Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the fitness programs, bodybuilding books, and personal trainers there are in the market? Where do you even start? When do you ever end?

If you are looking for one workout program that produces perfect results for everyone, then, rest assured, that does NOT exist.

Everyone has different bodies, goals, and habits that will produce different results. It is difficult to know the million techniques of training.

But, it is simple, and necessary, to master the principles from where these techniques derive. Principles like periodization, stabilization, muscle confusion, eccentric contractions, peak contractions, functional training, hypertrophy training, balance training, interval training, circuit training, core training, super-sets, drop-sets, rest-sets, window of opportunity, power eating, food combination, qi qong, energy flow, kinesiology, reflexology, neurology, ATP, CP, and S.A.I.D.

Every few months, a new "breakthrough" program comes out that focuses on just a few of these core principles and it promises to deliver you the most incredible results. Then, inevitably, that program fades away, making way for another new "revolution" in fitness.

Unless the human bodies suddenly evolves in the new few decades, I promise you that these proven principles of human health, in existence since the dawn of mankind, will be ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW to get your ideal body.

I can give you all the ingredients you need. Yet, only you can create the perfect recipe for your unique body.

Once you master your workout ritual and actualize your dream body, it will only take 45 minutes a day, four times a week, to sustain your health.

Will you invest 3 hours a week to have that full energy, strength, and vitality that you deserve? Is a 1.8% weekly time investment worth experiencing the benefits 24/7?

Don't you think that you are worth a few hours a week, a few dollars a month, and a simple, one-stop, one-time fitness set (pull-up bar, dumbbells, stability ball, yoga matt, and ab-roller)?

Anyone can put on 5 pounds of solid muscle within 12 weeks. These muscles will burn fat for you while you are just sitting or even sleeping!

Would you rather run for hours every week, or just do simple bodyweight exercises to build muscle four times a week, 45 minutes a session? Do you want a body-sculpting, fat-burning muscular foundation that will last you for the rest of your life?!

If you cannot even commit 1.8% of your time to your body, then you are not ready to improve your life and make a change. If you want to pay hundreds for those quick-fix machines and diet pills that will do nothing for your health, then you are just simply lazy and ignorant. And if you are still reading this, then I am sure you are not one of those people.

So read on, but even more importantly, DO!

One pound of fat has 3500 calories in it. And one pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day, just by having it.

So, if you ADD JUST ONE POUND OF MUSCLE to your body, you will burn an additional 350 calories a week, 1500 calories a month, and 18,200 calories (5.2 POUNDS OF FAT) a year!

I have put on as much as 30 pounds of muscle in 3 months. I guarantee that you will put on at least 5 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks with my program. This means, for your 12 week investment, you will burn 26 pounds of fat a year, for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

When you workout, always do the biggest muscle groups first using compound movements that hit a large number of muscle groups (push-up, pull-up, squats, etc.). For example, it is better to start with a pull-up then a bicep curl. Each exercise is only as strong as its weakest link, so make sure you save your smallest muscles for last. 

Sometimes, you can target the smaller muscle group first if you want to shock the muscle into growth. For example, if your shoulders are lagging behind the rest of your body, it is perfectly fine to target those first so you can put all your energy and effort into making them grow.

 

Eccentric repetition describes the phase of the exercise when you are lowering the weight in a controlled manner. Every exercise has two parts, a concentric and eccentric portion. The concentric is the lift itself (the push-up part of the push-up, and the pull-up part of the pull-up). It is best to exhale during this portion.

The eccentric part is the second part of the exercise when you return from the lift to the starting position (in a push-up, it is the part when you lower yourself from the peak back down to the starting position). The eccentric repetition is the part that the muscle actually gets stretched, torn, and built. This part is the MOST critical part of the exercise.

It is best to use an extremely slow and controlled motion in the eccentric phrase. A 1-2 ratio is good. (In a push-up, the push-up portion would be 2 seconds, and the lowering portion would be 4 seconds). 6-12 second eccentric repetitions are a powerful way to build muscle. I recommend most of my clients to do a 2 to 4 second ratio (2 up, 4 down) or a 3 to 6 ratio (3 up and 6 down).

You can do these exercises anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.

Resistance training means working out against physical resistance (bodyweight, dumbbells, machines, bands, etc.). This training is essential to a healthy lifestyle as resistance training burns much more calories than any cardio training. The reason is two-folds.

First, resistance training burns more fat after you work out, whereas cardio only burns fat while you are working out. Second, and most importantly, resistance training builds muscle, which allows you to burn more fat every minute, even when you are not doing anything!

The keys to resistance training are the right posture, the right resistance, and the right timing. These three elements have to be experienced to be understood. I will have videos up shortly to demonstrate these principles. It is always best to get a qualified and experienced athlete or trainer to show you how to perform the exercises correctly.

*Please visit my website exact instructions on how to exercise with bodyweight.

It is generally best to workout first thing in the morning. It is best to eat a small light meal before you workout so you have energy and fuel to use. However, you also want to take advantage of the fact that your body is already burning fat as its main fuel due to the night's fast.

Thus, if you work out first thing in the morning, you will burn more fat than if you work out at any other time.

Just be sure to eat a small meal if you feel yourself getting weaker than stronger after a few weeks. The reason is that your body will become catabolic if it does not have enough fuel to use. Catabolism is when your body begins to break down its own muscle for fuel. THAT IS BAD, OKAY?

Only you know the right balance to get the benefit of the additional fat burning by not eating, and to avoid the harm of catabolism by not eating.

For me, a protein shake is enough to do the trick to make my body burn additional fat, but have enough fuel so it doesn't become catabolic.

When you see all the fancy reports about the ONE thing that destroys your progress in working out, they are usually talking about catabolism.

Mentors are essential for life success, especially in expertise that depends on physical mastery and personal interaction. You would not see some doctor who got his "online degree" via digital classrooms and voice conferences, would you? You would choose a doctor who has valid certifications, deep experiences in your needed domain, great patient feedback, a strong support team, and an emphatic relationship with you.

You deserve the same standards, and more, with your personal trainer. Your personal trainer not only has to be a great role model himself, but he has to have the ability to coach other people to succeed as well. He must be able to do and to teach. Never settle for less.

Find a personal trainer who has achieved what you wanted to achieve. For example, I have transformed my body from 45% body-fat to 3% body-fat, and I have achieved peak results in both bodybuilding for looks and functional training for strength and power. Thus, I love training client who are either endomorphs (round body-type) or mesomorphs (middle body-type) for anything-size, strength, stamina, structure, etc.

However, since I was never a skinny kid myself, I do not train ectomorph (skinny body-type) who want to put on muscle size. I do train ectomorphs who just want to get more functional strength or aerobic abilities, since those principles are the same.

Ask your trainer what his own transformation was, and what types of clients he has served successfully.

The only time your trainer is allowed to be overweight or out-of-shape is if he has a medical issue or injury that prevents him for training. There are no excuses for relationship drama, work stress, school projects, or anything else. Everyone has to deal with those normal life circumstances, and if your trainer cannot even stay fit when dealing with the ups-and-downs of life, then he will not be able to serve you as you go through your life journey.

PS. Easy ways to remember the different body-types, using learning techniques taught in the student success program.

Ectomorphs are the skinny body-types. You can remember this by looking at the skinny T in ec-To-morphs.

Endomorphs are the round body-types. You can remember this by looking at the round D in en-Do-morphs.

Mesomorphs are the muscular body-types. You can remember this by looking at the M in Me-so-morphs.

Deep breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, is essential for optimal health. Babies naturally breath through their bellies. Their little stomach expands when they breath-in, and contracts when they breath-out. Sadly, we lose this natural pattern as we get trained to breath only through our chest.

When you breath, imagine the air flowing into your lungs like pitchers of water, filling the bottom of your diaphragms, then the middle of your lungs, and then, finally, your chest.

You must check your toes, your feet, your hips, your stomach, your shoulder, your head, and your wrists in every workout you do. These seven points are keys to your posture, which is the core of your strength.

It is much better to do less the right way, than to do more the wrong way. When you do not follow these points, you will get injured, slow your progress, and lose your results.

So, be sure to watch the videos carefully! Even better, have someone else watch you do these since it is hard to notice all of this by yourself. Stand in front of a mirror or record yourself if you don't have anyone around to help you out.

Your toe should be pointed straight forward at 12 o'clock. Use the line between your big toe and second toe as the point of reference. Make sure that is straight ahead. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, unless otherwise noted.

Keeps your knees aligned forward as well, with a slight bent. You should never completely lock out your knees, at that force the stress onto your joints, rather than the muscles. Make sure your knees are

Your hip should be parallel to the group. Most people have their hips tucked in or bent out. Imagine your belt line and see if it is pointing downward, upwards, or parallel to the floor. Now, stick your butt as far out as possible, then, tuck it in as far in as possible. Find the happy middle between the two, and your hips are in the center, parallel to the floor!

Keep your stomach tight when you workout. Imagine a force pulling your naval towards the back of your spine. This will keep your core stable. Having a tight stomach is NOT having a flexed stomach. A flexed stomach is NOT good since it prevents a good posture and a deep breath. Please watch the videos for more visual instructions on this critical step.

Rise your shoulder straight up so they are next to your ears. Now, let them drop smoothly to the ground. This should get them back in the right alignment. Most people's shoulders are hunched forward because they work on a computer all day. This is extremely damaging to your body and must be prevented! If you get tight shoulders, neck, and traps, you probably have hunched shoulders. You can fix this naturally by a change in posture.

Make sure your head is in the center of your body. Many people's head are stuck forward because they are working at the computer, watching television, or reading books most of the day. You want to imagine that you want to have a triple-chin. This motion will basically make you tuck your chin in and keep your head in the center. This is a CRUCIAL detail to working out, and it is best to have an expert watch your neck to make sure it is in the perfect position.

Keep your wrists straight when you work out. Many novices and even experienced lifters will work out with their wrists bent. Then, they wonder why they have so much pain and strain in their wrists. Keep it straight!

The number one mistake most people make is over-training or under-training. They burn themselves out by working out too hard, too fast, and too far. 

Muscle is built during the RECOVERY stage of the exercise. Thus, you must let your body recover!

However, your body and your muscle will not GROW if there is nothing to recover from! 

So how do you find the right balance?

Use the 3 More Rule. Work out until you think you cannot possible do another repetition. Then, push yourself to do just three more repetitions in PERFECT form. 

"The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens."

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

This is what I imagine, anchor, and say to do these last three repetitions.

This first repetition beyond my limits is for me. I owe it to myself to grow just a little bit more every day. Life and death are fought and won in the inches. It is this extra-distance, this last-minute stamina, and this indomitable will makes me a champion. 

This second repetition beyond my limits is for my dream and my love. We all have something we want to achieve in our life. Most people give up on their dreams when they are just a few more steps away from it. Maybe they got knocked down a few times already, so they stop going for their standards and settle down for mediocrity. But, if they had just gotten up, just ONE more time, just ONE more round, just ONE more shot, then maybe, just maybe, they would have made it. Maybe we would be talking about their stories, for the rest of history. What is your legacy? This is the moment to make it. It takes heart and guts to get to the top. No talent, no gift, and no secrets will ever replace the power of desire and drive. 

The third repetition beyond my limit is for this world. Imagine a world where everyone pushes themselves three more steps beyond what they thought they could. Just see, feel, and hear how this entire world would change if we all had the heart to just go a little bit more, even when we think we got nothing left. We live in dark times. We need light. Be that light. Go the distance. Make your dreams come true. Be the person you were always meant to be.

Circuit training is doing a series of 6 to 8 exercises in one giant set, without resting at all between any of the exercises. After one giant set, you rest for 90-150 seconds. Then, you go through your entire set again without resting. Rest again for 90-180 seconds, and then push yourself hard in the last giant set. This should take you 25 minutes to complete. This training combines the benefits of cardio and resistance training in one package. 

Each exercise will take about 8-12 repetitions in 2-4 ratio, so 6 seconds times 10 average repetition per exercise is 60 seconds an exercise. 7 average exercises a set is 420 seconds (7 minutes). Each rest is an average of 120 seconds (2 minutes) between each giant set. So you do 3 giant sets of 7 minutes and 2 rests intervals of 2 minutes for 25 minutes total.

I recommend starting with a total body workout for the first 4weeks to build up your general fitness. Then, split the 3 exercise sessions a week to:

Push (chest, triceps, and any other pushing motions)

Pull (back, biceps, and any other pulling motions)

Leg (quads, hams, gluts, thighs, etc.)

I would do abs, shoulders, and calves every other workout session. The reason is smaller muscle groups take about 2-4 days to recover, while bigger muscle groups take about 5-7 days to recover.

In circuit training, you are doing an average of 70 repetitions without stopping! However, since you are using different muscle group in a series, your muscles will be fine.

Just remember to not do the exercises that hit the exact same muscle group one after another, or else the muscles will not be able to perform to their maximum potential.

A superset is when you do two exercises together as one set (like a mini-circuit). For example, you could do a push-up and a pull-up right away. Or, you can do bicep and triceps. Or, you can do squats and then deadlifts. 

You would do one superset and rest for 90-120 seconds. You would repeat this sequence 3-5 times to complete the superset for the target muscle groups. Then, you would move on to the next superset sequence. 

There're two main theories for supersets. 

Some people say the best supersets are doing exercises that target antagonistic muscle groups (push and pull, such as push-ups and pull-ups, or bicep curls and triceps dips, or squats and deadlifts). The reason is the additional burn and fatigue from the antagonistic muscle groups that are next to each other. 

Other people say the best supersets are doing exercises that target distant muscle groups (like chest and calves, or arms and biceps, or back and legs). The reason is that you are forcing the blood to pump from one area to another distant area, forcing your body to work harder, but at the same time, giving the muscles more time to rest.

There's support for both theories. I do both depending on what I feel like. 

That's the thing you'll find about working out. You really have to do what works for your body. There are general truths like what I have told you thus far, but there're so many little details that can make the difference between that last few inches you want to gain or lose. So just explore and feel what works for you.

25 minutes of intense interval training is better than 3 hours of running.

If you have to do cardio, then do interval training. Make sure you do the cardio training on the days you are NOT doing your circuit training. For example, circuit training on M, W, and S, and interval training on T and Th,

Never do cardio and circuit training on the same day, since cardio training makes your body in aerobic mode, which burns fat but does not build muscle. You want to just do circuit training on your workout days to build MUSCLE in anaerobic mode.

25 minutes of interval training is more effective than 60 minutes of traditional running. Interval training is basically alternating your training with intervals of peak performance (90%-100% of your maximum performance) and intervals of average performance (40%-50% of your maximum performance). This intense alternation between top speed and average speed for 20 minutes will burn more calories and build more muscle than running at a slightly above average speed (60%-80%) for 60 minutes.

For example, you may began jogging for 5 minutes at 40% of your maximum output, then sprint for 5 minutes at 90% of your maximum output, and then go back to jogging for 5 minutes at 50% of your output. After this initial 15 minute warm-up, you can alternative with 90 seconds peak intervals and 90 seconds average intervals until you hit 20-25 minutes. You can play around with various intervals, such as 45 seconds peak and 45 seconds averages, or 60 second peaks and 30 second averages, or whatever comes to mind. When you do this interval training right, 25 minutes will feel like one entire hour of traditional running!