By Michael J. Sokol
Owner of One-on-One Fitness Personal Training Service, Inc.  
(312) 642-4235
www.chicagogetfit.com

The contents of this article is intended for healthy adults, age 18 and over. 
It is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
Please consult a medical, health or nutrition professional before you begin any
new exercise, nutrition or supplementation program or if you have questions 
about your health.

1. Always warm-up on the treadmill or bike for 5 minutes prior to lifting to get your blood flowing and prepare the body for your workout.
2. Always stretch for 8 to 10 minutes prior to lifting to prepare your muscles, tendons and ligaments for your workout. A good book for learning stretches is called Stretching by Bob Anderson.
3. Try to perform at least 3 different exercises for each muscle group you are training. Always perform at least 3 sets for each exercise. A set should consist of between 6 and 15 repetitions.
4. For each set, perform 6-8 repetitions for bulking up goals or 12-15 repetitions for toning goals.
5. Always perform a 4-second repetition for every exercise. This means 2 seconds for the positive phase of the exercise and 2 seconds for the negative phase of the exercise.
6. Always try to fail (i.e., you physically and mentally cannot perform one more repetition) at the highest repetition goal listed; if you cannot, lower the amount of weight and complete the set. This is the one area of life where failure leads to success.
7. Do at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least three times each week.

In accordance with our continuing summer goal to be able to take our shirts off and show our definition, I have developed a great program to get more ripped and toned. It is called the "Active Recovery" workout because while one muscle group is recovering from a set, another muscle group is active performing a set. This is immediately followed by three minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise. It is best to involve opposite or unrelated muscle groups for this routine. Generally, you want to perform one "push" exercise followed up with one "pull" exercise.

1. Shoulders: Seated dumbbell shoulder press: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by

2. Legs: Plate loaded leg press: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by A above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then immediately get on a treadmill, stationary cycle, precor transport, or stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very high intensity.
   

1. Shoulders: Dumbbell shoulder lateral raises: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by
2. Legs: Leg extensions: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by
3. Legs: Seated calf raises: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by A above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then immediately get on a treadmill, stationary cycle, precor transport, or stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very high intensity.
   

1. Shoulders: Dumbbell shoulder front raises: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by
2. Legs: Leg curls: Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to failure, immediately followed by A above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then immediately get on a treadmill, stationary cycle, precor transport, or stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very high intensity.

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