No Nonsense Body Transformation Part 2

by Nia Shanks | Follow her on Twitter here

In Part 1of No Nonsense Body Transformation I went off on a necessary rant. Today in Part 2 I will outline a very simple, basic, but highly effective no nonsense body transformation guide. Follow these simple tips and you’ll get results.

Say goodbye to supplements – pre and post workout drinks, workout enhancers, energy drinks, fat burners, protein powder, and other supplements are not necessary for achieving great results. Let me say that again – supplements are not mandatory. No one in the history of training has achieved amazing, mind-blowing results simply from using a magical pill, potion, or powder (I’m talking about over the counter supplements, not steroids or other illegal drugs). Your success is not dependant on any supplement. Instead of supplements, you’ll discover in a moment how you should spend your hard earned money.

Train for strength –when you step foot in the gym, you should be there to get stronger. Add more weight to the bar, perform more reps; you’re there to get stronger and not to burn calories. This means you, ladies! Even if you just want to “lose fat and tone up” you should still be lifting a barbell. Performing endless hours of cardio is not going to get you the body you want – lifting weights while focusing on getting stronger will. Remember that. (This is the driving force of the programs in Beautiful Badass).

Use the big exercises – so many people nowadays want “new” exercises, and it’s driving me absolutely insane. The big exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, chins, push-ups, and parallel bar dips have always produced the best results, and they always will. If you want the best results in the least amount of time, ditch the cable crossovers, leg extensions, triceps kickbacks, the inner and outer thigh machines and other lame isolation exercises for good.

There’s a difference between being entertained in the gym and actually getting results – this relates to the previous point. So many trainers nowadays entertain their clients with “unique” exercises, bootcamp workouts, and the bells and whistles of the fitness world. If you want to be entertained and waste time in the gym, that’s fine. But if you actually want to get results, focus on the big exercises mentioned above.

Realize the exercises do not change, regardless of your goal – this one surprises people, but it’s true. I don’t care if you want to lose fat, build muscle, or get stronger. You should still use the exercises mentioned above. This applies to men AND women.

For the majority of trainees, bodybuilding splits are not the best option – yes, for most people bodybuilding splits are a waste of time. The average gym trainee should never use bodybuilding splits if they want to get the best results in the least amount of training time; this is especially true if your main goal is fat loss. If you’ve been using traditional bodybuilding splits, it’s time to upgrade to a training method that works much better.

Use total body workouts or upper/lower splits – drop traditional bodybuilding splits and start using total body or upper/lower splits produce the best results in the least amount of time. If you want to be in the gym only 2-4 times per week, then you should be using total body or upper/lower splits exclusively.

Eat real food – eating should not be complicated. Just use some common sense. You know fast food, Little Debbies, cookies, sodas, and other processed items aren’t good for you, so stop making excuses for eating them.

Instead of wasting your money on protein powders and other supplements, spend your money on high quality food. For example, you should buy grass-fed beef and not the factory farmed, low quality meat sold in most stores. Your health will benefit more from eating high quality meat than it will from grossly overpriced, highly processed, unregulated supplements.

When it comes to meat and eggs, I suggest looking for a local farmer. Not only will the money you spend go back into your community, but you’ll be eating healthier meat. Check out EatWild.com to find high quality meat and eggs near you.

I know a lot of people will make excuses for not paying a few extra dollars for high quality meat. You can justify spending a few extra bucks on high quality food; you cannot, however, justify spending hundreds of dollars on supplements.

Here is where to start if you are lost and confused – start going for 30-45 minute brisk walks a few times per week; first thing in the morning and/or in the evening, it doesn’t matter – just get it done. Strength train 3 days per week with total body workouts and focus on getting stronger. Combine that with eating smart and you’re good to go.

Quick example:

Monday

Squat, Chin-ups, and Parallel Bar Dips

Tuesday

AM and/or PM – 30-45 min brisk walk

Wednesday

Deadlift, Standing Overhead Press, and Inverted Rows

Thursday

AM and/or PM – 30-45 min brisk walk

Friday

Reverse Lunges, Suspended Push-ups, and Pull-ups

Saturday & Sunday

Fun Activity (hiking, racquetball, pick-up basketball game, etc) or 30-45 min brisk walks

Now does that sound “sexy, new, and exciting”? No, probably not.

Does it work? You’re damn right it does.

The choice is yours – do you want real results or do you simply want to be entertained?

Bottom Line – Train hard. Eat smart. Get results.