SHAPE BODY

Final position

EAT. SLEEP. PLAN YOUR WORKOUT

KEY TO ACHIEVING FITNESS GOAL IS TO APPLY ALL THREE.

WRITER: JON CLEMMONS shoulders and triceps also. This helps burn more calories and increase lean body mass.

Sleeping seven to eight hours can be difficult while balancing family and work. Eating enough calories to promote muscle gain or fat loss can be difficult without a meal planner. An app like myfitnesspal can help determine your required daily caloric intake and track your progress. If you can consistently apply these two principles along with a targeted workout plan, then you will be on the way to building lean muscle and a defined chest.

My approach to training is to complete three sets of each of these exercises at the beginning of the regimen.

First position

The exercises I believe will help achieve the most muscle stimulation in the pecs are barbell bench press, incline dumbell press and dips. Free weights require more overall muscle stimulation and incorporate the ast will get

My repetition scheme is to change the repetitions weekly. One week I may do three to five reps. The next week I will complete 12 reps per exercise. This allows stimulation of both the fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. Low reps will work the fast twitch muscle fibers, while high reps will work the slow twitch muscle fibers. Stick with the same three exercises for four and six weeks to allow yourself to get stronger on each lift before switching.

Staff Pick

I imagine most people who are hardcore about food and living a healthy lifestyle, like myself, are prone to hearing a small voice saying, “I want something sweet.” Yeah, that’s the voice in my head that sounds much like The Incredible Hulk, practically all the time. I hear it less and less the more I train it to be quiet and eat its vegetables. However, sweet isn’t always bad and listening to your body is wise. For me, a great pre- and post-workout meal is a small bowl of almond butter oatmeal. Steel cut oats are always preferred over packaged, but organic packaged oats work for me. Add a tablespoon of almond butter mixed with warm water. That’s about as sweet as it gets without the guilt.

Don’t let your mind boss you around when it comes to sweets. There is always a healthier alternative to calm the cravings. Don’t just take my word for it. Try it out.

TASTY BONUS: STILL HAVE A ‘HULK HANKERING’? Fine. Along with almond butter, mix a couple strawberries, chopped apple slices and almonds for even more flavor. A small scoop of protein powder will also calm the beast since it’s vitally important to sustain and feed muscles properly.

— Anthony Casto, Senior Designer