They have an “off season”
and a “competition season”. They use the off season to
work on improving their physique and the competition
season to maintain muscle but strip body fat to look
their very best come competition day. In the off season
they usually focus on heavier mass building programs
to add more muscle, and they also work on improving
areas of their body that may be lagging behind. For
example, they may focus on more leg development
during their off season by really hitting heavy squats
or leg presses. Most competitive bodybuilders don’t
try to stay in competition shape all year round because
they realise that building muscle and gaining size is
very hard to do on a restricted diet. What they do is
follow a moderate mass building diet, understanding
that a reasonable level of body fat is ok as long as can
be stripped away with their pre contest diet program.
With this approach in mind, our Intermediate Training
Program will help guide you on the path to continuous
improvement.
There are other Challengers who may want to stay
on a stricter Challenge type program if they are
still carrying excess body fat, which is fine. Bear in
mind that it can be very tough to stay on a strict diet
for a long time, month in and month out, so we still
recommend occasional breaks, and a few dietary
treats here and there to help to keep you on track. Set
yourself long terms goals but break up your progress
into a series of shorter and more attainable goals. For
example, if you have 25kg to lose, set your goals in
5kg blocks and set realistic dates to achieve goals.
SET YOURSELF LONG TERMS GOALS BUT BREAK UP
YOUR PROGRESS INTO A SERIES OF SHORTER AND
MORE ATTAINABLE GOALS
INTERMEdiate training:
Now you’ve been working out for some time you should have a good feel for training
and some of the capabilities of your body. As you build some muscle and get stronger
you should also be getting a real buzz from how you look and feel. You may be
getting positive comments from friends and family, or you maybe getting the urge to
wear tighter t-shirts to show off your new bod. It’s a pretty cool thing and motivates
most trainers to want more!
Another thing you will also realise after having
trained for some time is that your gains start to slow
down. When you first start training hard you will have
probably experienced some pretty good gains in
strength and muscle. But even though you are lifting
more weight now, you aren’t putting on muscle at
the same rate. Your body will keep adapting to the
stimulus you give it, however as you get stronger, it
gets harder to keep continually upping your weights
to the level required to stimulate even more growth.
This is where we need to get a bit smarter with your
training to force your body to keep growing.
This intermediate routine is designed to train each
muscle group (chest, back, legs, etc.) twice per week.
Your challenge is to really push hard in each and every
workout. This hard training will push your muscles
to super-compensate and therefore grow, but they
will only grow if you give them enough rest. So this
program is what’s called a 4 day per week split routine.
A split routine means you split your body in half, you
train half your muscle groups on one day, then the
other half in the next workout. It is designed like this so
you can push each muscle group really hard, beyond
their normal capabilities, then give your trained
muscles enough time to recover and grow before
you hit them hard in your next workout. In general
this means you should get at least 3 - 4 days between
training the same muscle group. Your weekly routine
will look like this:
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
The workouts we publish here are a basic intermediate
plan you can use to build muscle. We will give you a
number of options you can choose from. Use these
options to add variety to your training. If you continue
to do exactly the same workout, week in and week out,
your body will get used to the stimulus and your gains
will slow or stop altogether. By regularly changing
your workouts around, you are more likely to keep
stimulating growth. We also plan to keep offering
new training routines and tips, so keep an eye on our
website and social media for these updates.
This training program can be used whether your goal
is to build muscle and gain size, or strip fat and get
lean and muscular. The diet program you follow will be
the key factor that determines whether you gain mass
or strip fat.
TRAINING BASICS:
Before getting down to the nitty gritty, let’s review
some training principals that apply to all levels of
training:
•
•
CARDIO & WEIGHT TRAINING
WEIGHT TRAINING
CARDIO TRAINING
CARDIO & WEIGHT TRAINING
CARDIO TRAINING
WEIGHT TRAINING
REST
•
Training frequency – Intermediate level trainers
should aim for 4 weight training sessions per
week. Each workout should last around 1 hour.
Cardio training again will depend on your goals. If
you are trying to stay lean or strip a fair amount of
fat then we recommend 4 or more cardio sessions
per week. If you are trying to bulk up, 2 - 3 cardio
sessions is recommended.
Positive failure – Your muscles will only grow when
you push them beyond their normal limits, which
means you must train your muscles to failure
in each workout. When performing resistance
exercises your last few repetitions of the last 1 – 2
sets should be to failure. This means that by the
time you get to rep 8, 9 or 10, you cannot do
another rep unaided.
Negative Failure – Intermediate level trainers
can start introducing negative failure into their
training. Simply this means that you keep working
your muscles for a few more reps after they reach
positive failure. A simple example of this is forced
reps. You may be doing barbell biceps curls and
have reached positive failure – you can’t lift the
bar for another rep. Now your training partner can
help you do another 2 or 3 reps by gently helping
to lift the bar, with just enough pressure that you
are doing 95% or the work. Two sets of forced
•
•
•
•
reps like this can really push your muscle beyond
their normal capabilities and stimulate good gains.
A word of warning here. Don’t do this in every
workout as it can quickly lead to overtraining.
Once per week or so is plenty.
Training Priorities - If you have a weaker body part
start off your workout with that body part to ensure
you attack it while you are freshest. This might
mean changing the order around of the exercise
listed in this guide but that’s ok. For example, if
your leg development is lagging behind your
upper body, always do legs first in your workout
when you are fresh and can give them 100%.
Sets and Repetitions – To build muscle you must
stimulate your muscle sufficiently to force growth.
The ideal number of repetitions to achieve this for
most muscle groups is between about 8 and 12.
For building mass and size, stick to around 8 – 10
reps, for stripping fat and getting lean aim for
about 10 - 12 reps. If you perform less than 8 reps
you tend to increase strength but not muscle size,
and more than 12 tends to increase endurance
but not muscle size. There are some exceptions
to this which we will cover. The number of sets
you should perform is usually related to your
training level. Intermediate trainers should aim
for around 8 – 12 sets, usually spread over 2 – 3
exercises. Rest between sets is also a factor. When
you are training for all out size and strength take
a good rest between each hard set so you can lift
maximum weights on each set, this can be around
3 – 5 minute, but the aim is to feel well recovered
so you can tackle each set with maximum intensity.
If you are training to build muscle and burn fat
then you should only be resting a few minutes,
which tends to increase intensity and fat burning.
However, when training legs, always rest a few
more minutes between sets to ensure you are able
to perform each set with maximum intensity.
Overload and Progression - If you want to get
bigger and stronger, you need to use more
resistance than your muscles are used to. This is
important because the more you do, the more
your body is capable of doing, so you must
regularly push your muscles beyond their previous
limits regularly to force your body to adapt and
grow. In plain language, this means you should be
lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete
the desired number of reps. In order to avoid
plateaus you need to always strive to increase your
intensity. You can do this by in a number of ways
including: increasing the amount of weight lifted;
increasing the sets/reps; changing the exercises
you’re doing and/or changing the rest intervals
between sets; and changing the order of your
exercises. Remember however that good exercise
form always take priority over the amount of
weight you can lift, so if your form is suffering, the
weight is too heavy.
Rest and Recovery – This is one of the most
important aspects of your training. You must train
hard to stimulate muscle growth but you must give
your body enough time between workouts to fully
recover between workouts. This is usually between
•
48 – 72 hours for someone who has been training
regularly for some months, but can take longer
for beginner trainers. To improve your recovery
there are a number of strategies you should look
at. Always have a protein shake straight after your
workout. Gentle stretching and light cardio is
excellent to loosen up stiff muscles and accelerate
recovery. Hot and cold water immersion (hot
and cold baths) is also great, and a good sports
massage once a week is an excellent recovery
strategy.
Training Cycles – We recommend that you cycle
your training so that you go through heavier cycles
where you really strive to push maximum weights,
and lighter cycles where you perform more reps
with a bit less weight and intensity. Cycling your
training will help keep you fresh and allow your
body to recover and grow. Try a 4 – 6 week heavy
cycle, followed by a 2 – 3 week lighter cycle.
During your heavy cycle, aim to push maximum
weights in each workout. You can drop the reps
down to about 6 every now and then to try for
heavier weights. Don’t do this every workout,
perhaps only one or two sets per week per body
part. On your lighter cycles, aim for higher reps,
maybe 10 – 12, and aim for a really good pump.
You don’t need to train to failure during a lighter
phase. The exercises should be difficult but not
really hard.
OK, so lets get into your program. Once you get to
this level of training it’s hard to be able to train at
home effectively without much equipment. If you are
planning to train at home we recommend you look at
getting the following equipment to help you perform
effective intermediate level training:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flat Bench Press
Adjustable Flat / Incline Bench
Chin Up Bar
Squat Rack
Several Barbells with a variety of weights that will
allow you to perform exercises to failure
Several Dumbbells or Dumbbells with quick
change collars and a variety of weights
The following program is designed to be followed in
a commercial gym but will include options for a home
gym setup with the equipment listed above.
It’s a good idea to start your workout with a 10 minute
warm-up on the stationary bike, treadmill, rower or
other cardio machine. If you are a home trainer 3 sets
of 10 push up / burpees, or 10 minutes of skipping or
jogging on the spot.
SEE THE WEEKLY TRAINING PROGRAMS
ON THE NEXT PAGE...
TRAINING PROGRAM
INTERMEDIATE: WEEKLY PLAN
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
SHOULDERS, Legs & Triceps
CARDIO
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
CARDIO
SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
CARDIO
MONDAY & THURSDAY: CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
MUSCLE GROUP
Chest
NOTES
EXERCISE
SETS & REPETITIONS
Flat Barbell Bench
Press
Warm up with a light weight then perform your 4 sets. You can
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
perform this exercise with free weights or a pin loaded machine.
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
Your final set should feel quite heavy and last few reps should be
between sets
difficult or performed as forced reps
Incline Dumbbell Press
(Monday Workout)
Alternate With
Flat Bench Dummbell
Flyes
(Thursday Workout)
Wide Grip Chin Ups
(Monday Workout)
Alternate With
Close Grip Lat Pull
Downs
(Thursday Workout)
Start with relatively light dumbbells and increase the weight on
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions each set. Your final set should feel quite heavy and your 9th and
10th reps should be difficult or performed as forced reps.
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
between sets
Use moderate weight dumbbells, lie on a bench and perform
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions Dumbbell flyes using a wide arc. When the dumbbells are at their
highest point and touching, contract and squeeze your chest
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
muscles for added intensity. A Pec Dec machine can also be used
between sets
for this exercise
Use a wide grip, start in a hanging position and pull up until your
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions chin just touches the bar, then lower in a controlled movement. If
you can do more than 10 reps use a weight belt and hook and add
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
extra weight.
between sets
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions Use a narrow underhand grip or a narrow handle and pull down to
the top of your chest with a slight arch in your back. Stretch your
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
back muscles when your arms are extended. Increase the weight
between sets
in each set but keep the movement smooth and controlled.
Back
Seated Cable Rows
(Monday Workout)
Alternate with
Bent Over Dumbbell
Rows
(Thursday Workout)
Focus on contracting your back muscles to pull the weight towards
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
you and stretching your back as your arms extend away from you.
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
Don’t bend too far forward from your waist, make most of the
between sets
movement through your arms and back.
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
Kneel on a bench with one knee and support with your arm. With
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
your other arm pull up the dumbbell to your rib cage then lower
between sets
to get a good stretch.
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
TRAINING PROGRAM
INTERMEDIATE: WEEKLY PLAN
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
SHOULDERS, Legs & Triceps
CARDIO
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
CARDIO
SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
CARDIO
MONDAY & THURSDAY: CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
MUSCLE GROUP
Biceps
SETS & REPETITIONS
Standing Barbell
Biceps Curl
Grip a barbell at about shoulder width and start with your arms
hanging straight. Curl the weight up in a controlled and steady
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions arc until your biceps are fully contracted, then lower again in a
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
controlled arc. For added intensity squeeze your biceps for a
between sets
count of one in the contracted position. Increase the weight with
each set. If you have to heave up the weight or arch your back, it’s
too heavy.
Seated Alternate
Dumbbell Curls
(Monday Workout)
Alternate with
EZ Bar Preacher Curl
(Thursday Workout)
Abdominals
NOTES
EXERCISE
Plank
Your arms will be warm from the barbell curls so you can launch
straight into this exercise with a good weight. Focus on good form
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
and squeeze each biceps muscle at the top of the movement
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
before lowering. Try to keep your upper body still and let your
between sets
biceps do all the work.
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
Use a close grip on an EZ bar and perform curls on a preacher
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
bench. Lower the weight slowly and don’t bounce the weight at
between sets
the bottom of the movement. Contract the biceps muscles for 1
second at the top of the curl for added intensity
2 x 1 minute sets
Rest 2 - 3 minutes
between sets
Adopt a push up position and raise your upper body by resting
on your forearms and raise your lower body up on your toes. Keep
your back straight and parallel to the floor and hold that position
for one minute.
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
TRAINING PROGRAM
INTERMEDIATE: WEEKLY PLAN
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
SHOULDERS, Legs & Triceps
CARDIO
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
CARDIO
SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
CARDIO
MONDAY & THURSDAY: SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
MUSCLE GROUP
NOTES
EXERCISE
SETS & REPETITIONS
Seated Dumbbell
Press
Start with a light weight to warm up your shoulders then perform
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions your 4 working sets. Start with the dumbbells lightly touching your
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
shoulders then press up powerfully and lower slowly. Increase the
weight with each set but make sure you maintain good form. Don’t
between sets
arch your back excessively.
Dumbbell Side Raises
Shoulders
Barbell Upright Rows
(Tuesday Workout)
Alternate With
Bent Over Rear Delt
Raises
(Saturday Workout)
Barbell Squats
(Tuesday Workout)
Alternate with
Seated Leg Press
(Saturday Workout)
Legs
Lying Leg Curl
(Tuesday Workout)
Alternate with
Stiff Leg Dead Lifts
(Saturday Workout)
Start with a relatively light weight that allows you to perform this
exercise correctly. Your arms should be hanging by your sides
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions with a moderate elbow bend. Lift your arms in an arc to the side,
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
concentrating on keeping your elbows high and holding your
hands in a position that emulates pouring water out a jug. This
between sets
should produce a strong burn in your side deltoid muscle when
performed correctly. Don’t raise your hand higher than your ears.
In a standing position take an overhand narrow grip on a
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions moderate weight barbell. Lift the bar to your chin in a controlled
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
movement keeping it close to your body, then lower back to the
between sets
starting position.
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions Start with relatively light dumbbells. Bend forward from the waist
/ hips with the dumbbells hanging, then lift the dumbbells in an
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
arch out from your sides with your elbows slightly bent. Keep your
between sets
elbows forward through the movement.
4 x 12 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
between sets
4 x 12 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
between 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 your shoulders. When squatting, keep your
head up and your back straight. Squat down until your thighs go a
little further than parallel to the floor, then push back up through
your heels.
Use a shoulder width foot spacing and start with a few lighter
warm up sets and then work up to 2 heavy sets. Push through your
heels for maximum quad stimulation.
This exercise works the hamstring and is important for balanced
leg development. Start with a lighter weight and work up to a final
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions heavy set. Hold your leg in the contracted position for a count of 2
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
for added intensity
between sets
This exercise works the hamstring and is important for balanced
leg development. Start with a medium weight barbell, holding it
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions in front of you, arms hanging with an overhand grip. Bend forward
from your hips, not your lower back, hanging the dumbbell down
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
until you get a good stretch in your hamstrings. Contract your
between sets
glutes as you return to standing position pivoting through your
hips.
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
TRAINING PROGRAM
INTERMEDIATE: WEEKLY PLAN
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
SHOULDERS, Legs & Triceps
CARDIO
CHEST, BACK & BICEPS
CARDIO
SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
CARDIO
MONDAY & THURSDAY: SHOULDERS, Legs & triceps
MUSCLE GROUP
EXERCISE
SETS & REPETITIONS
NOTES
Calves
Standing Calf Raises
4 x 20 repetitions
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
between sets
Start with a relatively light weight and do a warm up set, then
increase the weight on each set. Aim for a full stretch at the bottom
and full contraction at the top on each rep.
Lying Triceps Extension
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
between sets
You can use a straight or EZ bar for this exercise. Lying on a bench,
start with grip a bit less than shoulder width and the weight
extended overhead. Keeping your upper arms still, lower the
weight by bending at the elbow until the bar or your hands just
touches the top of your head. Push the bar back to the straight
arm position in a smooth and controlled arc.
Triceps
Triceps Pushdown
(Tuesday Workout)
Alternate with
Close Grip EZ bar
Presses
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions Start with a moderately heavy weight on an EZ bar. Use a narrow
grip, lie back on a bench, then press up the weight like a close
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
grip bench press.
between sets
Crunches
2 x 20 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
between sets
(Saturday Workout)
Abdominals
4 x 10 - 12 repetitions Increase the weight on each set. On your last set you should find
Rest 1 - 2 minutes
the last few reps very difficult. To keep tension on your triceps
between sets
don’t lock your arms at the bottom of the movement, just keep
your arms moving in a controlled steady motion.
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands on
your thighs, then contract or crunch your abs muscles to lift your
shoulders and head off the ground. Slide your hands up your
thighs until they go over your knees, then lower your upper body
down again to the starting position.
Max’s Muscle-Up Challenge | www.maxchallenge.com.au | Are you TOUGH ENOUGH?
CARDIO:
If you are aiming to stay reasonably lean or strip fat
we recommend 3 – 4 sessions of cardio per week.
The length and intensity of the cardio will depend
on your goals. If you are training to build size, aim for
2 - 3 sessions of moderate level of cardio per week.
Each session should last around 30 – 40 minutes. Your
cardio can be any suitable exercise that gets your heart
rate up to a level where you raise a sweat and start
breathing moderately heavy. Cardio options include
exercises like cycling or stationary bike, treadmill or
brisk walking, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, etc. TIPS & TRICKS:
You never stop learning in this game, and even though
you may have been training for some time there are
always plenty of options to get more out of your
training. As you ramp up the intensity here are some
things to think about:
•
•
•
•
•
Training Partner – Nothing beats a good training
partner. If you can find someone who trains
with you in every workout, really pushes you,
competes with you, forces you to do 2 more reps
when you would normally quit, and stops you
from missing a workout, then they are worth their
weight in protein powder! Perhaps a friend, a work
colleague or maybe someone you’ve met at the
gym. The ideal training partner should be around
your own ability, maybe just a bit stronger, so you
can aim at their weights, reps and sets. If they are
much stronger or much weaker than you, you may
find you are wasting a lot of time changing weights
from set to set.
Push, Push, Push – If you are feeling good or if you
finish your last set and feel you could have gone a
bit harder or lifted a bit heavier weight, there’s no
harm in doing another set or two to really smash
your muscles into submission and force new
growth. These exercises, sets and reps are a guide
as to the minimum amount of training you should
do to get good results, you can change them
around as you get more experience.
Try New Stuff - Further to he last point, look for
new exercises, new ways of doing old exercises,
or new training programs. Check out what others
are doing in the gym. Get online and look for new
training ideas. Mix your training up, keep it fresh
and you will get more out of it.
Training Gloves – you may have built up some
callouses but if you don’t want to rip up your
hands as the weights get heavier, try using a pair
of training gloves, available in most good sports
stores or online.
Weight Belts – You see some trainers around the
gym using weight belts, usually if they are lifting
big weights. Weight belts can be useful to support
your core, abs and lower back and protect it if
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you are lifting heavier weights, but most beginner
and intermediate level trainers should avoid using
them. Why? Because almost every exercise you
do engages and strengthens your core muscles.
Using a weight belt stops your core working and
inhibits core strength development. If you suffer a
lower back injury then a weight belt can be used
while the injury heals, but in general don’t use
them.
Music – Most Gyms have some sort of music
pumping which most people find motivational. If
it’s not quite to your taste why not make up your
own workout playlist on your MP3 Player or iPod,
and really fire up your training.
Pre-workout Preparation – Don’t forget to prepare
for every workout. If you just rock up at the gym
with no thought for what you are going to do, you
may have a good workout or you may just stuff
about and waste time. Plan out your workouts a
week in advance. Know what body parts, exercises,
sets and reps you are going to do before you go
to the gym. Part of good pre-workout preparation
is the nutrition side. A good pre-workout formula
like MAX’S BetaPump is a great way to have a killer
workout.
Be Flexible – We’re not talking about joint
flexibility, but the ability to adapt to changing
situations. Sometimes your gym will be crowded
which means your workout plans might get
messed up. For example, if there is a que for the
leg press machine, do your leg extensions first,
or perhaps substitute with squats. Know what
alternatives you can use so you don’t waste time,
cool down or lose momentum and reduce the
effectiveness of your training.
Workout Diary – Further to Workout Preparation, a
workout diary is a great little tool for helping you
stay on track. Use it to plan your food intake and
workouts. Then use it to record your actual food
intake along with the exercises, sets and reps of
your workouts. It’s a great discipline to follow and
helps keep you accountable. You can use one of
the commercial diaries or simply use a notebook.
Another great alternative is to use one of the many
smart phone apps that you can use to track your
workouts.
Recovery Nutrition – We keep going on about this
but it’s so important. Make sure you have a protein
shake straight after every training session. This is
the single biggest thing you can do to maximize
muscle recovery. We recommend taking a big
serve of your favorite MAX’S protein mixed in milk.