You Don’t Need 

A Personal Trainer  

by Skylar Domine   

Preview  

  

Editor & Publisher // John Quarnstrom  

Illustrator // Molly McCraw Cover Artist // Jaheed Hussain 

  

   

For inquiries, e-mail:  skydombooks@gmail.com 

 For additional resources, visit: 

www.skylardomine.com /resources   

LEGAL DISCLAIMER  

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author 

or editor, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.  

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat 

any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician. The publisher and author are not responsible for any specific health or allergy needs 

that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be held liable 

or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or incidental or consequential damages caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information or 

programs contained herein. 

  

Copyright © 2017 - SKYDOM BOOKS, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

   

 

 Skylar K. Domine 

AUTHOR   

 

- ABOUT THE AUTHOR -  Small Town Roots 

My life started on the quiet farmlands of Loyal, Wisconsin … population 1,200. 

Both my family and the community were a blessing, as they pushed me towards a life 

of hard-work, passion, and integrity. My father was a naturally dedicated person who 

worked day-in and day-out to grow his business; my own drive in life comes primarily 

from him. My mother had a huge heart, and always put food on the table, made sure 

the house was spotless, and always taught me to do the right thing, no matter what. 

They worked hard to give me a great childhood, and I have an incredible amount of 

appreciation for both of them. 

 

Near Death Experience 

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, basketball, football, and wrestling 

were my main activities for putting on muscle. Unfortunately, I had a terrible car 

accident at the age of 17, which took me an entire year to recover from. My left lung was 

punctured and collapsed, three ribs were broken, and my right scapula was completely 

shattered. For two weeks I was in a coma. The doctors had to work quickly to prevent 

my lungs from filling up with fluids and stuck multiple drain tubes into my side. 

 

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty 

One year later, after making a full recovery, I immediately joined the Marine 

Corps. There was some skepticism on their part, but I was dead set on joining and 

wouldn’t take no for an answer ( and had no interest in taking over my father's 

business, or going to college ). My mission was simple: Join the most prestigious military 

branch and perform my duties to the best of my abilities. For four consecutive years, I 

excelled at their Physical and Combat Fitness Tests, leading to multiple promotions and 

awards such as Marine of The Quarter. I was meritoriously promoted to E-4 Corporal, 

which is a Non Commissioned Officer for those of you not military savvy. 

This also involved achieving “Expert” in every rifle qualification exam that is 

taken regularly. Soon after, I was combat meritoriously promoted to E-5 Sergeant. 

Despite progressing through the ranks quickly, my time in the military was taking its 

toll on my family back home. My mother worried so much about me, her hair started to 

fall out from the stress ( and she was only in her 40’s ). Other family members saw my 

friends coming home with missing limbs, emotional trauma, or draped with an 

American flag. After four years, I decided to head home to go to school, and try being a 

civilian in the inactive reserves.  

Dealing with PTSD 

Returning to civilian life after serving in the Marine Corps is a struggle for 

millions of soldiers. After returning to Wisconsin, I soon developed my own problems. 

Flashbacks, cold sweats in the middle of the night, and a persistent combination of 

anxiety and stress was turning my life into a living hell. PTSD led me down a dark road. 

Alcoholism and depression hit hard, and it spiraled out of control, leading to a DUI. At 

that point, I felt like a complete failure to my family, my friends, and even myself.  

Soon after, I seeked help with the VA and began straightening out my life.  

Sobriety and Fitness 

After becoming sober, I needed to stay busy. My typical week: Study for 40 hours 

at the University of Milwaukee for Business Management, bounce at different bars for 

30 hours, and train clients for another 20 hours, all while managing a gym. Long weeks 

and countless hours in the gym kept me sane throughout the first months of sobriety.  

Entrepreneurship 

A friend of mine, Jon Boles, was interested in starting an apparel company, and 

having studied Business Management, I had the knowledge to help. We began talking, 

and eventually launched Modus Apparel ( www.modusapparel.com ). We had some huge 

success at the start, and decided to expand by moving the business to Arizona. Shortly 

after, I met a man named Jay Dang, and have been working with him to run an online 

and in-person training platform called 5 Star Fitness ( www.5starfitnessonline.com ). 

- INTRODUCTION -  

You Don’t Need A Personal Trainer is my attempt to condense eight years of 

personal training knowledge into a simple and easy-to-read guide. You’ll have access to 

an entire training program, with twelve weeks of exercise routines as well as three 

meal plans that are slightly different based on your training goals. 

 

Whether you’re a complete beginner, or a seasoned lifter, I guarantee you will 

learn something new along the way. I’ll guide you through the entire training process, 

from start to finish, teaching you why we do the things we do to grow your muscles to 

new heights . Everything in this book is what I teach my own clients over multiple 

months of training. With a book, you can quickly absorb this knowledge and start 

practicing it right away. For those that are serious about their health and physique, 

this book is going to give you a huge push in the right direction. 

 

There may be blood , sweat , and tears , but the massive boost to your pride, 

self-respect, and most importantly - your physique - after pushing yourself through the 

entire twelve weeks of training is entirely worth it, I promise.  

 

 

 

  

CHAPTER ONE // GOALS 1.1 - Your Vision, Your Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 9 1.2 - Maintaining Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 1.3 - Common Misconceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 1.4 - The First Steps to Glory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17 

 CHAPTER TWO // FUNDAMENTALS OF LIFTING 2.1 - Dynamic Warm-Ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 2.2 - The Importance of Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23 2.3 - The Compound Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 27 2.4 - Proper Rest, Proper Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28 

 CHAPTER THREE // EXERCISE ROUTINES 3.1 - Key Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32 3.2 - Phase One, 6 Weeks: Exercise Routines . . . . . . . . . Page 33 3.3 - Phase Two, 6 Weeks: Exercise Routines . . . . . . . . . Page 49 

 CHAPTER FOUR // NUTRITION 4.1 - The Average American Diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 63 4.2 - Grocery Stores vs. Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 69 4.3 - The Mathematics of Meal Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 71 4.4 - Vitamins and Supplements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 74 

 CHAPTER FIVE // MEAL PLANS 5.1 - TDEE and Macronutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 76 5.2 - Meal Plans: Males . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 80 5.3 - Meal Plans: Females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 84 5.3 - How To Tailor a Meal Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 88  A - Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page 92 

 

 

 

 CHAPTER ONE // GOALS 

 “People with goals succeed , because  

they know where they’re going.”  

- Earl Nightingale 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.1 // Your Vision, Your Future  

 

Have you taken the time yet to think about why you’re about to start 

this training program? Perhaps you have a particular reason, or a goal.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are your personal goals ... your vision of the future? 

Maybe you want to lose a few pounds, or lower your blood -sugar. 

Maybe you want to improve your endurance for a marathon, or strength 

for another sport. Whatever your goal is, try to think deeply about it. This 

is going to help you find a reason to push yourself each and every day over 

the next three months! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWO // FUNDAMENTALS OF LIFTING 

 “It is a shame for a man to grow old without 

seeing the beauty and strength of which his 

body is capable.”  

- Socrates 

 

 

 

 

When training with this book, and incorporating new methods into 

your exercise routines, I want you to erase all previous habits, training 

methods, and dieting plans. Come at this book with a new perspective. 

If you “think” you already have the answers and for-sure path to hitting 

your goals, you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place, right? 

 2.1 // Dynamic Warm-Ups

 

 

Before every workout, I want you to perform a dynamic warm-up. 

There is no reason to injure yourself during a workout, especially since our 

goal is to improve ourselves, not injure our bodies. I like to use the “rubber 

band” analogy when explaining to my clients the importance of dynamic 

warm-ups.  

Imagine leaving a rubber band in the freezer overnight, taking it out, 

and then trying to stretch it. You would notice small micro-tears taking 

place. As it continues to stretch, the cold rubber band would have limited 

elasticity and eventually snap .  

Now, picture a rubber band that’s been outside on a warm sunny day . 

If you were to pull each end, you’d notice how much further it stretches. It 

always returns back to its original length, with no tears or damage done . 

In association, the dynamic warm-up improves blood flow throughout the 

entire body creating the same type of elasticity with our muscles and 

tendons as the rubber band, which in turn reduces the likelihood of injury. 

I can’t stress this enough - do the dynamic warm-up before every workout ! 

Dynamic Warm-Up Routine 

Order  Movement  Sets x Reps 

1 st  High Knee → Lunge + Torso Twist  1 x 10 

2 nd  Lateral Lunge  1 x 10 

3 rd  Lunge → Elbow to Instep  1 x 10 

4 th  High Knees  10 Yards 

5 th  Butt Kicks  10 Yards 

6 th  Straight Leg → Hamstring Stretch  1 x 10 

7 th  Caterpillars  5 x 5 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A video of this routine is also available at www.skylardomine.com .  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER THREE // ROUTINES  

“You can have results or excuses , not both.”  

- Arnold Schwarzenegger 

 

 

   

 

 

General Overview of Phase One & Two 

Day of the Week  Training Session 

Monday  Legs A 

Tuesday  Chests, Triceps, and Abs 

Wednesday  Full-Body Conditioning A 

Thursday  Back and Biceps 

Friday  Legs B 

Saturday  Full-Body Conditioning B 

Sunday  --- Rest Day --- 

 

Dynamic Warm-Up Routine 

Order  Movement  Sets x Reps 

1 st  High Knee → Lunge + Torso Twist  1 x 10 

2 nd  Lateral Lunge  1 x 10 

3 rd  Lunge → Elbow to Instep  1 x 10 

4 th  High Knees  10 Yards 

5 th  Butt Kicks  10 Yards 

6 th  Straight Leg → Hamstring Stretch  1 x 10 

7 th  Caterpillars  5 x 5 

  

       

Phase One Exercise Routine Example 

          

Legs A // Phase 1, Day 1 

Movement  Sets x Reps  Notes 

Superman  3 x 8  Lay flat on your stomach. Hands and feet straight out. 

Simultaneously lift hands and feet off the ground as high as possible. Hold for 2 seconds, release. 

DB Goblet Squats  4 x 8  Wide stance, chest up. Pressure on heels, knees behind the toes. 

 

Prone Hamstring Curl 

(2-sec negative) 

4 x 15  Purposefully squeeze your hamstrings while pulling heels to butt. 

Slowly release the weight, controlling it all the way, for roughly 2 seconds. 

Narrow Stance Leg Press 

5 x 12  Feet close together, almost touching. Knees don’t go past toes. 

Lower back stays tight on the pad. 

DB Walking Lunge  4 x 20  Superset - 4 Rounds 

Mountain Climbers 

4 x 20  Bring knee to outside elbow on each rep.  Keep both feet flat on the ground when your 

elbow touches your knee. Jump over to the other side.  

Repeat x20, each side. 

 

 

Legs A // Continued … 

 

Movement  Sets x Reps  Notes 

Hip Adductor  

4 x 15  Superset - 4 Rounds  

Two seconds in, two seconds out. Smooth and controlled. 

Hip Abductor  4 x 15  Same as above. 

Split Jump Complex 

5 x 10  Start in a lunge position, by taking  a giant step forward with your left leg. 

Jump up, and land in the opposite lunge position, with your right leg forward. 

Repeat 10x each side, totaling 20 jumps. 

Double Pump Goblet Squats 

3 x 15  Similar to a DB Goblet Squat, but ... … at the bottom, perform a partial rep, coming half-way up, then back down, 

then completely up. That’s one rep. Hench the term “Double Pump”. 

      

 

  

     

Phase Two Exercise Routine Example 

       

  

 

Back and Biceps // Phase 2, Day 4 

 

Movement  Sets x Reps  Notes 

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 

4 x 10  Superset - 4 Rounds  

Pull bar down to upper chest. Shut off biceps. 

Mind to Muscle - Think about pulling elbows to the ground, engaging back. 

Medium Underhand Grip 

Lat Pulldown 

4 x 10  Pull bar down to upper chest. Shut off biceps. 

Reverse Fly Machine 

3 x 15  Squeeze rear delts when arms are extended directly out at side. 

Smooth and controlled on way in. 

Chest Supported High Row Machine 

3 x 12  Shut off biceps, lead with elbows. Squeeze back at the top of movement. 

Bentover BB Row Underhand 

3 x 12  Back flat (like a table). Rear delts engaged. Lead with elbows. 

Squeeze back at the top of movement. 

DB Hammer Curl  4 x 12  Maintain a tight core. 

Back and Biceps // Continued …  

 

Movement  Sets x Reps  Notes 

EZ Bar Bicep Curl Close Grip 

3 x 10  Superset - 3 Rounds  

Full range of motion. Arms extended straight at bottom. 

Tight core. 

EZ Bar Reverse Curl Wide Grip 

3 x 10  Wide grip. Thumbs on top of bar, not wrapped around. 

Elbows tight against body. Full range of motion. 

Seated Cable Row  3 x 15  Bring to belly button, while keeping your chest up. Lead with elbows. 

Negative Pull-ups 6 - 8 Seconds 

3 x 6  Use a bench to get to top of pull-up, with your chin over the bar. 

Control bodyweight on the way down, six to eight seconds. 

Bicep Curls 21’s  2 Rounds  Seven bottom half. Seven top half. 

Seven full-range. Tight-core.