LEAN MACHINE Hey Warrior, Welcome to your 12-Week Lean Machine Training Plan. Before you begin I just wanted to thank you again, for joining the Tribe and committing to this training. This plan has been created to help you, the tactical athlete, lose fat, improve your condition, while still building strength and lean muscle. The goal : To turn you into a Lean Mean Fighting Machine. Your Mission : To commit to this training, quit the excuses and give it your all! On the following pages I have carefully laid out all the details of your training and schedule. With the focus being fat loss, each days workout is structured into three stages, designed this way to help you maximize fat loss and performance. 1.) One Main Strength Exercise 2.) Accessory work 3.) Abdominals & Conditioning Your weeks are then broken up into three phases. As you progress through the weeks each phase gets progressively harder and changes so that you are constantly challenging yourself so you actually start seeing those results. I elaborate more over the following introduction pages so please, carefully read through these so you can fully understand how to get the most out of this training. I have laid the foundations and given you everything you need. Now the ball is in your court my friend. It is up to you whether or not you make the changes that need to happen. It’s up to you whether you quit the excuses, and ditch what is holding you back OR decide to give up, give in and stay exactly where you are. If you can choose to push through and stick to this, I can guarantee your mission success. LEAN MACHINE To hit the target we need to first know what we are aiming for. It’s all good and well to want to be bigger, leaner or have greater energy but the first thing I want you to do is set a goal. You need a reason to be putting your body through this pain, a reason for the torture. Before you begin your training I want you to sit down and take time to think about what you really want to achieve. What do you want to get out of these next 12 weeks. Don’t stress your goal doesn’t have to be perfect, I don’t believe in goals that don’t change, as you grow your goals should also grow with you, but if you don’t have any goal at all what do you have to aim for? There are a few important things to keep in mind when setting your goals that will also help keep them achievable. 1.)There are two type of goals to focus on general and specific. A general goal you may have could be, “I want to be able to see the veins and vascularity in my arms” A specific goal would be, “I will lower my bodyfat % from 14% to 10% in the next 12 weeks” 2.) Keep it short. No more then 5 goals with a combination of general and specific goals (have at least 1-2 specific goals). 3.) Write them down, no one else has to see them this is just to help you really commit. 4.)Visualise yourself achieving these goals and imagine just how good it will feel when you do. -- Eric Greitens TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS We want to record where you were at before you began this training so you can look back and be proud of how far you have come. When things get tough you need to keep yourself motivated and what better motivator then seeing your own personal progress. The number on the scales and reflection in the mirror aren’t enough to see your true progressions. We are training you to become a lean machine so not only is photographic proof important in measuring progress but we also need to measure your increases in strength and muscle mass, with measurements and performance testing. Should be taken from the following areas; Chest - Take just above nipple line, around. Stand up straight, relax and then release all the air out of your lunges. Now take your measurement. Waist - Measure from just above your bellybutton and around. Take this while standing up straight. Yes the typical before and after photos. It does feel odd standing in front of the mirror posing for a photo but trust me, they do help you stay motivated. Remember no one else has to see these photos if you do not wish, they are for your eyes only so don’t be shy. Here are some best practices to help you keep it simple; For the following measurements, you can take them with the muscles relaxed or flexed, just be sure to specify this when recording your results. • Use good lighting and try and keep the same lighting for before and after images. • Aim for a plain background when taking images. • Take at least 3 images one from front on, Bicep - Taken between shoulder and elbow, one from side view and one from back. choose the widest part of your arm (usually • Assume a natural relaxed pose. right in the middle). Thigh - Taken below the butt but above your knee. Stand up straight and pick the widest part of your thigh. There are no scheduled performance tests in this program as the conditioning portion Note: of your training is entirely up to you and If you feel one arm or leg is different your goals. I can not promise increases in from the other (usually is the case) swimming or running times if you decide feel free to measure each arm and against those exercises for conditioning. each leg, just clearly document the However you can track your strength results. sessions for each workout as a way to see your progress. Each strength section of your workout will be testing your max strength in a certain exercise. Focus on recording your weights lifted for this portion of each workout so you can work on beating your previous lifts each week. Always document your stats in the same place to see your progression. YOUR TRAINING Your workouts will be 30-40minute sessions (excluding conditioning) 5 days a week with 2 full rest days. Feel free to place your rest days anywhere in your week so that this training fits your schedule and lifestyle. Each training session is broken up into 3 different sections: Section 1: Strength Section 2: Accessory work Section 3: Conditioning / Abdominal Circuits The following pages explain how each section works together and exactly how they are intended to be implemented. Please, it is very important that you read over these sections carefully so you have a full understanding of your training. SECTION ONE The focus for this first part of your workout Section 1, is building your max strength in one particular exercise. This is where we put Reverse pyramid training (RPT) in to play. A technique not commonly used but is one that is great for building strength for many reasons. If you have currently hit a plateau, I can assure you this will help you break out of it. During RPT, you perform your heaviest set first. The quick warm up detailed below on its own is enough to get you prepped for lifting that max weight straight off the bat. Why lift so heavy at the beginning of your workout? Because, by getting straight into heavy lifting while you are fresh means you aren’t tired out and have maximum energy to put into your first working set. Mentally, this will also prep you for the rest of your work out as you have already achieved your heaviest set. One other brilliant benefit of this technique is that by performing your heaviest set first you are firing up your body and activating more muscle fibers. Due to this, when you move on to the lighter sets, you will find you can perform more repetitions than usual. To warm up for your strength exercises you will perform 4 Warm-up sets. These sets shouldn't be difficult and are used to warm-up and fire up your central nervous system for what’s to come. Keep rest periods to 90-120 seconds. (this doesn't have to be exact, just use the bar and get some more blood flowing) Make sure to rest 2-3 Minutes before you perform your first working set. For all strength exercises you must rest for a minimum of 2 minutes between sets. You can take longer but keep your rest periods below 4 minutes so you don’t lose your motivation and flow. Once you can hit 4 repetitions on your first set, it’s time to increase the weight. The next time you do this workout increase the weight by 5-10lbs so you are constantly challenging yourself. SECTION TWO Section two of your workout focusses on accessory work, in where you will be raising your heart rate, building lean muscle, burning a large amount of calories and focusing on your weak points. For this section of your workout you want to pick a couple of good songs, get your headphones in, hit that timer and get to work. You won’t have time to be checking your phone, having a water break or taking any selfies. The thing which makes this program different to anything you’ve likely tried before is that each set is done on the minute, also known as an EMOM (every minute on the minute). Meaning once you start that timer and start your first set, every set after that will be performed at the beginning of each new minute, with your rest being the time you have spare before that minute is up. Example: 0:00 Start first set. 0:13 Finish First set, rest 47 seconds. 1:00 Start second set. 1:15 Finish Second set, rest 45seconds. 2:00 Start third set. 2:18 Finish third set, rest 42 seconds. **The above is just an example, your finish times will vary. Work fast but keep your form up throughout. You will likely notice you have to lift lighter weights than you usually would especially when it comes to movements which use a lot of energy. Complete all sets and reps for each exercise before you move onto the next one. SECTION THREE At the end of your workout in section 3, we are performing a conditioning session or abdominal circuit. For conditioning in this training plan we will be performing either Active Recovery sessions or High Intensity conditioning sessions. For each workout I have specified the type of conditioning that is required for that day. You have lots of flexibility when it comes to this section and for both active recovery and high intensity there are several workout variations for you to choose from. I want you to have the flexibility to choose which options best suit your career goals and lifestyle. There is no point making you spend hours swimming or rucking if it doesn't suit your goals. Ultimately this last section can be performed separately from section one and section two. It is all up to you and how this training fits into your schedule. Choose 1 exercise from each group and perform 3 sets of 20-40 repetitions of each. When it comes to the abdominal training, you will be focusing on hitting all areas of your abdominals each session. Many times in the Military we are so focused on improving our Sit-up or crunch count that we build up our upper abs but forget to work our lower abs, obliques or the abdominal muscles that lie beneath that provide stability and improve posture. Lower Abs Reverse crunches Hanging leg raises 4-Count Flutter kicks Obliques Decline Russian twist Twisting Crunches Heel Touches Stability Planks – Front & Sides -30 secs to 1 min+ AB Wheel Upper Abs Sit-ups Butterfly Sit-ups Crunches Cable crunch ACTIVE RECOVERY Active Recovery sessions are very important to completing this plan. Not only in helping you recover faster so you can hit the following sessions harder but also helping you burn extra calories and lose those extra pounds you want to take off. I know a lot of you have been taught before, that when it hurts to carry on and embrace the suck. Like they say “pain is weakness leaving the body”. As much as I agree with these sentiments, if you are constantly sore and in pain you are likely NOT progressing or not to the level you may hope to be. When it comes to body composition, you don’t make the greatest gains while you are in the gym. That comes in the following hours when you are resting and recovering. However we don’t have all the time in the world and we want fast progress so sitting around and resting all the time isn’t how we are going to go about things in this plan. We are going to spend time performing active recovery so you can increase your performance at the same time as recovering from previous sessions. Along with the following Active recovery Workouts which will be listed, I recommend Taking part in other forms of recovery. These can be as simple as spending ten minutes static stretching at the end of each day, taking contrast showers, Epsom salt baths, regular foam rolling and even meditation. Along with the previous physical recovery, to keep you in high spirits and motivated don’t neglect your mental recovery, spending time with friends, engaging in hobbies and whatever else makes you feel good and recharges your batteries. ACTIVE RECOVERY Choose from the list below and perform 2 active recovery session per week. You may complete up to 4 active recovery sessions. A Long low intensity session performed at 60-75% effort. Choose one of the below and perform the exercise at an intensity where you are still able to talk comfortably or breath throughout your nose the whole duration of the session. Run / Cycle / Row / Swim or Hike Focus on choosing an exercise that is either suited to your career or an area you want to improve your skills in (Swimming technique). Beginner: 20-30 Minutes Intermediate: 45-60 Minutes Advanced: 60-90 Minutes These sessions are designed to create variety while still focusing on recovery and building your cardiovascular endurance. Pick 3 exercises and perform them for 5/10/15 or 20 minutes each. I have laid out some examples below, Beginner: 5 Minutes of each exercise Intermediate: 10 Minutes of each exercise Advanced: 15-20 Minutes of each exercise Alternatively: Keep the time the same and add one or two more exercises. Job Specific Choose either continuous swimming or sprints. Continuous Swim: Swim for 30-45 Minutes, alternating strokes between freestyle, breaststroke and combat side stroke. This can be performed in swimwear, wearing fatigues, with or without fins depending on your needs. Swim Sprints: Always warm up with a 200m swim before you begin any swim sprints. Try your hand at one of the following. Using a backpack, weighted vest or Military ruck, load up with adequate weight and hit the road or hills. Ideally you will wear issued boots for this if you are currently serving otherwise trainers are fine as long as they have decent grip. Maintain a fast pace but never run while carrying a heavy load on your back as this increases risking of injury. If you are new to rucking, start light (2035lbs) and between 30-60 minutes. To take it up a notch increase the weight to 45lbs+ and the duration to 60-90 minutes. If you are Preparing for certain SOF selection courses, the demands will be far greater with weights of 70-100lbs and times of 120 minutes +. CONDITIONING For this we are going with Push-ups , Dips, and Sit-ups but you can alternate these. Another example would be Pull-ups, Flutter kicks, Air Squats. Sprint 50m either on a track or on a Slight Incline treadmill as fast as possible. If performing on a track or a field, sprint 50m then turn and walk slowly back to the start and repeat. If you decide to perform them on a treadmill, instead focus on 10 seconds sprinting then 20 seconds rest with your feet on the sides with the machine still running. Beginner: 6-8 Sprints Intermediate: 10 Sprints Advanced: 12-15 Sprints Sprint 400m either on a track or on an Incline treadmill as fast as possible. Rest 2-3 Minutes between sprints.* *Focus on a near maximal recovery so you can put a great effort into each sprint, don’t try and make it harder by cutting rest periods down as the runs will be performed at a far lower intensity. Beginner: 4 Sprints Intermediate: 6 Sprints Advanced: 8-10 Sprints Run 1 Mile / Rest 2 minutes Run 800m / Rest 1 minute Run 400m Beginner: As above Intermediate: As above then add; Rest 30 secs / Run 200m / Rest 30secs / Run 100m Advanced: Perform wearing weighted vest Don’t break up the reps, you must perform all of the reps for that exercise, before you move onto the next exercise. 100 Push-ups 100 Sit-ups 50 Dips **Run 200m every time you need to take a break for punishment. Beginner: Cut the reps in 1/2 Intermediate: 1 Round Advanced: Add a weighted Vest or increase the reps. This is a simple workout which you can perform anywhere in the smallest space and is extremely effective. 10 Rounds 10 x Squat Jumps 10 x 4-Count Flutter kicks Beginner: Change Flutter-kicks to reverse crunches Intermediate: As stated above Advanced: Add a weighted vest / issued boots. CONDITIONING Tabata is 4 minutes of exercise broken up by 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds rest. For this I want you to perform two 4-minute tabatas one after the other using a tyre. 1.) Sledgehammer overhead swings against the tyre. 2.) Box Jumps onto the tyre. Rest 2minutes between rounds Beginner: 1 Round Intermediate: 2 Rounds Advanced: 2 Rounds and use Tyre Flips instead of Box jumps. For this we are also performing two 4minute tabatas. 1.) One arm Dumbbell snatches 2.) One dumbbell thrusters. For the snatches I recommend a weight between 25-45lbs and the thrusters between 25-45lbs per hand. Beginner: 1 Round Intermediate: 2 Rounds Advanced: 2 Rounds wearing a weighted vest. 30 Seconds Kettlebell Swings 2 Minutes work (Pick either Run/bike/row/Skip) Rest 90 Seconds between rounds. Each round should equal 4 Minutes in total. Beginner: 3 Rounds Intermediate: 4 Rounds Advanced: 5 Rounds For this you will need a kettlebell (25-55lb) and an outside area or a big enough area Inside your gym to perform long sprints. Run 400m carrying the Kettlebell Stop and perform 100 KB swings Run 200m carrying the KB Stop and perform 50 KB swings Sprint 100M Beginner: One round with a 25-35lb KB Intermediate: One round with a 40-55lb KB Advanced: Add a 800m run and 150 KB swings to the beginning. CONDITIONING For this you will need a Sandbag (25-75lbs). Start light the first time you do this, this is not easy if done quickly and with good form. Sandbag Squats: 50—40—30—20 Sandbag Getups: 30—20—10—6 Perform 50 Sandbag squats then drop to the floor and perform 30 sandbag getups, then 40 sandbag squats and 20 sandbag getups etc. Make sure to alternate sides of your shoulder when performing the squats and alternate side when performing the getups. For this you will need two sets of Dumbbells or Kettlebells. One lighter pair for the waiters walk and a heavier pair for the farmers walk. Start with 25lb dumbbells for the waiters walk and 45lb dumbbells for the farmers walk and progress from there. Find an area where you can walk 20m there and back and have both sets of dumbbells set up at the start line. 10 rounds 40m Waiters Walk 40m Farmers Walk To scale, increase weight first and foremost. To increase the difficulty and spice it up even more, replace the waiters walk with overhead lunges. Grab a pair of dumbbells, preferably hex dumbbells but if you don’t have them don’t worry. I would start with no more than 25lbs in each hand the first time you do this then you can judge where you are at. This will be plenty for most people. To perform this exercise; Begin holding the dumbbells at your sides drop down into the push-up position and perform one push-up. From here holding yourself up with straight arms, row with your left arm, then row with your right arm. Now jump your feet forward and stand up still holding the dumbbells and clean them up to your shoulders and press them overhead. This is one repetition. Repeat. Beginner: 25 reps Intermediate: 50 reps Advanced: 50 reps wearing a weighted vest PHASE 01 Welcome to phase 1 During this first phase we will be readying the body for the punishment that is to come and building up your work capacity. Focus on understanding the system and figuring out the weights that work for you during this first week, so you can build on this base for the rest of the weeks. Accessory Work: We are performing 15 sets during this first phase so this will take 15 minutes of EMOM’s all up. Conditioning : You will be mainly performing Active recovery sessions during this time to allow the body to adapt to the intensity of the sessions before we throw more high intensity sessions at it. Active Recovery x 3 (Day 2 / Day 4 / Day 5) High Intensity Con x 1 (Day 3) Abs x 2 (Day 3 / Day 5) • Don’t rush the strength sets. Strength: Rack Deadlift 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory work: Lying Leg Curls 5 x 7 DB Lunges 4 x 8 (4 each side) DB Romanian Deadlifts 3x10 Barbell Bent Over Row 2x12 4 Count Flutterkicks 1x50 Strength: Barbell Military Press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: 2 Hand Landmine press 5 x 7 DB rear Lateral raises 4 x 8 DB Seated power cleans 3x10 Barbell Push press 2 x 12 Side Lateral raises 1 x 25 Conditioning: Active recovery session Strength: Front Squat 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Hang clean 5 x 7 Back squat 4 x 8 DB Cossack squat 3 x 10 • No distractions during accessory work so prep your zone before you begin. • Don’t neglect your conditioning sessions. (5 each side) Leg extensions 2 x 12 Box Jumps 1 x 50 Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit High Intensity conditioning Strength: Close Grip Bench press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: DB Incline press 5 x 7 Weighted Dips 4x8 (Elbows out) DB Flat bench Alternating press 3 x 10 DB Lying Tricep Extensions2x12 Push-ups 1 x max Conditioning: Active recovery session Strength: Weighted Pull-ups or Pulldowns (wide) 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory work: Close grip Lat pulldown 5 x 7 DB Bent rows 4 x 8 Cable Rope face pulls 3 x 10 Barbell Curls 2 x 12 DB Hammer curls 1 x 30 (Triple drop set 10-10-10) Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit Active Recovery session PHASE 02 Welcome to phase 2 In this Phase we are taking things up a notch and increasing your workload during the accessory phase. You are moving on to alternative exercises for the strength portion so the first week will again be a tester finding where you’re currently at. You have already set the foundation and now its time to build on it. Accessory work: We are now performing 20 sets during this second phase so this will take 20 minutes of EMOM’s all up. Conditioning: you will be moving into an equal amount of high intensity sessions and active recovery as you will have built up a base over the previous 4 weeks, and are ready for the challenge. Active Recovery x2 (Day 2 / Day 4 ) High Intensity Con x2 (Day 3 / Day 5 ) Abs x2 (Day 3 / Day 5) • Don’t rush the Strength: Snatch Grip Deadlift 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Front Squat 6x5 Leg curls 5x7 Bulgarian split squats 4 x8 (4 each side) One arm Db row 3 x10 (10 each side) Hanging leg raises 2 x20 Strength: Seated Military press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Barbell Push press 6x5 Standing landmine press 5x7 DB side laterals 4x8 Rear lateral raises 3 x10 Front plate raise 2 x25 Conditioning: Active recovery session Strength: Barbell Back squat 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Hang Clean 6 x 5 Stiff legged Deadlift 5x7 DB stepups 4x8 (4 each side) Leg extensions 3 x10 Broad Jumps 2 x15 strength sets. • No distractions during accessory work so prep your zone before you begin. • Don’t neglect your conditioning sessions. Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit High Intensity conditioning Strength: Barbell Incline bench press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Flat DB bench press 6x5 DB Lying tricep extensions 5 x7 Decline Flyes 4x8 Dips (elbows in) 3x10 Explosive push-ups 2 x max Conditioning: Active recovery session Strength: Barbell Bent row 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Wide Lat pulldowns 6 x 5 Kroc Rows 5 x 7 (7 each side) Cable face pulls 4 x 8 Preacher curls 3 x 10 Rope hammer curls 2 x 12 Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit High intensity conditioning PHASE 03 Welcome to phase 3 In this Phase we are going to be finishing strong and pushing you to your limits. The workload is very intense in this phase so its paramount that you focus right from the beginning of the workout and really give it everything. Accessory Work: We are now performing 25 sets during this second phase so this will take 25 minutes of EMOM’s all up. Conditioning: You will now be moving into a greater amount of high intensity sessions and only a single active recovery session per week with one extra being optional. Active Recovery x 1 (Day 2 / Day 6 Optional) High Intensity Con x 3 (Day 1 / Day 3 / Day 5 ) Abs x 2 (Day 3 / Day 5) • Don’t rush the Strength: Power Cleans 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Romanian Deadlift 7x7 DB Lunges 6 x8 (4 each side) Leg curls 5 x10 Inverted Row 4 x12 3 Way Knee lifts 3 x15 Conditioning: High intensity conditioning Strength: Standing Military press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Single Arm Landmine 7x7 Strength: Front Squat 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Back Squat 7x7 KB hang cleans 6x8 Assisted Pistol squats 5x10 (5 each side) Conditioning: Active recovery session Conditioning: High intensity conditioning (4 each side) DB Side laterals 5x10 during accessory work so prep your zone before you begin. • Don’t neglect your conditioning sessions. Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit High intensity conditioning Rear Lateral raises 4x12 Full Rom plate front raise 3x15 Bottoms up KB press 6x8 • No distractions Leg extensions 4x12 Box Jumps 3x20 Strength: Flat barbell bench press 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory work: Incline Db bench press 7x7 Dips (Elbows out) 6x8 Close grip bench press 5x10 Loaded Pushups 4x12 Rope tricep pushdowns 3x15 (7 each side) strength sets. Strength: Weighted Chin-ups or Close grip Pulldowns 90% x 2-4 Reps 80% x 4-6 Reps 70% x 6-8 Reps 60% x 8-12 Reps Accessory Work: Barbell bent over row 7 x 7 Wide lateral pulldowns 6 x 8 Cable face pulls 5 x 10 Wide grip barbell curls 4 x 12 Reverse barbell curls 3 x 15 Conditioning & Abs: Abdominal circuit High Intensity conditioning WEEK 12 ✓ Congratulations on making it through these last 12-weeks of your Lean Machine Training. You definitely should be noticing the changes in your physique by now and seeing the results you are after. This training has not been easy by any means but you stuck it out in your pursuit to become a Lean Machine, and that is something to be proud of. You are and always will be a vital part of the HTK Fitness Tribe. This journey you are on doesn’t just stop here it is a part of who you are, so keep sharing your journey and motivation with the rest of the tribe. Never stop giving it your all and striving to become a warrior every single day. ................................................. You have built that solid foundation, the next best step in your journey would be to follow on from here with my 12 week Tactical Monster Training. Tactical Monster: A 12 week training plan, specifically designed build muscle and increase strength fast without spending all your time in the gym. Along with building strength and mass, it focuses on keeping your functional fitness levels high so you can perform any task that you may run into in your line of work at a moments notice. …………………………………………. All of our other training plans can be found up on our site at www.hardtokillfitness.co For any other questions or help with your training, feel free to reach out to me here at support@hardtokillfitness.co