Fitness

Cover Guy Muscles

Oct 29 08:00am

Follow these tips from American cover guy Dante Spencer

Cardio: not for girls

"I used to dread cardio! Back in the day, I was the bloke who thought cardio was for girls. Then one day, about 10 years ago, I asked a good mate of mine why he had abs and I didn't. He just said ‘Cardio'. Since then, I've never ended a workout without at least 30 minutes of cardio."

Split and cut

"I do what's called a three-day split. I group muscles I'm working on in a way so I can train my entire body in three sessions."
Monday: chest, triceps, abs, and cardio (90 mins).
Wednesday: back, biceps and cardio (90 mins).
Friday: shoulders, legs, abs and cardio (90 mins).
Sat/Sun: abs and cardio (90 mins).

Shock tactics

"Keep shocking your body to develop a well-rounded physique. If you work your chest, remember the flat bench works the middle portion of your chest, incline works the upper portion and decline works the bottom portion. Vary between dumb-bell presses, bar-bell presses and dumb-bell flies."

Protein power

"Have a protein shake within 90 minutes of finishing a workout. Your muscles are gasping for instant protein, and it takes your body about six hours to break down the proteins in meat; by that time, your 90-minute window is gone. This is one of the things that's made the biggest difference to my body. You should follow the shake with a full meal soon afterwards."

Tap up your abs

"My secret is to drink tons of water. It's a natural appetite suppressant and keeps you hydrated. I always have a water bottle around with me. You'll find yourself peeing a lot more, but it's worth it to finally get the abs you've worked for!"

12 Comments Report Abuse

1. a.davies@y7mail.com - Oct 31 09:21pm

that great I didn't know you had to vary it. no no impants then??????????lol/

2. wblondie_328 - Nov 02 09:08am

Actually, 30 minutes after a workout it is more important to consume a high GI carbohydrate with a small amount of protein (4:1 ratio) for optimal recovery. Replenishing glycogen stores prevents muscle breakdown.

3. d_namic - Nov 02 09:52am

As someone who's lost 45kg, information about eating and training is vital. Dante's right: whey protein within 20 mins of a weights session, no carbs within 60 mins of any training (especially cardio) keep shocking and surprising your body, and don't mix proteins and carbs in the same meal. Go Hard!

4. healthmaster2003 - Nov 02 10:40am

Working one bodypart a week is not sufficient for the average person looking to make improvements.
Pure free form and peptide aminos are superior to ingesting dairy based whey post workout as many are intolerant to lactose.

5. healthmaster2003 - Nov 02 10:42am

As for targeting specific parts of your chest muscle, the muscle contracts on a whole you can't shut down specific areas of any muscle! This is a mis-conception by many trainers. Basic exercises .e.g bench press will in fact work your entire chest area.

6. lukefieldingsmith - Nov 02 07:54pm

love your comments timmysharpe - we women wish there was a pill as well!~!!!!

7. dean8016@rocketmail.com - Nov 02 08:43pm

good advice. you need to develop your own technique but train hard isolate different muscle groups

8. cmweb81 - Nov 18 10:37am

What types of exercise are recommended for cardio sessions?...and how long is the recovery time needed between sessions?

9. asianfunkphenomena - Nov 20 05:06pm

I really hate cardio but the bloke is right. It's the only way I finally got my abs to shine through except that my workout hits the major muscles first.

Day1. Chest and Back
Day2. Abs and cardio
Day3. Legs and Glutes
Day4. Abs and cardio
Day5. Arms
Day6 & Day7. Abs and cardio or rest days.

10. fingrati - Nov 24 08:49pm

I disagree with what Dante says about drinking water. Drink as much as your body would let you, but don't force it. Your body is not designed to hold more fluid than normal.