Training Introduction
“If you lift the same weight, for the same number of reps, at the same speed with the same rest period, YOU STAY THE SAME SHAPE.”
Glenn Wilkinson, PT and Founder of ABS IN 8 WEEKS.
Time and time again, I see people jumping on to whichever weights machine happens to be free at the gym, in the hope that any sort of lifting is better than none. They’re wrong.
ABS IN 8 WEEKS will give you both the structure and personalised aims to see real results – all in a quick and healthy 8 weeks. Your training plan will be yours and yours alone, based on your ability, your weight and your nutritional needs. Online support sessions will also be made available to you in time slots allotted via email – accessible through the “resources” section of your members’ area.
By eating the right foods and varying your workout, progressively increasing its difficulty, your body will adapt. And adaptation means change – adaptation means ABS!
1RM
The way the ABS IN 8 WEEKS training programme works is through a subjective PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD SYSTEM, based on something called your 1 REPETITION MAXIMUM (1RM). Sounds fancy, but it’s actually quite straightforward.
Your 1RM is simply the amount of weight you can safely lift for 1 rep. Knowing your 1RM allows for the most safe, most effective system to be devised for you, as specific percentages of stress on the body can be calculated (per percentage of your 1RM lifted).
By varying the percentage of 1RM lifted week by week, as well as reps, sets and rest time, muscles will respond with a heightened rate of growth, meaning ABS IN 8 WEEKS!
CLICK HERE to find your 1RM – for a personalised progressive overload system and ABS IN 8 WEEKS!
The Three Stages
There are three main stages to ABS IN 8 WEEKS: The BUILDING Stage, The SHAPING Stage and the ISOLATE Stage. All use big, compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull downs and shoulder presses to target all major muscle groups, stimulating metabolism to burn that fat and encouraging muscle growth. Here is an outline of what to expect:
STAGE ONE – BUILDING: Is designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. This is the stage where bigger muscles are built.
The weight lifted will vary, starting at 50% of your 1RM and progressively increase by 5% each week. Reps, sets and rest time will remain the same – 10 sets of 10 reps with a standard rest time between each set (as outlined in your personalised plan).
Speed and rhythm is fundamental at this stage. For maximum impact, the downward phase of each movement (the “eccentric” phase) should take approximately 2 seconds or less, while the upward movement (“concentric” phase) should be a burst of only 1 second or less.
RECOVERY BETWEEN EACH SET DURING THESE EXERCISES IS ESSENTIAL. Consistency and progression rely on this time.
STAGE TWO – SHAPING: For developing muscle shape and fullness.
As consistent rest periods are crucial in the “Building” stage, “Time Under Tension” is the fundamental asset to the shaping phase of training.
Weight starts at 40%-50% of a trainee’s 1RM, with each rep being performed in 6 seconds – 4 seconds eccentric and 2 seconds concentric. All reps should be completed without locking joints in order to create greater time under tension. This will develop best muscle structure and definition.
The aim of this stage is to work in “failure” – where the muscles’ glycogen stores are quickly depleted, causing the breakdown of muscle fibres. These fibres can then be rebuilt as they repair to become bigger and stronger.
STAGE THREE – ISOLATION: The final component.
This stage is designed to work on isolated muscles – giving them specific shape and definition. A suggested 50% of your 1RM should be used here in 2 sets of 20 reps – 1 up 1 down in tempo for maximum impact and maximum potential therefore.
At the end of each training session there will also be a stage entirely dedicated to developing abdominal muscles. This is ABS IN 8 WEEKS, after all! As the mid-section of the body is where the eyes are naturally drawn to, the abs become the focal point of the physique. By following the ABS IN 8 WEEKS personalised plan, your abs will be a focal point to be proud of!