Actually, I’m long overdue for a new one…I’ve been more-or-less marking time for the last 2-3 weeks.  Unfortunately, I’ve allowed myself to get too wrapped up in my work to write one up.  There’s no end in sight, either, so it occurred to me that I could use this as an opportunity to try out some of the “canned” workout programs in my possession…Lord knows I’ve got quite a collection on my hard drive and bookshelf.  That way, I don’t have to think too hard about what I’m doing, and can discuss each program as I go through it.

The first one I’m tackling is AST’s “Max OT” program.  It’s one I’ve had bookmarked for ages…time to give it a go.  The program is completely free, you just have to register.  It’s pretty comprehensive, with a thorough discussion of how to do the workouts, the exercises, integrate cardio, warm ups, recovery, etc.  I’ll be following the program to the letter, except for (most of) the diet and supplementation recommendations, as a) this is already my area of expertise; and b) their recommendations are designed to sell AST products.  Don’t get me wrong, I think AST sells some pretty decent stuff, overall.  But anyone who’s looking to get the most out of their nutrition shouldn’t be sucking down a lot of protein powders.  This is a mistake a lot of newbies make…protein powders are just that: purified protein.  In other words, you get almost none of the nutrients contained in real food sources.  There’s a place in a nutrition program for protein supps, but IMHO, it’s a very limited one.

At any rate, the program begins on Monday.  The first week workouts go Monday - Friday, with only 1 - 2 muscle groups worked each day.  Each exercise consists of 2 - 3 sets of (mostly) 4 - 6 reps each, and goes to positive failure…fun, eh?  I’ll be working out my starting weights for some of the exercises I haven’t done in a while (like lat pulldowns) this weekend.

My workout schedule looks like this:

• Monday: Legs
• Tuesday: Arms/Abs
• Wednesday: Shoulders/Traps
• Thursday: Back
• Friday: Chest

Cardio is supposed to be done 8 - 12 h before or after the weights, so I’ll be on a morning/evening schedule on cardio days.  I’ll be doing these twice a week, as these are high-intensity, interval sessions.  I hate these, but lord knows, they’re effective (and mercifully, short).

I’ll also be monitoring my diet more closely.  I always eat well, but when I’m in a maintenance mode, I’m an intuitive eater…I eat when I feel like it, and just follow a few basic rules.  But when undertaking a fairly “hardcore” program like this, recovery is a big, big issue, and I need to make sure I’m getting sufficient calories.  The last thing I want to do is crash and burn in the gym (I’ve had that happen a couple of times, and it’s not pretty).

So stay tuned…the fun begins on Monday.  I’ll post a summary at the end of each week.