Workouts
If you read my 2017 through October post, then you know that I began the Body Beast program the summer of 2017. I have received several questions about my workouts, and thought it best to provide an update to my workout program. Body Beast is a 12-week program that is broken into three phases. The program is almost purely centered around weight lifting and strength training.
Phase 1 is a 3-week “Build” phase and consists of 5 days of working out followed by 1 day of rest, and repeats. Day 1 is chest and triceps, day 2 is legs, day 3 is back and biceps, day 4 is total body (or cardio) and abs, day 5 is shoulders, day 6 is rest.
Phase 2 is a 5-week “Bulk” phase and consists of 5 days of working out followed by 1 day of rest, and repeats. Day 1 is chest, day 2 is legs, day 3 is arms, day 4 is total body (or cardio) and abs, day 5 is back, day 6 is rest. For reasons I cannot explain, I feel that the Bulk phase is actually easier than the Build phase.
The last phase, Phase 3, is a 4-week “Beast” phase and is a blend of Phases 1 and 2. Each week is sprinkled with workouts from Build and Bulk, as well as the “Beast” programs for total body, cardio, and abs.
If you were to research the Body Beast program, you would see a fair amount of criticism that it received. Some believe that it was not geared properly for beginners, and that is probably a true assessment. I had the benefit of going to personal trainers before this program, so I already knew proper form and how to do most of these workouts. However, my personal trainer cost $60 a day whereas this entire Body Beast program cost around $60 and was designed to span 12 weeks. Cost savings aside, I felt I was ready to give it a try.
I am usually not one to fall victim to infomercials, but something about the Body Beast infomercial spoke to me. I saw the workouts they advertised and they looked extremely similar to the ones I was already doing via my personal trainer. I was up for the challenge of doing the program myself.
I was also curious to learn some new workouts that my personal trainer did not teach me previously, and I’m pleased to report that Body Beast has a lot of terrific workouts. The videos also teach great workout habits, such as proper form, writing down progress, staying hydrated, and lowering weight upon failure. What I believe the videos failed to teach is correct weight selection. I have read in countless other sources that the first set should be a little bit tough, the next should be tougher, and so on, and the final set should be such that you are just about to break proper form. If you are on the cusp of failure, then you are experiencing gains. None of that wisdom is conveyed in these videos. Fortunately, prior knowledge served me well.
After the 12 week program was finished, I faced the dilemma about what to do next. The thought of going back to my personal trainer was not appealing. I felt that I was getting a much better workout from this program compared to my personal trainer. I decided to adopt my own variant of this program where every 6 days would alternate between Phase 1 and Phase 2. Essentially, on one week, I do Phase 1’s “Build” chest and triceps, legs, back and biceps, shoulders, total body and abs, and rest. The following 6 days are Phase 2’s “Bulk” chest, legs, back, arms, shoulders and abs, and rest. Then, the process repeats, and I have been doing this variant for the past 20 weeks.
One might think that I would grow tired of doing the same workouts over and over again. There is just enough variety and time between repeats where I do not get bored. There is also enough variety between weekly programs that I feel that my body is getting a great workout all over. Usually it is considered bad to repeat the same workouts because certain muscles may not get used enough, or ever. I feel that this program has the proper balance to challenge every muscle group adequately, and I definitely feel that my muscle size and strength has increased from this approach.
It is also worth mentioning that I stopped watching the videos after the first 12 weeks. I found myself growing impatient while waiting for the following set to begin. I also preferred to listen to my own music instead of listening to the queues for the next set, as well as the video’s music. The computer nerd in me intervened and I decided to create an extensive spreadsheet capturing each workout from every video. The spreadsheet leaves blank spaces for the weight amounts, which I fill in during each workout. I refer to the last time I did that same workout for guidance on which weight to use, and I either keep the same weight or increase it based on how the workout is feeling. Like I mentioned earlier, if you aren’t struggling on the last set, then it’s time to go up in weight, albeit slightly.
There are a few final points to make if you are considering a workout program for yourself. First, eat or drink something for a pre-workout snack. My favorite pre-workout food is berries, but anything that will give you a quick burst of energy will work. I try to avoid processed sugars entirely, since I’m trying to lose fat and get toned versus put on fat. Whatever you do, do not skip a pre-workout meal! I have had friends nearly pass out during their workouts because of this oversight. It is possible for your body to exhaust all the carbs, switch to burning fat and protein, and feel suddenly exhausted and light-headed.
After my workout, I try to consume at least 30 grams of protein, immediately. Usually, I make a protein drink with organic plant protein mix that contains 40 grams of protein, mixed with almond or cashew milk. The ingredients of the protein mix are all organic, are all plants that are recognizable, also contains probiotics, and make me feel great for the rest of the day. I have, however, eaten other sources of protein instead, such as sardines, nuts, meat or beans. Similarly to the importance of a pre-workout, do not skip the post-workout! If you did a proper metabolic workout, your body is chugging in high gear after the workout and will continue to do so for many hours. This is a good thing of course; however, your body will eventually begin to break down protein from your muscle unless it is refueled. For this reason, you need to supply it with protein as soon as possible after the workout, to prevent this. Furthermore, as your muscles repair and grow, they need protein. This is why runners tend to look extremely scrawny, because they have experienced muscle loss due to lack of protein replenishment.
I wholeheartedly wish you all with the best of luck when implementing a workout regimen. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to leave a comment to this post, and I’ll reply as soon as possible.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is based entirely upon my experiences and observations. I am not a medical professional and you must do your own research and consult your doctor before making any changes to your eating, fitness, medication, or supplements. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.
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