*****This is a work-in-progress. I'm editing as I get the time.*******

===[First week]======================================
First day. Upper body.
Pullups. Do 4 of them. However many tries it takes. Cheat however you need. Try to keep your abs engaged.
Incline bench press. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Lat pulldowns. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Dips. Use the machine. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Seated rows. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Overhead press. 3 sets. 10 reps. Use lightish weight here. It gets heavy fast.
40 second plank. Belly button to spine.
done.

Second day. Cardio.
Warm up for 5 minutes.
Keep heart rate in the 140ish bpm range for 40 minutes.
Cool down for 10 minutes.
done.

Third day. Legs.
Squats. 4 sets. 12 reps. Make sure you go all the way down.
Standing Lunges. 3 sets. 10lb dumbbells in each hand. 14 reps per side.
Leg press. 3 sets. 10 reps. Make 'em count.
Leg curls. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Calves. 5 sets. 12 reps.
30 crunches.
done.

Fourth day. Cardio.
Warm up for 5 minutes.
Keep heart rate in the 140ish bpm range for 40 minutes.
Cool down for 10 minutes.
done.

Fifth day. Full body. Light weight.
Squats. 3 sets. 16 reps.
Pull ups. 4 sets. Max reps. Cheating OK.
Machine flys. 3 sets. 16 reps.
Walking lunges. 10lb dumbbells. 3 sets. 20 steps per set. Forward motion.
Arnold Presses. 3 sets. 16 reps.
Hanging leg raises. Knees to chest. Don't swing (no momentum). 10 total. As many sets as it takes.
60 second plank.
done.

Sixth day. Cardio.
Warm up for 5 minutes.
Keep heart rate in the 140ish bpm range for 40 minutes.
Cool down for 10 minutes.
done.

Seveth Day. He rested.



===[Main Program]======================================

PUSH:
Flat bench press. Barbell, dumbbell, or machine. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Incline bench press. Barbell, dumbbell, or machine. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Dips. Machine where you push the weight, not the counterweight type. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Flys. Machine. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Overhead (shoulder) press. Dumbbell, or machine. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Tricep Pulldown cables. 4 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Overhead tricep extensions. 4 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
30 crunches, 12 burpees, 60 second plank.


PULL:
Pull Ups. As many as you can get in 3 sets. (Show me your grip strength!)
Seated Rows. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Deadlifts. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps. DO NOT ROUND YOUR BACK!
Lat pulldowns. Wide grip. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Reverse flys. Machine. 3 sets. Failure at 12 reps.
Hammer curls. Seated or standing. Alternate arms. 3 sets. 10 reps.
Standard curls. Barbell or dumbbells. 3 sets. 10 reps. (Use of preacher setup is recommended).
Reverse-grip curls. Barbell. Standing. 3 sets. 12 reps.
10 hanging leg raises, 10 bicycle crunches (5 per side), 60 second plank.

LEGS:
Warm up first. 5 minutes on a cardio machine.
Squats. 3 sets. 12 reps. Make sure you go down far enough!!!!
Superset: Leg curls and leg extensions. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Superset: Hip abudctor and adductor machines. 3 sets. 12 reps.
Leg press: 3 sets. 10 reps. Pound it.
Calf raises. 4 sets. 12 reps.
30 second stomach vacuum, 45 second stomach vacuum, 60 second stomach vacuum.

Breakfast suggestions:
- Oatmeal (1/2 - 1 cup dry). Add with water. Microwave. Add one scoop of whey.
- Omelets. Use 1/2 carton of egg substitue. Available from Costco. Mix in veggies. Cook with light oil or cooking spray (nonstick pan preferred). Spinach and tomatoes highly recommended (they are delicious). Salsa on the side is ok.
- 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese + piece of fruit

Lunch suggestions:
- 2 chicken breasts + big container of raw veggies
- 1-2 cans of chicken + big container of raw veggies
- 1/2 lb super lean pork loin (like 3 medallions?)+ big container of raw veggies
- 2 cans of tuna + big container of raw veggies
- 1 chicken breast + 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese + container of raw veggies

Dinner suggestions:
- Chicken fajita stuff. 2-3 chicken breasts. Whatever veggies sound awesome. (Onion, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, etc). Season to taste. 1 can black or pinto beans as a side. No tortillas. Serves 2.

- Salmon fillet. Season and bake. (garlic powder + olive oil). Your serving size is a regular, reasonable restaurant-size serving size (5 inches?). Lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower as a side. Your serving size is as much as you want within reason. Go for a bigass bowl. Use the bathroom downstairs. Courtesy flush frequently and light several matches.

- Grilled chicken. 2 breasts. 1 whole ear of corn on the cobb (or other veggie).

- Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs. Use super lean ground meat. Season with awesomeness. Add egg substitute. Cook. Make rockin veggie marinara sauce. Add meatballs. Serve over prepared spaghetti squash.

- Grilled shrimp with asparagus spears. 1 cup (cooked) brown rice.

- Grilled chicken. 1 breast. One baked sweet potato. Bowl of lightly steamed broccoli

- Omelet for dinner. 5 egg whites with veggies. Salsa on the side. Two red potatoes.

Oh yeah. And drink 1 gallon of water. Every day. Even on rest days.

I thought I knew what a plank is, but I am confused by the second part of this statement:
"40 second plank. Belly button to spine."

Please explain. Also, what is the "push" section? Is that day 5, or something else?

You know what a plank is. I'm basically telling you to engage your abs and suck them in as much as possible. I want to prevent the whole "distended abs" look that a lot of lifters get. I want you to be lean, mean, and aesthetically awesome.

Your first week has been tailored as a semi-newbie section. After that, I'm putting you on a standard, balls-out lifting program. You're gonna be sore.

Followup: The push/pull/legs sections are the actual split I'm setting up for you.

Can I switch the order to
M- Push
W- Legs
F - Pull
????

that way I get more rest between upper body, and my legs are not as rocked if I want to go for a saturday run/hike (or any other activity that covers long distances on foot).

That "guest" was me. I am not sure why it logged me out, but oh well.

certainly.

Explanation.

We're going to start what's called a "split". The purpose is to split your whole body into several different muscle groups. You then train only one muscle group per visit to the gym, and rotate accordingly. The benefit here is twofold:

1. You can focus your time and energy and REALLY hammer the crap out of your muscles.
2. You give those muscles adequate time between exercises to better recover.

You are going to be on a 3-day split. That is, I'm splitting your body into three major muscle groups. These groups are your pushing muscles, your pulling muscles, and your legs.

The order in which you do them is unimportant. Push/Pull/Legs, Push/Legs/Pull/, Legs/Pull/Push. After all, your calves/biceps/whatever don't know the difference between a Thursday and a Sunday. The only important part is that you give your muscles a rest between use. In this case, you'll be giving them a full week before pounding the snot out of them again.

Again, as before, I want you to do cardio on your "off days". One rest day per week.

Also, we're approaching your "cheat day". That's coming 2 weeks into the program.