Overdrive

Bodyweight Overdrive 1 Mike O'Donnell

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Disclaimer and Waiver of LiabilityThe full content of this document are for informational purposes only and does not provide any medical advice. Statements within have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This content is intended for use only by healthy adult individuals. Information provided in this book/report is based upon my experiences as well as my interpretations of current research available.

Use of any of the information contained within is at your own risk. All individuals are specifically warned to seek professional medical advice prior to initiating any form of weight loss exercise or nutritional program. The author does not accept any responsibility or liability for damages of any kind from any actions you take from the information provided. By continuing to read this document and all pages you agree to all terms as stated above. To sum up, use any information at your own risk!

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Mike O'Donnell, Bodyweight Overdrive. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.


Table of Contents

IntroductionBeing Vacation Ready All Year Long

Main Chapters1) Forget the Calorie Burn

2) Signal Fat Release & Maintain Muscle

3) More Does Not Mean Better

4) Workout Intensity as the Key

5) Your Body as the Gym

6) Bodyweight Equipment Options

7) Getting into Overdrive

8) Workout Circuits & Cycles

9) Primary Circuit Movements

10) Secondary Circuit Movements

11) Starter Burn Phase

12) Build & Burn Phase

13) Tips, Tricks and FAQs

14) Body-Strong for Life

AppendixEquipment Options/Links

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IntroductionBeing Vacation Ready All Year Long

The Most Popular Time for Fitness Bootcamps is SpringThe personal training business tends to be very seasonal. Summers are slower with people on vacation. It tends to pick up more in the fall once the kids go back to school. Then around the winter holidays it quiets back down with a little rush of the New Years resolution crowd.

But by far the biggest influx of new people I used to see at one time was in the spring as the weather started to warm up. That is when I would run outdoor bootcamps and get groups of people to sign up for 6+ weeks. The reason? Many people wanted to get ready to look good for the summer vacations or just sitting around the pool.

Why Not Be in Good Shape Year Round?I can understand people wanting to get in shape to look good in a bikini, but my question is why make it so much harder than it needs to be?


Whether relaxing by the ocean or busy with life at home, you can be looking and feeling great all the time

Many would come into the bootcamps with a torture me for 6 weeks mentality, like they were cramming for that final exam. Why would you want to go all out for 6 weeks only to relax and do not much else for the other 46? Isn't that how most get out of shape in the first place?

Plus does it have to be hard core or extreme workouts? Perhaps this is why so many only workout for a short period of time and burn-out, because it is so unenjoyable to them (and unsustainable).

I've got a better idea, why not just get in shape and stay that way with simple non-extreme effort? It still will take some effort on your part of course, but it doesn't have to be all that bad. Then you can be vacation ready at any time and not need some 6 week bootcamp beforehand.

Why Most People Do Not Stay Vacation ReadyThe majority of people who are not able to keep in shape year round usually do one of the following:

Focus on cardio only as the best way to burn fat Neglect to do much or any resistance/strength training Think of working out/dieting as all or nothing (extreme) approach

You will find out in this report that while cardio can help in some additional fat burning, it should NOT be the primary focus. Outside of eating less (calorie deficit) to lose weight, you will also need the right hormonal responses and a strong metabolism.

Workout the Right Way in Less Time and Get on Living!The Bodyweight Overdrive program was designed specifically to get the results you are after, without needing to spend hours in a gym (or even need a gym!). It is what I like to call both burnout and excuse proof.


No long boring workouts that you will get tired of and stop doing. No more room for excuses. You don't need a gym, can do it at home, takes about as much time as one little TV sitcom show, and will keep you motivated and making continual progress!

So I want to help you make being strong and fit part of your simple everyday lifestyle (without making it a full time obsession). Then you can go on with your daily life and look/feel great!

Let's get started!


Chapter 1Forget the Calorie Burn

Focusing on What Gets Lasting ResultsAs we look at the mainstream and what people are doing in gyms, there is an important message that is lost somewhere. That message is simply that more is not always better.

Having spent years working in various gyms as a trainer, I think I have seen it all. I've consulted with people from all walks of life, and my general consensus is that most just do too much (without actually knowing what really works in the first place).

Just because you workout for hours a day does not mean more muscle growth. Or if you are jogging for hours a day you are not guaranteeing long term weight loss. Ask anyone who has gone down this road for too long and they tell you the same thing...very little results for too much effort.This also often leads to disastrous burnout and not going back to the gym


Hours of cardio can help burn some fat, but is it the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off?

(or whatever form of exercise they were doing). Without steady consistency in a fitness program, there will be no lasting results. Why not Just Workout Smarter?If someone were to tell you that the most effective workout routine was 1+ hour a day done 7x a week, I would say they are sadly misinformed.

The word effective implies that you get the most bang for your buck. Doing large amounts of work and seeing little results is not effective in my book. However doing the right kind of work with the least amount of time put in to maximize results, now that is the most effective plan.

Terrifying Tales from the Trainer

True story. I was working in a gym and decided to give a member who was always there a free consultation. He would come in every day and stay for at least 2 hours. Mixing up some long cardio, then light weights, and back again to the cardio machines. He would even bring food with him and eat on the treadmill. I kid you not!

My brief consult was based on the following advice: You can cut your gym time by more than 50% and get more results with just some smarter programming (and even went so far as to give him examples of things to try).

Fast forward 3 months later. There he was still on the treadmill eating a banana doing his old routines. His upper body muscles looked smaller and his belly was bigger. But he wanted to do more exercise to be fit, he didn't really want to workout for results.Moral of this story, please don't be that kind of guy/gal! Unless of


course you like wasting hours in a gym for no results month after month.

So now we are going to approach the reason why we exercise in the first place and how to do it correctly. Once you understand the fundamentals of the optimal exercise response on your body, then you will be able to really understand what you need to do.

Just say No...to Long and Boring WorkoutsAs someone once said I may run 5 miles a day...but then eat 10 miles worth. So keep this in mind whenever you start believing you need more and more exercise to burn fat.

Which is easier to do? Burn an extra 500 calories with exercise or overeat an extra 500 calories in a day? To burn 500 calories, you would probably have to walk at a brisk pace for well over an hour! The reality is that people over-estimate how many calories they burn and under-estimate how many calories they eat. Then wonder why they are not losing any real weight week after week!

If excessive exercise only causes more hunger and more calories consumed, then how can there be any weight loss over time? More exercise is not the real answer, instead there should be a focus on smarter exercise (and eating less of course).

Once I explain a little more about how fat is released and the real key to a strong metabolism (with a calorie deficit), you will never have to worry about calories burned again!


Chapter 2Signal Fat Release & Maintain Muscle

Fat Loss is a Hormonal ProcessIf your goal is weight loss, then it is very important to always know how fat loss really happens. With this you can understand how to exercise smarter and get more results (in less time).

First off, hormones signal to the fat cells to release the stored fat. Your fat cells have receptors on the outside and are waiting for instructions. Once they get the right hormonal signal, the start to release the stored fats (also known at this point as Free Fatty Acids or FFAs). The FFAs are then carried away via bloodstream to the muscles where they are burned up for energy (in their internal power-plant called the mitochondria).

Your muscles are your fat burning factories. Now you can see the importance of doing the right exercise to keep muscle as well (and grow more mitochondria power plants).


What you are telling your body to do at the hormonal level with diet and exercise is vital

The Process of Releasing Stored Fat

Lipolysis is the name given internally to when the fat cells are releasing the stored fats. Different hormones can act as the signal to the fat cells for lipolysis to happen including:

Adrenaline and Noradrenaline, also called Catecholamines (from the adrenal gland)

Glucagon (from the pancreas) Growth Hormone (from the pituitary gland) ACTH (from the pituitary gland) T3/T4 (from the thyroid)

These hormones bind to the receptors on the fat cells and increase their fat releasing. This process is done by the hormones regulating the activity of an enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) which helps break down the stored fat (triglycerides) into the FFAs and glycerol.

Muscles are Your Fat Burning FactoriesThose FFAs are transported through the bloodstream to the muscles where they are burned up as fuel inside the cell powerhouse, known as the mitochondria. So the more muscle you keep around, the more fat burning factories (mitochondria) you will have working 24/7.

This is why you see people with good muscle definition who are able to maintain their lean body shape without hours in the gym daily (we are not talking about bodybuilders here). All they need to do is keep their muscles around with the right kind of training a couple times a week and eat right.


While there are strategies that come into play for more stubborn fat targeting, it is really that simple at the heart of it all.

Keeping Your Metabolism StrongWhat is the one thing we need for weight loss to happen over time? To be in a state of calorie deficit (eating less overall). What is the other important factor? Keeping the metabolism strong in the whole process over the long run.

How can we accomplish that? Well here is an eye opening study (Bryner et al, 1999) about the importance of resistance based exercise (vs just aerobic) during a very low calorie diet.

Half of the test group (men and women) were put on aerobic exercise only program, and the other half resistance training only (3x/week).

What would you expect to happen over 12 weeks? Well the aerobic only group lost more weight, but also had lean body mass loss (muscle). The aerobic only group also lowered their RMR (resting metabolic rate).But


Athletes that maintain muscle, also tend to stay lean very easily without really worrying about excess cardio

guess what, the resistance only group did not lose any lean mass and had a slight increase in RMR!

Let me repeat that, the group only doing resistance training kept all their muscle, lost more body fat and slightly elevated their resting metabolic rate all while on a very low calorie diet for 12 weeks!!

The lesson to be learned is that even on a lower calorie diet, resistance training will help maintain your lean body mass (muscle) and allow you to burn more fat without dropping your metabolism in the process! Resistance training, not just cardio, along with calorie deficit is really the key to lasting success!


Chapter 3More Does Not Mean Better

People Forget...Exercise is a Stress on the BodyThe big thing people neglect to remember is that exercise is a stress on the body. Now there are good things that can happen when you stress the body briefly (such as breaking down muscle to let it grow back stronger with some resistance training).

However like any stress, the higher the amount and length of exposure to it, then the greater the chances are that it could be damaging to the state of the body as a whole. This is especially of importance to know for the people mentally addicted to their exercise.

If you are just looking for an endorphin rush, you might want to realize that the pain-numbing effect of the endorphins is used for real fight or flight scenarios.


If you found out longer workouts only hurt your fat burning efforts and there were workouts in less time that

worked better, what would you want to do?

After all, any damage done from needing to exert yourself in a real life threatening situation is going to be better than the other alternative. But on a recreational level, ask yourself if this is really the wisest approach to being fit or losing weight. Especially if you never take time to let yourself actually recover from the stress.

Muscles Do Not Grow in the Gym

I made the same mistake a long time ago so many other people do today when it comes to working out. I would put in the hours and effort, but I wouldn't see much in return. I would be at the gym 5x/week lifting, yet my muscles were not growing. What gives?

Well it wasn't until later on when I learned that exercise is just a stimulus to grow muscle, but the real magic happens as soon as you leave the gym. When you are lifting weights, you are only tearing them apart. Then you leave and allow your body to repair and recover over the next days.

So for those of you who think you need to spend every day in the gym to grow muscle, you are not focusing on how it really happens. A progressive lifting routine that has you working out less often is better and then the rest comes in the form of eating right and recovering (lifestyle).

Exercise Excess Can be HarmfulWhile being active is a good thing, when done to excess (especially with sustained higher heart rate training) it is possibly taking your health and


weight loss goals in the opposite direction. This in turn may do more damage down the road such as:

Driving more hunger and cravings especially for sugar (which high sugar intake just turns off the fat releasing hormones). Eating more means just not losing the weight you want.

Excess levels of the hormone cortisol (known as a stress hormone but it's actually a blood sugar one at heart). Leading to more muscle loss, fatigue, immune depression, bone loss and more .

Loss of muscle = loss of fat burning factories (as remember the more muscle you have, the easier it will be for you to stay lean). Also with loss of muscle comes a slowdown of your fat burning metabolism!

Increased Inflammation and tissue damage . This is real damage down to the cellular level and can lead to more serious health issues if ignored.

Suppressed natural GH releases for up to 24 hours (one of our daily fat releasing hormones).

Long term lead to bigger issues with chronic fatigue and all sorts of hormonal imbalances. Leading to storing of more fat and having less energy.

If you mess up your hormones, you may be stuck gaining weight no matter how much exercise you do. I can't stress this point enough. All you have to do is find someone with messed up hormones and see their struggles to lose the weight they put on because of it. Does this sound like something you want to work towards? Not me.


So with what we have seen so far, I would say that our goal for a smart workout to lose weight (and keep it off long term) should be:

To signal the hormones involved in lipolysis (releasing fat from storage, especially adrenaline and growth hormone/GH)

To take the released fat (FFAs) away from the cell to be burned up in the muscle (increased blood flow through specific movements to the area where the fat is)

Maintain/increase muscles (your fat burning factories) through some resistance type of training to keep your metabolism strong in a state of some calorie deficit (eating less overall)

Keep it short, effective and not in excess as that may only lead to loss of muscle mass and other negative health factors that will slow down recovery (such as inflammation).

Now what if you could do all of the above? That to me would be the most ideal workout plan

...and it can all be done through short & intense full-body workouts!


Chapter 4Workout Intensity as the Key

Working Out for Hormonal ResponsesIt has been shown (and you can see the studies on the next page) that increasing the intensity of a workout, will allow your body hormonally to release more fat to be burned all day long! That is the goal after all for many of you, long term fat loss (and keeping it off).

We are not needing to worry about doing hours of cardio and focus on how many calories we are burning. That is old school, welcome to the new school of training. The one where intensity is the name of the game.

Like I mentioned before too, the more intense you do your workouts the less time you have to spend doing them. We focus on getting hormonal responses that last long after the workout is over, and the fat burning can go on all day long.


More intense workouts have helped people find a new levels of strength/performance and break through fat

loss plateaus.

Higher Intensity Training Boosts Fat Loss Overall

"...the HIIT program induced a more pronounced reduction in subcutaneous adiposity compared with the ET (endurance training) program....for a given level of energy expenditure, vigorous exercise favors negative energy and lipid balance to a greater extent than exercise of low to moderate intensity. Moreover, the metabolic adaptations taking place in the skeletal muscle in response to the HIIT program appear to favor the process of lipid (fat) oxidation."Source: "Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism"; Tremblay A; Metabolism July 1994

"...Exercise whole body fat oxidation increased by 36% after HIIT...seven sessions of HIIT over 2 wk induced marked increases in whole body and skeletal muscle capacity for fatty acid oxidation during exercise in moderately active women.Source: "Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women"; Talanian JL; Journal of Applied Physiology Dec 2006

"....This study demonstrated that 18 h of repeated high-intensity exercise sessions over 6 weeks (3 d.week-1) is a powerful method to increase whole-body and skeletal muscle capacities to oxidize fat and carbohydrate in previously untrained individuals."Source: "High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle"; Perry CG; Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism; Dec 2008

HIIE (high intensity intermittent exercise) three times per week for 15 weeks compared to the same frequency of SSE (steady state exercise) exercise was associated with significant reductions in total


body fat, subcutaneous leg and trunk fat, and insulin resistance in young women.Source: The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women; E G Trapp, et al; International Journal of Obesity (2008)

So What is Intensity?Intensity is going to be described here as having bursts of more effort over a shorter period of time. This will not only generate a better fat burning environment right after, but also continue on long past your exercise is done.

It will also create the right kind of hormonal environment that allows you to maintain/build muscle even when calories are lowered, something a steady state cardio workout plan will NOT do.

The specific hormonal responses that happen when more intensity is used can include:

Elevated REE (Resting Energy Expenditure) through increased protein synthesis/muscle repair*

Elevated FFAs (Free Fatty Acids) from increased catecholamine hormonal responses (more adrenaline/noradrenaline released from the body during intense activity)

Elevated 24hr GH (Growth Hormone) pulses for increased FFAs and muscle retention (GH also helps spare muscle from breakdown/loss)

Increased muscle mitochondria to give you more fat burning factories


Increased muscle insulin sensitivity that will enable you to create a more optimal glucose metabolism over time (more efficient at building muscle and burning fat)

The big lesson here is that doing more intense, especially resistance, based training (vs steady state cardio alone) will actually help elevate your REE, keep your metabolism strong during calorie deficit, increase your fat releasing hormones and keep (protect) your muscle.

Muscle Repair Takes Energy

It has been shown that muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by 50% at 4 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hrs following training.

This study further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a training session.

It is concluded that following a bout of heavy resistance training, MPS increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hrs, and thereafter declines rapidly so that at 36 hrs it has almost returned to baseline.

Source: The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise; MacDougall JD, et al; Can J Appl Physiol. 1995 Dec;20(4):480-6.

Don't worry if you are a beginner or a more advanced trainee. There is always a way for anyone to help increase their intensity scale. .


The more conditioned/trained you become, the more important it will also be to get your intensity higher (as your body adapts and will lower responses to the same levels of intensity). This can also become more important as we age if you want to help slow down the aging process through hormone optimization.

Intensity for GH (Growth Hormone) Important as we Age

Age diminishes the GH response to exercise and abolishes the young-adult gender difference. Attenuation of GH responses to all exercise intensities in older adults has implications for exercise prescription because higher exercise intensities may be required to stimulate GH release in older adults.

Source: Weltman A. Growth hormone response to graded exercise intensities. J Appl Physiol 100: 1623-1629, 2006


Like a classic muscle car, up the horsepower of your workouts and the results will speak for themselves

Chapter 5Your Body as the Gym

Your Body Doesn't Care Where Resistance Comes fromDo you think your muscles really take into account whether you are at home, at a gym, using fancy equipment or even just doing pushups in the backyard? No, they do not.

The laws of physics do not have a variable for location or equipment, only quantifiable variables such as force, tension, load and power. That means if you can apply the same force using bodyweight movements, you will get the same kind of results like any other program using gym equipment.

Tension is Tension no matter the Source. I'm not downplaying using weights to workout (heck I have used them for decades), but if you don't want to use them there are still ways to get the results you are after!


Don't tell Herschel Walker (age 48) he needs a gym, as he has reportedly done up to 1000 pushups a day and

other bodyweight exercises since he was a kid..

The reason most people like free weights to grow muscles is because you can continue to increase the resistance with more weight, where as your body only has so much. But does that mean bodyweight movements are any less effective? Not if you can load them properly and increase intensity.

I Favor the Look of Bodyweight Based AthletesWhen we talk about getting a certain look or muscle tone, my thoughts of an ideal balanced look are not in the bodybuilding community. Instead what comes to mind are people who train full body movements for their sport/activity.

For instance, dancers. Ever seen the muscle definition and strength they have? Not to mention the ability and agility in moving their body. Gymnasts are another example of a group who have tremendous movement capability and strength.

But What Do You Bench?I think we all have heard this line at some point in time (well mostly guys perhaps). I personally have no idea nowadays what I can bench, and I don't really care. Unless you are into powerlifting or competing that lift, I would not care much about bench pressing.

There are stories of gymnasts who never lift weights and going in to bench 2x their bodyweight with ease for many reps. So even though they don't train for that exercise, their full body movement strength is enough to carry over.

Dude, You Gotta SquatI think the squat is a fantastic movement (and is even part of this program), but once again do you need heavy weights to make gains? Heck, can you


even do a one legged squat without any additional weight for 8-10 repetitions? If not, then maybe you don't need to worry about loading up a big heavy bar just yet.

While big heavy lifts with do provide a lot of full body tension, you can still find that tension through other movements without needing a heavy bar.

Optimal Muscle Balance and FunctionIf you are going to be active in life there is one simple rule to follow, don't get injured. If you do, then you are out of the game for a while (and will take time to ramp back in). Trust me, I have been there and it isn't fun.

Bodyweight movements allow you to train your muscles to be able to withstand forces in multiple planes of movements, have naturally balanced strength ratios to prevent injury, and help your performance needs with acceleration/deceleration and change of direction.

But I stink at Pushups, Pullups or (insert your own exercise here)How does one actually get better at anything? By practicing the movement over and over. This is what we call neural training, where you are making your synaptic responses (how your mind/body communicate) more efficient.

You will get stronger and better at any movement you perform more often (without over-training the body). I guarantee you that!

Sorry, No More Excuses!You no longer need a gym, can do workouts anywhere, short enough to fit into anyone's schedule, and scalable to any level of experience. So...now that you are all out of excuses, lets get started!


Chapter 6Bodyweight Equipment Options

Here are what I consider to be the top pieces of rather inexpensive equipment that will compliment your bodyweight workouts with additional exercise variations and scaling.

You don't have to buy all (or any) of these. With a little creativity you may be able to make your own or find other substitutes with whatever you have around the house.

#1 Suspension Trainers (Bodyweight Straps)

These types of straps are very versatile and can be used for many different movements including pullups, angled body-rows, angled pushups, advanced pushups, advanced ab planks, body dips and so much more.

Some even come with foot straps to add challenging lower body movements such as hip raises/leg curls and variations to squats/lunges.


Overall if you were going to get one piece of bodyweight equipment, I would say this is top on the list. They are very portable and can be secured to a door-frame or any other type of pole or beam, indoor or out. I've used them attached to playgrounds for fitness bootcamps in the past...and everyone loved them!

There are a few different models out there and some can cost as high as $200, but there are others more affordable versions of body straps for 30%-50% of what others cost. (see appendix for list of suppliers)

Also falls under this category: Gymnastic Rings, or create your own suspension trainer with rope/straps (Google DIY suspension trainer)

#2 Dip/Bodyweight Bars

These sturdy bars are extraordinary for using your bodyweight in a variety of movements. They will mainly allow you to do scalable version of dips, pushups, inverted rows and some other movements.

Use your own body weight as resistance and decide what level is right for them by "self-spotting". Self-spotting means the legs can be used to assist


you to perform exercises when it becomes to difficult to continue. You may not need this if you already have a suspension trainer/gymnastic rings as you can do the same kinds of exercises (dips/rows) on those.

Personally I do like the feel of the bars alternated into workouts as it creates more stability and usually means more resistance/weight can be added to movements.

Also falls under this category: The local playground (there is usually something to use for dips or inverted rows there as well...for free!)

#3 Resistance Loop Bands

I've used resistance bands in training clients for over 10 years, and I still love them today. They can be great for beginners in some movements as assistance (see pic above), or even use as alternatives to other advanced bodyweight movements (like an overhead band press instead of handstand press).

Bands can also be used to make exercises more difficult such as using for


bodyweight resistance doing lunges, squats or pushups. You can mix it up with variety too by adding in band exercises such as standing press or pulls, upright pulls, explosive wood-chops or even plyometric resistance. They do help keep variety and force new adaptions to workout intensity.

Personally I would suggest the bands that come in a loop so you can use them in more ways. You can see different suggested bands listed in the appendix at the end of this report.

Runner UpsThere are still other options to use when doing bodyweight workouts to help vary movements or increase difficulty such as:

Doorway pullup bars (can even hang suspension trainers from them)

Weighted vests (to make your body heavier, or you can just get a backpack and stuff with with big books too)

Sandbags (something simple to hold/carry to make your body heavier and can easily be made at home)

Or course you can use traditional weights like dumbbells and barbells to increase your own bodyweight load on certain movements (or add in other heavier lifts to compliment your bodyweight program).


Chapter 7Getting into Overdrive

Types of Workout RoutinesWhen it comes to intensity and getting the right hormonal responses, there are several different ways you can go about with your workouts. The 3 most popular ones are:

Circuit program Using resistance training movements with weights or bodyweight in a circuit (one right after another). Usually involves short/no rest between exercises, full body workouts and more moderate weight resistance/reps.

Strength program Heavier resistance training programs focused more around free-weights (dumbbells, barbells). Can involve different body part/exercise split routines and longer rest periods.

Cardio intervals Do repeated cycles of higher intensity/sprints with recovery phases (such as sprinting for 20 seconds, and walking for 40 sec, then repeating several times).

Which to Use?While the cardio intervals can have a strong hormonal effect on releasing fats (such as releasing more adrenaline), I also put more priority on building and maintaining muscle for that strong metabolism (at any age).

For you women out there, don't worry, as I am not talking about bulking up here. In fact if you were to put on 5 lbs of muscle, and take off 5 lbs of fat I would bet you that your clothes would all be loose on you! (muscle is less dense than fat)


Strength programs do work well for building that dense muscle look (especially when you are at low body fat), but the longer rest periods and equipment needs may make a quick at home workout not possible.

Circuit training is fun, but keeping up intensity and progression over time is usually lacking in most of those routines I have witnessed at the gyms.

So why not create a Perfect Storm of all 3?The Bodyweight Overdrive system is designed to take the best of all 3 and turn it into a program most anyone can use to lose fat and build that muscle tone (density). Benefits to include:

: Focus on intensity and strength for optimal body composition Minimal equipment is really needed (don't need a gym) Short rest and high intensity for quicker workouts Exercises can be added for specific performance needs and most importantly, it is fun and motivating! (so you stick with it)


Take the best from different approaches and put them into one simple workout...that is going to be powerful

The goal being to give the best workout possible in the shortest amount of time you have. It will get you that shape most people are after with fat loss including a more defined look (or toned). It will also allow for you to progress in intensity (strength/volume) over time to keep the gains coming!

10+ Minutes of Intensity to Maximize GH Responses

An exercise intensity above lactate threshold and for a minimum of 10 minutes appears to elicit the greatest stimulus to the secretion of hGH. Exercise training above the lactate threshold may amplify the pulsatile release of hGH at rest, increasing 24-hour hGH secretion. Recent evidence suggests that endurance training results in decreased resting hGH and a blunted EIGR, which may be linked to an increased tissue sensitivity to hGH.

In a great many cases, the impact of some of the deleterious effects of ageing could be reduced if exercise focused on promoting the EIGR.

Source: The exercise-induced growth hormone response in athletes; Godfrey RJ et al. Sports Med. 2003.

Is there Really a Perfect Rep Count?Ask different people what the ideal rep number is and you will get different answers. One person could tell you that you need to do 5 reps, another one will say 10 and then another may tell you 15. What is the right answer?

Teaching my first bootcamp group workouts, I used to go by reps alone. However I soon saw that the intensity of X number of reps would vary by


individual. Some would blast through it too quickly using more momentum than muscles, or use too light a resistance and not be all that challenged.

Timed Intervals Instead of Rep #To achieve a better way for clients to get the right amount of tension and intensity, it became clear that circuits using timed intervals was the key. This allowed for people of multiple levels to apply themselves with enough tension while still challenging each individual.

By not focusing on reps, it allows for you to push yourself (intensity) in a measured time frame. This type of workout focuses on increased loading scale on intensity instead (the key to long term success).

Have Fun and Challenge YourselfThis system is not only about results, but you enjoying what you do. No more distractions about the perfect rep #, or having too many exercises to worry about. Bodyweight Overdrive is about mastering the most important movements, increasing intensity of your workouts (without increasing the time it takes), and have fun doing it!


Timed intervals will help you increase tension and intensity with each workout, in less time too!

Chapter 8Workout Circuits & Cycles

Movements Not MusclesThe main focus of the Bodyweight Overdrive program is to take the big bang (getting the most muscle activation per movement) exercises and using them in a circuit based on time, not reps.

Your chosen exercises will be done in a super-set fashion, which is the proven most time efficient way to workout. You will work opposing muscles (based upon movements) one after another with short rest periods. This will allow the specific muscle groups to recover enough between sets while still keeping overall intensity of the workout high.

A Bodyweight Overdrive daily workout will consist of 2 circuits. The primary (main) and secondary (target). The circuits each have a specific purpose and exercise selection that goes along with it.

Primary Circuit The first circuit uses 3 main exercises to load up your biggest muscles through the key movements. A primary circuit will each have an upper body push, upper body pull and lower body exercise (which will all be explained more in chapter 9).

Secondary Circuit The second circuit provides an additional 3 exercises used to key in on other target areas and focus on specific goals or needs. A secondary circuit will each have a secondary based push/pull, plyometric (explosion for sports) or HR (heart rate) exercise to keep up intensity, and lastly a core based exercise (which will all be explained more in chapter 10).


Workouts A and BFor each cycle you will be alternating 2 different workouts, otherwise known as Workout A and Workout B. Each workout will have different primary and secondary exercises (so you are not working out the same movements back to back). Workout A has an exercise A for each movement per circuit and workout B has an exercise B for each movement (see below).

Workout A Workout B

Primary circuit: Push A, Pull A, Lower A

Secondary circuit: Secondary A, Plyo/HR A, Core A

Primary circuit: Push B, Pull B, Lower B

Secondary circuit: Secondary B, Plyo/HR B, Core B

This makes 3 different exercises per circuit, 6 per daily workout, and 12 overall per each cycle (4 weeks).

4 Week CyclesYou should stick with the same exercises (variation/scaling) in A/B workouts for a total of 4 weeks. Remember that the goal is to get better and progress with the big movements, not randomly change things up every workout. Too much variation will not lead to lean muscle progression, as the body wants to be continually challenged. This is the main reason most people fail to really get lasting results with their workouts.

Once a 4 week cycle is completed, you start a new 4 week cycle with either increased resistance factors and/or new exercise variations (so it does not get boring for you). Even if you do keep the exercises the same, be sure to try and increase the difficulty of the movement by some degree.


A 4 week cycle of working out 3x/wk with alternating A & B workouts, looks like the following:

Week/Days Monday Wednesday Friday

Week #1 Workout A Workout B Workout A

Week #2 Workout B Workout A Workout B

Week #3 Workout A Workout B Workout A

Week #4 Workout B Workout A Workout B

So to recap: Each workout is a full body movement based protocol Each workout has 2 individual circuits of exercises done in super-sets

(one right after another), the Primary and Secondary circuits. The primary circuit consists of 3 main exercises: an upper push,

upper pull and lower body. The secondary circuit consists of 3 additional exercises: a secondary

push/pull, plyometric (explosive)/heart rate, and core. You will use 2 alternating workouts, known as A and B, with different

exercises per workout. Workouts are repeated through 4 week cycles. Upon completion

changes to exercise or adjustment of resistances are made.

Now let's explore the movement/exercises to be used for the primary and secondary workouts in the next couple chapters.


Chapter 9Primary Circuit Movements

Using the Big Muscle Groups FirstThe primary circuit focuses on using your biggest muscle groups, as these are the ones that will also generate the strongest responses to keep your metabolism strong. You will take an exercise that focuses on each of the big movements and use them in the primary circuit. They are:

Upped Body Push Upper Body Pull Lower Body

Along with breaking down your exercises as push or pull, there are also planes of movements to consider. The main ones being vertical and a horizontal. This means pushing/pulling your body at different angles, which will also stress your muscles in a different way. This allows variety and different stimulus for true body strength and balance.

Upper Push ExercisesI personally think it is important to work both a vertical and horizontal movement for your push exercises. Remember that you are also needing 2 different push movements, one for workout A and another for workout B.

Workout A horizontal push exercise Workout B vertical push exercise

You are probably wondering what kind of exercises are horizontal/vertical for a push. Well for bodyweight movements it comes down to 2 specific


exercises that really are the primary ones (as well other variations).

Pushup Horizontal push Dip - Vertical push

The pushup is the way in which you can horizontally apply your muscles in relation to your body. It is a horizontal push compared to your body's axis. You of course need to be facing the floor in order to have gravity work as resistance (vs standing straight up). To make it easier, use your hands higher up such as using bodyweight straps at an angle or pushing against a step/couch.

An optional band exercise would be a standing band press in front (with the band secured around something behind you for resistance).

The dip is the way in which you can lower your body and push it up in a vertical plane. You will need to support yourself on something such as bodyweight straps, rings, bars, chairs, or some other sturdy object to lower down and push yourself up.

You can also say that a handstand pushup (pushing your body up) or overhead press with weights is a vertical push, but we are going to use those exercises as an options in the secondary circuit.

Upper Push Exercise Examples Standard pushups (hands higher up for decreased difficulty, feet

higher up for increased difficulty)


Upper "push" dip exercise, using legs for assistance

Weighted pushups (using resistance bands around or weight-vest/heavy backpack)

Bodyweight strap pushups (various angles) Close or wide (hand placement) pushups Spiderman pushups Dips using bodyweight strap, rings, bars, chairs, etc. Assistance with

feet in front/behind or weighted for advanced. Optional standing resistance band press (various angles and

tensions)

Upper Pull ExercisesThe opposite of a pushing movement is a pulling movement. This will also use different muscles in the arms (biceps) and back (where as pushing exercises uses more chest/shoulders/triceps). Just like the push movements, we are going to have 2 planes of movements for the pull as well. Here are the main exercises that used for those planes of movement:

(Inverted) Body Row Horizontal pull Pullup/Chin-up Vertical pull

This is where you will need some sort of equipment or bar to use to pull your own body. Bodyweight straps are great for this kind of movements. You can also use body-bars, dip station, pullup bar, rope, playground bars, swings, or whatever your creative mind can come up with. You just need to be under something and pull yourself toward it using gravity (and your bodyweight) as resistance.

Assistance can be used such as a looped band for pullups/chin-ups, using leg assistance, or adjusting the angle of the straps for the exercise. The higher you stand up (for rows), the easier it will become. You can increase resistance being all the way down on the floor, putting feet higher up, or


using additional weight (like a heavy backpack or weight-vest).

Optional band exercises include standing band rows and band pull-downs. You could also substitute in rows with weights such as a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell or sandbag.

Upper Pull Exercise Examples Pullups (palms facing away), narrow or wide grips Chin-ups (palms facing towards), narrow or wide grips Feet assistance or looped bands for decreased resistance, weighted

body (vest/backpack) for increased resistance Inverted body rows using straps/bar(s). Stand up higher for

decreased resistance, move down closer (more parallel) to the floor for increased resistance. Put feet up on box for highest resistance.

Rope climbs Optional resistance band rows (various angles and tensions) Optional resistance band pull-downs (in place of pullups) Also could use DB/KB/weights for rows (standard or renegade style)


A horizontal row exercise. Can be done using straps, bars, or other support systems.

Lower Body ExercisesThe last exercise in the primary circuit will use your biggest muscles you have, your legs/lower body. They push, pull and go in all planes of movement. You can also use different versions of movements that focus on using both legs or just one leg at a time (unilateral). Beginners may need to stick to 2 legged exercise versions (when possible) and advanced people can use unilateral for greater challenges.

Personally I'm a fan of using unilateral as much as possible. Since we are looking for the most tension and muscle recruitment, using one leg at a time will load up our muscles more (assuming you can not add enough resistance for a 2 legged movement).

Also the unilateral exercises will increase the factor of instability will force more hip stabilizers to work, as well as increase more ROM. Something applicable to your every day activities whether playing sports or just moving stuff around the house.

Breaking down our movements we have a variety of push and pull options (and some hybrid that use both). I like to label more of the quad dominant


Split squats for increased loading on one leg at a time.

movements as a push and more of the hamstring/glut dominant movements as pull. It is probably best to split them up with our workouts A & B. The main lower body exercises that would go with each are:

Lower Push/Quad Squat/Lunge* Lower Pull/Ham(glut) Hip Raise-Extension/Deadlift

*The lunge is really a hybrid as it can dominate both quads and ham/glut depending on how it is done (forward lunge, backwards lunge, walking lunges). Nothing to really worry about, but just of note for you.

There are also many variations that can be used with each especially dealing with 1 or 2 legged versions (such as a single leg split squat or single leg band/weight deadlift).

Lower Body Exercise Examples 2 legged squats (add resistance for increased difficulty such as

weights or resistance band). 1 legged squats, split squats (rear foot up on something higher),

pistols, assistance with bodyweight straps Forward lunges Backward lunges Walking lunges Diagonal/Lateral lunges Step ups Floor hip raise/extension (1 or 2 legged) Floor hip raise/leg curl using straps 1 or 2 legged RDL/deadlifts (weights/bands)


More Exercise ExplanationsBelow are links to a great site that has more explanations of the big movements (and more). Just click on the link if you need more info.

Pushup Dip Chinup Inverted Row Split Squat Single Leg Deadlift Hip Raise-Extension Lunge

Choose Your Primary ExercisesSo to get started, first all you have to do is choose what exercises you will be doing for the primary circuits for workout A and B. Just fill in the blanks below.

Workout/Exercise Workout A Workout B

Upper Push

Upper Pull

Lower


Chapter 10Secondary Circuit Movements

Secondary CircuitAfter you complete your primary circuit, then you will move onto (you can rest a few minutes between the circuits) the secondary circuit that is also comprised of 3 exercises. This is where you will focus on additional muscle work, intensity, specific performance needs and core stability/strength. The 3 exercises you will select are:

Secondary Push or Pull Plyo/HR (Plyometric/Heart Rate) Core (Abdominal stabilizers and movers)

Secondary Push or PullThis exercise should be more assistance shoulder based pushing or pulling movements. Choose one push and one pull and split them


Example of a scaled HSPU (handstand pushup) while in a pike position and feet elevated.

between Workouts A & B. Exercises to choose from include:

HSPU (handstand pushups). This may be too advanced for many. To scale down put your feet on the floor or on a box/couch while bending at the waist. Lower your head down to the floor and push back up.

Band/Weight overhead press (substitute for HSPU) Clean/snatch with weights (sandbag, KB, DB) Y-pulls with bands or using body and straps Upright rows with bands/weights Lateral raises with bands/weights

Plyometric/Heart RateNow you will choose a movement based on your needs. Since levels vary, you choose something that is intense enough for you. You can also focus on more sport specific movements if you are looking to improve any activities you do also. There is much flexibility in what you can use here. Exercise examples to choose from include:

Explosive squat/lunge jumps (or band resistance explosions) Other jumps including broad jumps or box jumps Jump rope Jumping Jacks Shadow/band boxing Bear crawls Burpees KB/DB swings High knees/Sprints Ladder drills (shuffle, agility) Plyometric skaters (side to side lateral movements) Mountain climbers


Core Stability and MovementThe last exercise in this circuit is used to help strengthen your core region (abdominals, obliques and other mid stabilizer/movers). Do not do any crunches! There are better ways to work your core. Exercise examples include the following:

Plank (on floor or using straps down low). Keep feet spread apart wide to make it easier, move feet together to make harder. Elevate feet off floor to get maximum difficulty. Use band around your body for extra resistance.

Side planks (turning sideways L/R in a plank position) Strap roll-out (angled lean/straight arm extensions out and back) Ab-wheel rolls (if you have access to one or something similar) Band wood-chops (diagonal twists holding onto band) Jackknife with feet in straps (pulling knees in) Hanging bar/strap knee/leg raise L-sits (bars/straps to hold body up) TGU (Turkish get-up) with band or weights (KB/DB/sandbag)


A floor plank with straight arms (can also rest on elbows with bent arms). Keep full body tight and hold.

Choose Your Secondary ExercisesSo to get started, first all you have to do is choose what exercises you will be doing for the secondary circuits for workout A and B. Just fill in the blanks below.

Workout/Exercise Workout A Workout B

Secondary Push/Pull

Plyo/HR

Core


Chapter 11Starter Burn Phase

Getting Started with Bodyweight OverdriveI suggest that all people (especially beginners) begin with a Starter Burn phase. I know you may want to just jump in and be advanced, but this is not a race (and that can set you back more than you think).

You should start with the Starter Burn phase for a few reasons:

It allows you to learn movements and scaling options, to make sure you can achieve the right resistance and intensity over all the sets in the circuits.

Focus is more on correct form and learning exercise movements. This is vital to make sure you are hitting your muscles correctly and will also help prevent injury (which is important).

Even if you already workout, this still can be a higher volume phase compared to what your muscles are used to. Go through an initial Starter Burn phase to see how your muscles respond and recover. You may find it more challenging (and muscles more sore) that you realize, especially if you are not used to doing circuits like this.

How long you stay on the Starter Burn phase is up to you. If you have worked out in the past and are just rusty, you could use it for 2-4 weeks. If you are a complete beginner you may need to use it longer (4+ weeks) until you understand the key movements, form and scaling better. Remember this is not a race, so take it steady, be safe and you will reap the rewards soon enough.


Starter Burn Circuit IntervalsThe workouts are comprised of timed circuit intervals (one for the primary and one for the secondary circuit). With each circuit you have the 3 specific exercises selected (#1, 2 and 3). Each exercise is performed one right after another (super-set) with some rest between.

Perform exercise #1 (work period) Recover (rest period) Perform exercise #2 (work period) Recover (rest period) Perform exercise #3 (work period) Recover (rest period) (Repeat round as needed)

Each exercise has a work time period and a rest time period to go with it. When you complete a set of all 3 exercises, it is called a full round. For the Starter Burn phase here are the work-rest periods and rounds:

Primary Circuit 40 seconds of work/ 20 seconds of rest per exercise. Complete a total of 3 rounds.

Secondary Circuit 40 seconds of work/ 20 seconds of rest per exercise. Complete a total of 3 rounds.

Each work/rest interval per exercise is a minute in order to easily keep track of your workout. You can use a clock (with a second display) or other timer to keep your sets going. Keep going through the whole work period (40 sec) per exercise until the time is done (and rest set begins).


You could use an app on your phone to keep track of your intervals

while playing music too!

Also do not take any additional rest between rounds until you complete all of them (3 to start). You can take a few minutes of rest between the primary and secondary circuits while you setup equipment for the next exercises and/or reset your interval timer.

Sample A/B Workouts Starter Burn

Workout A Workout B

Primary Circuit40-20 sec / 3 rounds (9 min)

PushupAssisted Pullups w/ Straps

1/2 Legged Squats*

Primary Circuit40-20 sec / 3 rounds (9 min)

Dips w/ StrapsInverted Row w/ Straps

1/2 Legged Floor Hip Raise*

Secondary Circuit40-20 sec / 3 rounds (9 min)

Scaled HSPU or Band OH PressJumping Jacks

Floor Plank

Secondary Circuit40-20 sec / 3 rounds (9 min)

Upright Band RowStep-Ups

Band Wood-chops

* Lower body exercises can be unilateral (alternating left and right leg)

**Above exercises are samples only and you can choose exercises and scaling based upon your ability and equipment.

40-20 sec = 40 seconds of work / 20 seconds rest/recovery


Starter Burn Phase GuidelinesBelow are some important tips and suggestions for use in the starter phase. Please also be sure to read the FAQ chapter for more details as well.

Stay on the Starter Burn phase for 2-4+ weeks to learn movements and see how your muscles responds before going into the next phase.

Start off the primary circuit with 3 rounds. See how your muscles recover. Even though you may think it is easy, your muscles could still get very sore. If you feel OK after a week or two, then you may up to 4 (primary only) rounds and again see how you recover.

Always warm-up before your main workout (at least 5 minutes of activity to increase blood flow, not stretching). Consider even doing a light resistance round of the primary circuit to warm-up the movements you will be doing.

Beginners can choose to use 2 legged lower body exercise variation. If that is not challenging enough, then perform unilateral 1-legged versions instead (alternating left and right leg).

Always focus on controlled movements and correct form/muscle activation. If you are ever unsure of a certain exercise's proper form, pick another one in it's place. Your safety comes first!

Do NOT go to complete muscle failure during a work set. Either scale down the resistance or pause between reps more. Muscle failure will just end up hindering your recovery/progression between rounds and workouts. This is not the goal.


Chapter 12Build & Burn Phase

Never let Your Body AdaptOnce you have successfully gone through a Starter Burn phase and are ready to turn it up a bit, then comes the ongoing phase of the program called Build and Burn. This main phase is going to implement a progressing tension/intensity factor by varying work/rest intervals.

Why do this? Not only to gain strength and deeper muscle definition, but also to never allow your body to adapt or get bored. You can then create an ongoing metabolic storm that will keep you building lean muscle and burning fat for the long run.

30-30 Build WorkoutsAlong with the Burn workouts you started out with (40-20 sec work-rest), now there are Build workouts that will be rotated into the primary circuits. Build uses shorter work sets (30 secs work), longer rest periods


Alternate "Build" & "Burn" to keep your muscles continually challenged and your metabolism strong

(30 secs rest) and stresses using more resistance (or if you want to think of it as less reps) on the your big 3 movements. It is more of a strength phase for your bodyweight exercises.

The primary circuit will also now be a total of 5 rounds (for both the Build and Burn workouts). That means it will take a total 15 min now (1 min work-rest per exercise x 3 exercises x 5 rounds).

Secondary Circuits to 45-15Now it is also time to push the lactate threshold and up the intensity with more work and less rest for both Build and Burn phases. So for all secondary circuits, you will now be doing 45-15 sec intervals (45 sec work and 15 sec rest). Secondary circuit will still start off at 3 rounds (9 min), because you are also dealing with more work and shorter rest. 4 Week Alternating PhasesYou still have workouts A & B just like the starter phase. Now you will also add in alternating phases of Build and Burn (which changes the intervals for the primary circuit only). Start with a Build workout for A and B, then do a Burn workout A and B. Continue that rotation for 4 weeks.

Week/Days Monday Wednesday Friday

Week #1 Build Workout A Build Workout B Burn Workout A

Week #2 Burn Workout B Build Workout A Build Workout B

Week #3 Burn Workout A Burn Workout B Build Workout A

Week #4 Build Workout B Burn Workout A Burn Workout B

*Build = 30-30 sec (work/rest) primary/45-15 sec (work/rest) secondary*Burn = 40-20 sec (work/rest) primary/45-15 sec (work/rest) secondary


Sample A Workouts Build & Burn Cycles

Workout A Build Workout A Burn

Primary Circuit30-30 sec / 5 rounds (15min)

PushupsPullups

1 Legged Squats (L/R)


PushupsPullups

2 Legged Squats (weighted)

Secondary Circuit45-15 sec / 3-4 rounds (9-12 min)

Handstand Pushups (Scaled)Swings (KB/Sandbag)

Floor Planks

Sample B Workouts Build & Burn Cycles

Workout B Build Workout B Burn


DipsInverted Row

1 Legged Hip Raise (L/R)


DipsInverted Row

2 Legged Hip Raise

Secondary Circuit45-15 sec / 3-4 rounds (9-12 min)

Cleans (KB/Sandbag)Squat Jumps (BW)Wood-chops (Band)

*Exercises listed are examples only and you can choose based upon ability/ equipment. Secondary circuit format is same for both Build and Burn workouts.


Build & Burn Phase GuidelinesBelow are some important tips and suggestions for use in the Build & Burn phase. Please also be sure to read the FAQ chapter for more.

Always warm-up before your main workout (at least 5 minutes of activity to increase blood flow, not stretching).

Always focus on controlled movements and correct form/muscle activation. Your safety comes first!

Do NOT go to complete muscle failure during a work set. Muscle failure will just end up hindering your recovery/progression between rounds and workouts. This is not the goal.

For Build workouts, choose a challenging resistance and do not lower during the circuit. Use rest-pause (1-2 sec pause between reps) as you feel yourself coming closer to failure.

For Burn workouts, instead of doing rest-pause you should use drop sets (dropping the resistance) by lowering resistance/ increasing assistance each set as you feel close to muscle failure.

For lower body you can choose to do unilateral 1 legged versions for the Build workouts (just bodyweight), and switch to 2 legged versions with more resistance (band/weights) for Burn workouts.

Also there is an optional 4th round for the secondary circuit that you can add in if you feel you need it.

After each 4 week cycle, choose different exercises and/or increase resistance factors (as needed).


Chapter 13Tips, Tricks and FAQs

Always Warmup for 5+ min Before StartingYou should always warm up the body and get it ready for exercise for 5 min before your main workout starts. Simple ways can include doing jumping jacks, jump rope, jogging, arm swinging, pushups, squats/lunges, shadow boxing, easy bodyweight movements (the ones you will do in the main workout) and even band exercises. Go through a simple warmup circuit doing a new movement every 30 seconds.

Remember this is a warmup, not the main workout. Do not stretch (that will create tears in the muscle before you workout). Instead just increase your ROM through light resistance movements.

Using Leg Assistance as NeededFor certain movements and equipment you can use your legs (1 or both)


Bodyweight straps (suspension trainer) can help scale movements such as pushups at a angle and helping

assist with one legged squats

as assistance. What does that mean? Well for example during a dip exercise you can keep a leg in back/front on the ground to assist you (support bodyweight) during the movement. Use your legs as needed until you build up enough strength to do a full circuit without leg assistance.

Changing Angles for ScalingAs you change the angle of certain exercises you will also increase or decrease the resistance (of your bodyweight). For example, if doing pushups on a floor is too hard then put your hands higher up (such as on a couch, step, small wall, or using bodyweight straps). As you increase the angle of your body to the floor from 0deg (horizontal) to say 45deg, the easier it becomes. Same can be said for horizontal rows. This is why bodyweight straps can come in handy to help change the angles as you go.

Speed and TempoWhile there is no specific speed or tempo with this program (unless you are specifically doing a plyometric exercise), you should always aim to keep in control and keep muscles under tension. That means slow and controlled lowering of the body and then a powerful controlled movement pushing through the resistance part. If you want to train for a specific explosive movement, add that specific exercise into your secondary circuit.

Keep a Simple Workout LogKeep track of what kind of resistance/scaling you used and any modification that had to be made as you went through a circuit. This will help you know whether you need to scale up or down with each workout. Writing it down will also help keep you motivated week after week.

Burn More Fat by Not Eating Immediately AfterIf you want to keep burning fat for energy (and your blood sugar is stable) wait another 30-60 minutes after a workout and just keep active at a slow


pace (such as walking). While the brief intense workout has now increased the fat releasing hormones, doing some additional slower paced activity after has its advantages. It will increase the rate (blood flow) at which those hormones are delivered to the fat cells, thereby also increasing the rate at which it takes away the FFAs to be burned in the muscles (which you are still using).

This is NOT about high level cardio time after your intense part of your workout (as you will crash and burn). Because you are also going slow and steady you will help keep cortisol at bay and your recovery to be improved (so you can train more often). I like to call this lifestyle cardio as you should just go do something fun and relaxing!

What if You Already do Strength Work?Some may already be doing some strength work (with weights) such as deadlift, squats or other exercises at the gym. You can alternate those in either before a bodyweight circuit (always before not after) or on different days. An example for different days would be:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Strength Workout A Off Strength Workout B

What about Arm Exercises?Your arms are assisting in most all of the major movements. If you train them in an isolated fashion too much, then you may compromise your progression in the bigger movements (as the failure of little muscles will shut down and prevent bigger ones from getting enough stimulation).

I'm not putting in any specific arm work in this program, but if you want to


add in a single Burn set (45/15) arm exercise at the end, that is up to you. One could also just use a static hold for that period as well. Just make sure you are not compromising your main workouts over the long run.

4x/wk Advanced Build & Burn ScheduleIf you already have excellent strength/conditioning for bodyweight based workouts or like working out strength more often, you can do 4x/wk workouts. However, you must decrease the volume (# of rounds) per workout otherwise you risk over-training and under-recovering. Only do 3-4 round for the primary circuit (3 if you are really using heavy resistances) and 2-3 rounds for the secondary circuit.

With a 4x/wk workout the rotation should also be different. Not having back to back Build days without are days off in between. Here is one such schedule alternating Build, Burn and A & B workouts at the same time. You would repeat this same schedule each week for the full cycle.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

BuildWorkout A

BurnWorkout B

OffBurn

Workout ABuild

Workout B

I would strongly suggest NOT jumping into a 4x/wk workout until you have done at least one full 4 weeks of Build and Burn at 3x/wk to see how your body responds/recovers.

Do I Really Need to Buy Any Equipment?No, but items like the bodyweight straps certainly makes it easier and give you more scaling/exercise options. Other weighted items such as dumbbells/ sandbags/kettlebells/bands can also help to make your bodyweight heavier during movement and add variety in exercises to do.


Many find stuff around the house to use or just make their own equipment as well. Buying equipment used for this program is still rather inexpensive compared to those $1000+ home gyms they sell out there.

Leaving One in the TankI've already said this a few times, but it is worth repeating. You are not wanting to go to absolute failure on a rep during a circuit (as it will negatively effect your recovery for the next circuit/workouts). While you want to challenge your muscles, you should always feel like you still have one more rep left in you when you finish. Here are some simple ways to accomplish that:

If you feel like you are approaching failure during a Build phase (30/30) then use the rest-pause technique. This means as you get close to what you believe is your last rep, taking an extra few seconds pause between reps while still in position of the movement. You can continue this as many times as needed until time is up. You should not have to adjust to make it easier as you go during a Build phase. This is not the time for that.

If you feel like you are approaching failure during a Burn or secondary circuit, then you can use the drop-set technique. This means decreasing the resistance (making the movement easier) to continue going until the time is up. You can continue decreasing the resistance (such as changing the angles of the bodyweight straps) as many times as needed to finish the full work set.

Train as often as possible while being as fresh as possible

~ World renowned Strength Coach Pavel Tsatsouline


Chapter 14Body-Strong for Life

Slow and Steady Has Always WorkedAfter over 25 years of training myself (and clients for the last 10+), I can honestly tell you that real and lasting results are never about some quick fix. You have to make simple yet important changes to your lifestyle (eating, exercise, etc) that last.

The easiest way to do that is to find out what works, what gives results and what is easy to maintain (sustainable for you). It has to be enjoyable, challenging and nothing you need to obsess over.

Forget about going overboard on workouts. Making yourself tired is just making yourself tired. A good workout should challenge you but also leave you feeling good afterward. Then continue that workout over and over again, progress in strength, and get on with your life outside of a gym!


Become a strong person through moving your own body and go enjoy life! The world will become your gym!

Finding a Simple Way to Eat LessWhat and how you eat is also important to getting lean (since you need some sort of calorie deficit to keep weight coming off). You shouldn't obsess over this as well. Focusing mainly on real foods will give you enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and keep your energy stable. Stay away from processed foods/drinks, especially those loaded with sugar!

A simple approach of 3 meals a day can provide enough fuel and nutrients to keep your metabolism and muscles strong. I personally also like to use condensed eating windows and throw in some 2 meal days for added fat burning/health benefits (to find out how that approach, click here for the 2 Meal Solution page)

Best Time to Start is Today!Time to get going. Don't put your first workout off till next week, start today! It may take a few workouts to get the hang of it, but that is OK as we are in it for the long-run, right?

Thanks for reading this special report! I am excited to be helping you achieve real and lasting results with your workouts!

In Health,

Mike O'DonnellHealth and Fitness Coach/Trainerwww.theiflife.com


AppendixEquipment Options/Links

There are many different options out there for equipment (pullups bars, rings, etc) you can use, including making your own equipment. For those looking to buy equipment, here are what I consider the top items/websites for your home based workouts. Just click on the links to see more.

RubberBanditz I wouldn't bother getting those cheap resistance bands from the local stores. Most are not even strong enough to challenge your muscles properly. Also you want to get the 41 loop kind for more variety in how you can use it. These bands come in different tensions, sold in packs or individually which means you can always upgrade and progress with your resistances as you get stronger.

Jungle Gym Suspension Trainers When it comes to bodyweight strap/suspension trainers, there are many out there. While the TRX is probably the most known system, it is also the most expensive. I've personally used the Jungle Gym system from Lifeline for bootcamps and feel it is the better choice for the money (and 2-3x cheaper!).

Equalizer Bodyweight Bars These are good dedicated bars useful for dips and inverted rows. Not as versatile as straps, but still good for doing workouts on the go or inside (especially if you can not hang straps/rings).


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