Παρασκευή 4 Νοεμβρίου 2011

The abercrombie workout



We all know that the Abercrombie & Fitch models have the BEST bodies.!Do you want to learn how?I know and i will tell right now!

Main Goal: Build a solid amount of strength and muscle
Length: 1 Month

The first phase of the abercrombie model workout is the "Muscle Prep" phase. The "Muscle Prep" phase is a short one-month workout program designed to build a solid muscle and strength base. If you already have a solid base from being on a currentworkout routine, this phase can be skipped and you can move on to the Mass Building Phase. However, if you haven't been working out consistently for at least a month, it's best to complete this stage of the workout before moving on.
The muscle prep phase of the abercrombie workout is made up of a basic upper body and lower body workout. During this stage of the fitness model workout you'll lift weights 4 days a week, preferably on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. By working out on these days, your allowing your body three days of rest per week, and your never training the same muscle group more than once every 48 hours.
By not training the same muscle groups more than once every few days, the muscles are given enough time to adequately recover before the next workout. If you don't remember anything I say on this page just remember this, RECOVERY IS KEY. Recovery is the key to building any amount of muscle because muscle doesn't grow while your working out, but rather while your recovering.
The next thing you need to know is that you'll be doing 3 sets per exercise, with each set consisting of ten reps. If you've never been on a weight training program before this means that you'll do each exercise ten times then you'll rest for thirty seconds to one minute. After resting you'll repeat the exercise another ten times. Every ten "reps" is equal to one set. So basically you'll do each exercise a total of thirty times, resting for thirty seconds to a minute following every ten reps. After these three sets we move on to the next exercise. When choosing a weight to use for the exercise try to pick a weight that you will be able to lift for ten complete reps but no more.
Now that we have covered the basics the first phase of the abercrombie workout is broken down as follows:
  1. Monday : Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps
  2. Tuesday : Legs, Back, Traps, Forearms
  3. Thursday : Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps
  4. Friday : Legs, Back, Traps, Forearms
*during phase 1 abs are covered on the off days as part of the cardio routine 


Monday
ExerciseSetsReps
Flat Bench Press310
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly's310
Dumbbell Shoulder Press310
Lateral Raises310
Bicep Curls - Barbell310
Lying Tricep Extensions310
Bicep Curls - Dumbbell310
Tricep Dips3Failure

Tuesday
ExerciseSetsReps
Squats310
Standing Calf Raises310
Leg Extensions310
Wide-Grip Pull-ups310
Lat Pull-Downs310
Dumbbell Shrugs310
Forearm Curls3Failure

Thursday
ExerciseSetsReps
Flat Bench Press310
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly's310
Dumbbell Shoulder Press310
Lateral Raises310
Bicep Curls - Barbell310
Lying Tricep Extensions310
Bicep Curls - Dumbbell310
Tricep Dips3Failure

Friday
ExerciseSetsReps
Squats310
Standing Calf Raises310
Leg Extensions310
Wide-Grip Pull-ups310
Lat Pull-Downs310
Dumbbell Shrugs310
Forearm Curls3Failure
*When choosing a weight for the forearm curls, start by using only the barbell without any weights added

*Also for both forearm curls and the dips do as many reps as you can until you can't do anymore (taking your muscles to failure.) 

Phase 1 Breakdown

The cardio routine for the first phase of the abercrombie workout is pretty simple and can be broken down into two parts, the training day routine and the off-day routine. Thetraining day cardio routine takes place on the same days as the weight training routineand all it requires is 10 to 15 minutes of medium intensity cardio prior to your weight lifting session.
Off-day cardio isn't too difficult either; the off day cardio consists of a simple 30 minute medium intensity cardio session. That's all for the cardio during the first phase of theabercrombie workout program.

Cardio Routine Daily Schedule
DayTimeLength
MondayPre-Workout10-15 mins
TuesdayPre-Workout10-15 mins
WednesdayMorning30 mins + Abs
ThursdayPre-Workout10-15 mins
FridayPre-Workout10-15 mins
SaturdayMorning30 mins + Abs
SundayMorning30 mins + Abs
*the cardio sessions should consists of running, biking, or elliptical sessions preferably.


Fitness Model Phase One - Ab Routine

For phase one of the abercrombie workout the abdominal workouts are done on the days we don't weight training and since the goal of phase one is to build up our base muscle the routines aren't to difficult. Each day of the week you have to pick two of the following four exercies:
  • Basic Crunch
  • Reverse Crunches
  • The Bicycle
  • Yoga Ball Crunch
After choosing two exercises, you need to perform three sets of the first exercise prior to your cardio routine and perform the other set after you have finished your cardio. On each set do as many reps as possible before resting (resting in between sets should be between 30 seconds and a minute.)



Now that we've covered the weight training and cardio portions of phase one, it's time to move on to probably the two most important parts of the entire fitness model programthe diet and supplementation sections.

The Diet

The diet and supplement portions of the abercrombie workout program are probably the most important parts of the whole program. Why are they the most important you may ask, it's because even the best workout in the world can only do so much if you don't give your body the right building blocks and nutrients necessary to build muscle.
For example, amino acids are the basic building blocks of muscle and without amino acids your body has nothing to build muscle with. Trying to build muscle withoutamino acids would be like trying to build a sand castle without sand.
So where do we get amino acids you ask, we get them from protein. Protein is made up of amino acids and when your body takes in protein, be it from meals or supplements, your body is able to convert that protein into these amino acids, also known as the basic building blocks of muscle.
For the first phase of the abercrombie workout the diet is pretty simple and you only need to follow a few important guidelines:
  • The first thing you need to concentrate on is trying to eat 6 meals a day. It may sound hard at first but each meal doesn't need to be a full fledged meal. Meals can be something as simple as a protein shake and an apple or bagel and a can of tuna. The reason behind having 6 meals a day is to keep your body in an anabolic state so that it will be able to build muscle instead of burning it off as energy.


  • The second key to abercrombie workout diet is to concentrate on having a well-rounded diet that consists of 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% good fats. Most of your carbs should be complex carbs such as whole wheat or oats. Also your fat intake should strive to avoidtrans fat and saturated fats, it's best to concentrate of getting your fats from essential fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids. Good sources of these fats come from nuts and fish.


  • Try to include at least one quality source of protein with every meal and a total of one gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. For example if you weigh 170 pounds you should consume 170 grams of protein per day from quality protein sources like chicken, fish, milk, beef, and whey protein shakes. It's important to maintain a high level of protein intake so the body stays in an anabolic state instead of shifting into a catabolic state where your body breaks down its hard earned muscle.
As you can see this diet leaves you pretty open to pick and choose your meals, while at the same time it's specifically designed to give the best possible results from a fitness model specific workout. So as long as your diet generally follows these guidelines you'll be able to maximize the effectiveness of the abercrombie workout.
Sample Diet
TimeMeal
Meal 17 am1 Cup Oatmeal
3 Scrambled Eggs
1 Glass of Milk
Meal 29 am40 Gram Protein Shake
1 Granola Bar
Meal 312 pm6-8 Ounce Chicken Breast
1 Baked Potato
1 Cup Corn
Meal 4 (post workout)3 pm40 Gram Protein Shake
1 Banana
1 Gatorade
Meal 54 pm1 Cup Brown Rice
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables
6-8 Ounces Lean Fish
Meal 68 pm2 Cups Cottage Cheese
Now that we've got our diet guidelines covered lets move on to the most underrated part of the abercrombie workout routine:

Phase 2 - Weight Training

Goal: Build as much muscle mass as possible
Length: 2 Months

The second phase of the abercrombie workout is the muscle-building phase. This phase consists of a two month program that maximizes muscle growth through heavy-weight, low repetition training and increased caloric intake.
Unlike phase one, the muscle building phase is broken down into a three day split. A three day split requires the user to lift weights three days a week, ideally Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Why only 3 days? Again, this is because muscle doesn't grow while your working out, but rather while your recovering. By spending 4 days a week recovering, the body is able to maximize its recovery following an intenseworkout. By having this extra recovery time we're able to make the largest possible size and strength gains.
However, working out three days a week doesn't mean that phase two of theabercrombie workout is easy, in fact the workouts themselves are built around taking your body to failure. What's Failure? "Failure" is an training term that means lifting untilyour muscles are unable to do another rep. By taking our muscles to this point we're able to activate the most muscle tissue possible, which results in the largest mass gains.
To achieve the fitness model body we'll be doing 3 sets per exercise, with each set consisting of four to six reps.
Now that we have covered the basics the muscle building-phase the abercrombieworkout is broken down as follows:
  1. Monday: Chest, Back, Traps
  2. Wednesday: Triceps, Biceps, Shoulders
  3. Friday: Lower body, Forearms, Abs
*during the second phase of the abercrombie workout additional ab work is performed on the off days as part of the cardiovascular routine
Monday
ExerciseSetsReps
Flat Bench Press34-6
Incline Dumbbell Press34-6
Decline Barbell Bench Press34-6
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly's34-6
Lat Pull-Downs34-6
Dumbbell Shrugs34-6
Seated Cable Rows34-6

Wednesday
ExerciseSetsReps
Tricep Extensions (Rope)34-6
Barbell Bicep Curls34-6
Lying Tricep Extensions34-6
Dumbbell Shoulder Press34-6
Lateral Dumbbell Raises34-6
Upright Rows34-6
Tricep Dips3Failure

Friday
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ExerciseSetsReps
Squats34-6
Standing Calf Raises34-6
Leg Extensions34-6
Weighted Crunch314-16
Cable Crunches314-16
Knee Raises3Failure
Reverse Curls38-10

Phase 2 - Cardio


Cardio for Mass Building?

Since the second phase of the abercrombie workout is designed to maximize muscle growth the cardio work is kept to a minimum. Too much cardio training can be detrimental to muscle growth as it can put the body into a catabolic state where the body breaks down it's own muscle for energy and that's the last thing we want to happen during our muscle-building phase. To avoid this problem no cardio session will be longer than 20 minutes during our muscle-building phase.
We'll break down the cardio into two programs during this phase, the weight-training day and the off day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (or whenever you choose to do your weight training sessions) all we will do for cardio is a short 10 minute jog before weight training. The off day cardio routine will consist of a 20 minute cardiosession of your choice (i.e. running, biking, elliptical, rollerblading...) In addition to this the off day cardio will only be done twice a week. The two off-days you train on are up to you, but it would be most effective to do one of the cardio routines during the week and another one of the cardio routines during the weekend in an attempt to keep your metabolism up through out the week.
Cardio Routine Daily Schedule
DayTimeLength
MondayPre-Workout10 mins
TuesdayMorning20 mins + Abs
WednesdayPre-Workout10 mins
ThursdayNoneNone
FridayPre-Workout10 mins
SaturdayMorning20 mins + Abs
SundayNoneNone
*the cardio sessions should consists of running, biking, or elliptical sessions preferably.

Fitness Model Ab Routine - Phase 2

In addition to the Ab work we did as part of the weight training were also doing two more abs session as part of our cardio program. These ab routines each consist of 3 exercises and 3 sets per exercise. The three exercises performed during the cardio portion of the abercrombie workouts second phase are:
  • Basic Crunch
  • Abdominal Bicycle
  • Oblique Crunch
*For each exercise perform 3 sets to failure

Phase Two - Diet

The Basics

The diet for the second phase of the abercrombie workout doesn't differ to much fromthe diet used during the first phase of our fitness model workout. The only real difference between the first phase of the abercrombie workout and the second phase is that the second phase of the abercrombie workout stresses eating AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
Yes, that sentence needed to be capitalized. If there's any time that it's ok to over indulge, it's now. During the second phase of the abercrombie workout the goal is to put on as much mass as possible and there's no better way to do it than by giving your body all the nutrients it can use.
However, this doesn't mean drive to McDonalds every day after work, instead it means eat as much "clean" meals as you can. These clean meals consist of things like tuna, chicken, beef, protein shakes, vegetables, fruit, and whole grain. Eating clean is important but if there's anytime during this routine when it's ok to eat that double cheese burger this is the time (just don't over do it.)
In addition to this instead of trying to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight aim like we id in phase one, aim for 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day. At first this may seem like a lot but when your getting in your proteinshakes and spreading your meals out through the day it's surprising how easy it is to consume 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight a day.
Sample Diet
TimeMeal
Meal 17 am1.5 Cups Oatmeal
4 Scrambled Eggs
1 Glass of Milk
Meal 29 amWeight Gainer Shake 
Meal 312 pm6-8 Ounce Turkey
1.5 Cups Brown Rice
1.5 Cups Vegetable
Meal 4 (postworkout)3 pm40 Gram Protein Shake
1 Banana
1 Gatorade
Meal 54 pm1 Baked Potato
1/2 Pound Hamburger
1.5 Cups Vegetable
Meal 68 pm3 Spoonfuls of Natural Peanut Butter
1 Glass of Milk
Were trying to put on as much size as possible during the second stage of theabercrombie workout so it's time to bust out the big guns:

Phase 3 - Weight Loss

Goal: To burn off excess body fat
Length: 2 Months

The third phase of the abercrombie workout is designed to complete the transformation by burning off your body's excess body fat. This phase by and large results in the most drastic change from any of the phases. This phase combines a weight trainingprogram that focuses on hardening and defining the muscles with a cardio program based around high intensity interval training (HIIT) which can be up to 5 times as effective as regular cardio routines. These two training programs work synergistically resulting in a hard, toned body just like the abercrombie and fitness models you see in magazines and television.
Now that were on the final phase of the abercrombie workout the weight training routine is extremely specialized. Up until this point we have been focusing on building muscle mass, we will continue to build muscle mass but now our routine is going to be much more exact. We are going to concentrate on defining our muscle to build a lean and cut physique. This requires us to go back to weight training 4 times a week, with eachworkout specializing on a different muscle group. By doing this we'll be able to concentrate on different parts of each muscle group, for example the lower, mid, upper, and peak of our bicep muscle, as opposed to just concentrating on our bicep as a whole.
The breakdown of the third phase of the abercrombie workout is as follows:
  1. Monday: Biceps, Triceps
  2. Wednesday: Back, Lats, Abs
  3. Friday: Chest, Shoulders
  4. Saturday: Lower Body, Abs
Monday
ExerciseSetsReps
Tricep Pull-Downs (Rope)310
Cable Bicep Curls310
Seated Dumbbell Tricep Extension310
Reverse Curls310
Lying Tricep Extension310
Pull-Ups310
Tricep Dips3Failure

Wednesday
ExerciseSetsReps
Dumbbell Side Bends310
Decline Crunches310
Seated Rows310
Bent-Over Barbell Row's310
Lat Pull-Downs310
Barbell Shrugs310
Wide Grip Pull-ups310

Friday
ExerciseSetsReps
Incline Dumbbell Press310
Flat Dumbbell Press310
Decline Dumbbell Press310
Overhead Shoulder Press310
Bent Over Rows310
Lateral Raises310
Push-ups310

Saturday
ExerciseSetsReps
Squats310
Leg Extensions310
Standing Calf Raises310
Seated Leg Curls310
Yoga Ball Crunches310
Abdominal Plank3Until Failure
*When choosing a weight for the forearm curls, start by using only the barbell without any weights added

*Also for both forearm curls and the dips do as many reps as you can until your body cannot do anymore (taking your muscles to failure.) 




Next up is the cardio portion of the fitness model workout's fat loss phase. This is by far the most intense cardio we've had yet so let's wait no longer.

Cardio Routine - Phase Three

The Breakdown

Since the goal of the third phase of the abercrombie workout is to burn fat, the cardioroutine is the most intense we've had yet. During the third phase of the abercrombieworkout we will be doing cardio every day of the week. (If for some reason you can't get in a cardio session every day try to get at least 6 sessions in per the week.)
On training days we'll do a 20 minute mid-intensity cardio session prior to lifting and another 20 minute cardio session following weight training. On the three days of the week when we aren't lifting we'll be doing an intense 20-30 minute session of HIIT with a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down session. Were going to be doing our HIIT in the morning if possible because of HIIT's ability to increase the body's metabolism for the rest of the day. This increased metabolism helps the body to continue burning fat through out the day resulting in the most fat-loss possible in the shortest amount of time.

WHAT IS HIIT?

High intensity interval training is a short but intense workout that's built around alternating between sprinting and jogging/walking. The session begins with a 5 minute warm up jog at a low to mid intensity level. Following the warm up you alternate between jogging/walking and sprinting at full speed. This is done on a 2:1 ratio meaning that for every 30 seconds you spend sprinting you spend a minute jogging/walking.
A basic HIIT routine consists of a 5 minute warm up jog at a slow/medium pacefollowed by 30 seconds of sprinting, then a minute of jogging, then another 30 seconds of sprinting, a minute of jogging, and you continue this cycle for anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on your cardiovascular endurance level. After you've finished your cycles (usually around 6-10 cycles) you finish up the workout with 5 minutes of low intensity jogging to cool down.
Cardio Routine Daily Schedule
DayTimeLength
MondayPre & Post-Workout20 mins (each)
TuesdayMorning~ 30 mins (HIIT)
WednesdayPre & Post-Workout20 mins (each)
ThursdayMorning~ 30 min (HIIT)
FridayPre & Post-Workout20 mins (each)
SaturdayPre & Post-Workout20 mins (each)
SundayMorning~ 30 min (HIIT)
*the cardio sessions should consists of running, biking, or elliptical sessions preferably.


By now you know what's next on the list so let's just get to it: 

Phase Three - Diet

The Fat Burning Meal Plan

The diet for the third phase of the abercrombie workout is the strictest of all the phases. Phase three's diet is built around a fat loss strategy commonly used in the bodybuilding world known as carb cycling. Carb cycling is built around rotating between high and low carb days. By doing this your able to keep your body guessing and this results in an increased metabolism. At the same time your body will stop relying on carbs for energy and instead it will use body fat as its main source of energy.
Our high carb days will be identical to the diet we used during phase one of our fitness model workout. During our high carb days the diet will be split into 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat. On our low carb days the diet will be broken down into 55%protein, 20% carbs, and 25% fat. The majority of carbs on both days should come from complex carbohydrate sources, for example whole wheat and oat carbohydrates. On low carb days the majority of carbs should be consumed during breakfast and before/after your workout, with virtually no carbs being consumed after 6 pm.
The cycle we'll be using will be broken down into 4 high carb days and 3 low carb days per week. Our high carb days will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We have it set up in this way so that the majority of carbs will be burned off during the HIIT sessions.
Sample Diet - High Carb Day
TimeMeal
Meal 17 am1 Cup Oatmeal
4 Scrambled Eggs
1 Glass of Skim Milk
Meal 29 amWhey Protein Shake
Meal 312 pm6-8 Ounce Lean Fish
1 Cups Brown Rice
1 Cups Vegetable
Meal 4 (post workout)3 pm40 Gram Protein Shake
1 Banana
1 Gatorade
Meal 56 pm1 Baked Potato
8-10 Ounce Steak
1 Cups Vegetable
Meal 69 pm2 Cups Cottage Cheese


Sample Diet - Low Carb Day
TimeMeal
Meal 17 am2 Pieces of Wheat Toast
6 Scrambled Eggs
1 Glass of Skim Milk
Meal 29 am1 Whey Protein Shake
Meal 312 pm8-10 Ounce Turkey
1/2 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 Cups Vegetable
Meal 4 (post workout)3 pm40 Gram Protein Shake
1 Banana
1 Gatorade
Meal 54 pm1/2 Cup Green Beans
3/4 Pound Hamburger (No Bun)
Meal 68 pm1 Scoop Casein Protein
1 Glass of Skim Milk



Trying to get off that last stubborn pound is probably the toughest thing to do when trying to succeed with a workout program, so let's look at the supplements that'll help you clear that hump with room to spare:

The Conclusion

What to do now?

When you've finished all three phases of the abercrombie workout you have twooptions as to what you want to do. If you want to continue building more muscle and working towards the male fitness model physique you can cycle between the second and third phase of the abercrombie workout. The best plan would be to spend two months on one phase before switching to the other. By doing this you'll be able to maximize your overall size and strength gains.
On the other hand if you're happy with your physique you can do something known as a maintenance workout. A maintenance workout is designed to maintain your gains but at the same time not make any more progress. The following is the maintenanceprogram for the abercrombie male fitness model workout:
Monday
ExerciseSetsReps
Skull Crushers310
Bicep Curls310
Rope Pull-Downs310
Pull-Ups310
Dips310
Wide Grip Pull-Ups310
Seated Rows310

Wednesday
ExerciseSetsReps
Bench Press310
Overhead Dumbbell Press310
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flys310
Lateral Dumbbell Raise310
Barbell Shrugs310
Forearm Curls3Failure
Yoga Ball Crunches3Failure

Friday
ExerciseSetsReps
Squats310
Calf Raises310
Leg Extensions310
Weighted Crunches310
Hanging Knee Raises310
Abdominal Bicycle310




Cardio Routine Daily Schedule
DayTimeLength
MondayPre-Workout10-15 mins
TuesdayMorning30 mins
WednesdayPre-Workout10-15 mins
ThursdayMorning30 mins
FridayPre-Workout10-15 mins
SaturdayMorning30 mins
SundayMorning30 mins