Looking good to go: give you two ways to get pretty built, pretty damn fast

Men's Fitness by Jason Mittelman

Nobody likes a pretty boy. You know, the kind of wuss who shows up to play tackle football wearing elbow pa&, thinks Jake Gyllenhaal makes a good action hero, and boasts that all he needs to do in the gym to see his six-pack is "abs and cardio." The sad thing is, he might be right. Not about the first two, of course. But some guys, given their genetics, don't have to do much to keep their beach bodies year-round. For that, you should hate them--but you don't have to envy them anymore.

A lot of weight-loss programs are built for show, but they can actually reduce your muscles, too. (Notice how they're called weight loss.) And, yeah, they call help you lose weight and "get toned." but they often don't give you the option of what kind of weight you lose--meaning you could be burning just as many calories from hard-earned muscle as you are from fat. Such plans may leave you lean enough to pop an ab or two, but they also leave you weak, and ripe for putting the weight back on again.

This program is built to go. It employs two of the most effective fat-burning methods known to man: heavy resistance and circuit training. In Workout A, you'll train your whole body in unstable positions--this will hit a ton of muscles, including those you never knew you had, as you work to keep your body balanced. In Workout B, you can really pile on the weight (which will keep your muscles big and strong, even when you're cutting calories from your diet) as you perform more-familiar exercises. You'll do both workouts as a circuit, performing one set of each of the six exercises before resting. Not only will that help you burn more calories than conventional weight training, you'll find that the amount of rest you get before repeating an exercise will keep your strength levels up, At the same time, the rapid transition from one exercise to the next will work your heart and lungs extra hard.

The combination will allow you to save your strength while scraping out that six-pack once and for all. Ultimately, you'll come out of the next four weeks with the body of a celebrity underwear model--and the strength to kick one's ass.

FREQUENCY: Alternate this workout with Workout B (page 114) three days a week for four weeks, resting no more than two days between each session. (So you'll do this workout two times the first week, then one time the second week, and so on.)

HOW TO DO IT: Perform the exercises as a circuit, doing one exercise after the other, with no more than 15-20 seconds' rest to set up between exercises. After you've completed one set of each exercise, rest for 60-90 seconds--that's one circuit. Complete three circuits each workout.

WEIGHT: Use the heaviest weight that allows you to perform 10-15 reps per exercise.

[1] SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN-DEADLIFT DUMBBELL CURL TO PRESS Reps: 10-15 (each leg) Target: Core, Total Body

* Keep your back naturally arched for the entire exercise.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[2] MEDICINE-BALL WOODCHOP Reps: 10-15 (each side) Target: Core

* In the down position--eyes forward, chest up, back straight (natural curve in the spine).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[3] PLYOMETRIC LUNGES W/MEDICINE BALL

Reps: 10-15 (each leg) Target: Legs, Core

* Switch legs in mid-air and raise the ball over your head to the opposite side.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[4] SWISS-BALL ALTERNATING-DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS Reps: 10-15 (each arm) Target: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core

* Your body should form a straight line from your head to your knees.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[5] SINGLE-LEG ALTERNATING-DUMBBELL ROW

Reps: 10-15 (each leg) Target: Back. Biceps

* Keep your back in its natural arch.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[6] SWISS-BALL JACKKNIFE

Reps: 10-15 (each leg) Target: Abs

* Pull your abs in and bring your knees toward your chest.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FREQUENCY; Alternate this workout with Workout A (page 108) three days a week for four weeks, resting no more than two days between each session, (So you'll do this workout one time the first week, then two times the second week, and so on.)

HOW TO DO IT: Perform the exercises as a circuit, doing one exercise after the other with no more than 15-25 seconds' rest to set up between exercises. After you've completed one set of each exercise, rest for 60-90 seconds--that's one circuit. Complete three circuits each workout.

WEIGHT: Use the heaviest weight that allows you to perform 10-15 reps per exercise.

[1] ALTERNATING-DUMBBELL LUNGES W/CURL TO PRESS Reps: 10-15 (each leg) Target: Legs, Shoulders, Biceps

* Your front knee should be perpendicular to the floor.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[5] BENTOVER BARBELL ROW Reps: 10-15 Target: Upper and Middle Back

* Squeeze your shoulder blades together for the entire movement.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[6] OBLIQUE CRUNCHES Reps: 10-15 (each side) Target: Obliques

* Don't let your knees touch the floor.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Fat-Loss Log

Workout 1 Workout 2
Wt/Reps Wt/Reps

WORKOUT A
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. S-L Romanian-Deadlift DB Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Medicine-Ball Woodchop seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Plyometric Lunges w/ Medicine Ball seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each arm)
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Swiss-Ball Alternating-DB Chest Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Single-Leg Alternating-Dumbbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
6. Swiss-Ball Jackknife Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3

WORKOUT B
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. Alternating-DB Lunges w/ Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Hanging Knee Raises seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Bench Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Full Situps seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Bentover Barbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
6. Oblique Crunches Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3

Workout 3 Workout 4
Wt/Reps Wt/Reps

WORKOUT A
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. S-L Romanian-Deadlift DB Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Medicine-Ball Woodchop seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Plyometric Lunges w/ Medicine Ball seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each arm)
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Swiss-Ball Alternating-DB Chest Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Single-Leg Alternating-Dumbbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
6. Swiss-Ball Jackknife Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3

WORKOUT B
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. Alternating-DB Lunges w/ Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Hanging Knee Raises seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Bench Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Full Situps seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Bentover Barbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
6. Oblique Crunches Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3

Workout 5 Workout 6
Wt/Reps Wt/Reps

WORKOUT A
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. S-L Romanian-Deadlift DB Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Medicine-Ball Woodchop seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Plyometric Lunges w/ Medicine Ball seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each arm)
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Swiss-Ball Alternating-DB Chest Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Single-Leg Alternating-Dumbbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
6. Swiss-Ball Jackknife Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3

WORKOUT B
Reps: 10-15 (each leg)
Rest: No More than 15-25
1. Alternating-DB Lunges w/ Curl to Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
2. Hanging Knee Raises seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
3. Bench Press seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
4. Full Situps seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15
Rest: No More than 15-25
5. Bentover Barbell Row seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Reps: 10-15 (each side)
6. Oblique Crunches Rest: 60-90 seconds
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3