[K3] - Body Sculpting Program

INTRODUCTION
This training program is intended to sculpt the body, reveal a six pack, and develop a lean & cut physique. The main goal is fat-loss through high intensity circuit training. It is meant for anyone looking to shed body fat and reveal the muscles underneath. You will not, however, gain a single pound of muscle from doing this program. It consists of High Intensity Training (HIT), Speed & Agility Drills and/or HIIT which is all meant to hit your stored fat and hit it hard . Please take the time to read all the material before asking questions, criticizing, or trying out this program.

If I have not covered something in the description or you need clarification on something, please leave a comment and I will try to answer you the best that I can.

My Health & Fitness Resources post provides links to many credible and extremely useful websites where a lot of the information for this training program came from.

What to expect:
This program was designed for several purposes:
1. Sculpt, trim, and develop a lean & cut physique.
2. Increase sprint speed, acceleration, and agility.
3. Increase cardiovascular endurance.
4. Have a life outside of the gym

What not to expect:
Just as important, here are the things that this program WILL NOT do for you:
1. You will not see magical or instant results in any aspect mentioned above.
2. You will not gain mass, bulk up, or see serious strength as you may from weight lifting.
3. You will not be the fastest, the strongest, or the most cut as a result of doing this routine.

My own results:
I have been working through this training method for some time now and here is what it has done for me:
1. I have gone down from 84.5 kg (186 lbs) down to 75 kg (165 lbs) in the first 3 months of doing this program.
2. My body fat measurement dropped from 16% down to 10% in the first 3 months and is now somewhere around 8% (according to a BIA scale).
3. As I mentioned, you will not gain mass or bulk up by doing this routine. I have stayed at a lean and mean 75 kg (165 lbs) and ~8% body fat for over a year now.
For more info, see my Skorpiozi Chronicles training journal.

The following are some guidelines to abide by, but not strict rules. I do not always follow these 100% myself. It is important to listen to your own body and see how it responds to training.

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
1. Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day.
2. Consume high quality protein with every meal.
3. Consume an adequate amount of fiber.
4. Consume an adequate amount of fat.
5. Consume adequate carbohydrates prior to workout sessions.
6. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated throughout the day.
7. Avoid refined sugars and refined grains.
For more information on nutrition, check out these eating tips.

GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
1. Warm-up thoroughly before every training session.
2. Stretch all used muscle groups after every training session.
3. Keep training sessions 45 to 75 minutes long (excluding warmup and stretch).
4. Do not do any additional sets or workouts (risk of overtraining).

HIT TRAINING PROGRESSION
1. Add higher resistance and/or more weight (up to 10% per session).
2. Increase interval time and/or decrease rest periods.

SPEED & AGILITY/HIIT PROGRESSION
1. Increase time and distance intervals, and/or decrease rest periods.
2. Alternate between different speed & agility routines at will.
3. Increase intensity of HIIT by raising any variable and/or adding rounds.

OVERTRAINING CHECK-UP

If you are experiencing 5 or more symptoms simultaneously, you may be on the verge of overtraining. Slow down, ease up, and resume at normal intensity when symptoms pass. In case of more serious overtraining, see recovery procedure below.

Signs & Symptoms
-Chronic fatigue (feeling "heavy")
-Frequent minor injuries
-Sore joints and muscles
-Lack of ability to get a pump
-Lack of motivation and/or enthusiasm
-Strength and/or endurance loss
-Lack of appetite
-Weight loss (unplanned)
-Insomnia
-Depression
-Sickness (colds/runny nose/etc.)
-Moodiness
-Lack of sex drive

RECOVERY PROCEDURE
Rest anywhere from 3 to 5 days, depending on how severe your overtraining is. During this time do not exercise. Get as much sleep and relaxation as possible. Increase intake of highly nutritious foods and take an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. Gradually get back into normal exercise routine. Either start with the same intensity and time of exercise, but decrease the frequency of exercise, or keep the same frequency but decrease intensity for about 1 to 2 weeks.

TRAINING SCHEDULE

DAY 1 (Monday):
HIT Routine I + ABS Routine I

DAY 2 (Tuesday):
Cardio/Sports/Rest

DAY 3 (Wednesday):
HIT Routine II + ABS Routine II

DAY 4 (Thursday):
Cardio/Sports/Rest

DAY 5 (Friday):
HIT Routine III + ABS Routine III

DAY 6 (Saturday):
Speed & Agility Drills/HIIT Routine

DAY 7 (Sunday):
DAY OFF - RECOVERY

WARMUP ROUTINES

The warmups work every major muscle group and prepare your body for the punishment ahead

WARMUP ROUTINE
1. 5/side – neck rotation
2. 10 – jumping jack
3. 10 – butterfly jack
4. 5/leg – high knee pull-in
5. 10/side – windmill
6. 10 – cheat push-up
7. 10/side – shot put
8. 5/side – 1 leg RDL lateral raise
9. 30 – high knee jog in place

STRETCH ROUTINES

STRETCH ROUTINE
Upper Body Stretches
1. Hands Over Head Clasp
2. Hands Behind Back Clasp
3. Arm Across Chest Stretch
4. Over Head Triceps Stretch
Lower Body Stretches
5. Front Bend Stretch
6. Seal Extension Stretch
7. Glute Stretch
8. Split Stretch
9. Single Leg Hamstring Stretch
10. Standing Quadriceps Stretch

HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING (HIT)

The rationale behind HIT is that it is both a strenuous interval cardio workout, but at the same time provides a nice workout given you are using adequate weights. The routines work the entire body as most of the exercises are compound movements. All HIT routines are done with very little rest. They blaze fat, burn calories, and leave you wasted

ROUTINE I
Circuit:
1. Goblet Squat
2. Cross-over Climber
3. Alternating Dumbbell Snatch
4. Crucifix Push-up
5. Split Jump
6. Rotary Bicep Curl
7. Dumbbell Side Lunge
8. Push-up Position Row
9. Dumbbell Lunge w/ Rotation
10. Dumbbell Push Press
Directions: Perform exercises for 60-65 seconds with 15-10 seconds rest in between. Complete 3 circuits in total. Rest for up to 2 minutes between circuits.
NOTICE: This is a modified version of the Spartacus 1.0 routine found on the Men's Health website.

ROUTINE I: ABS
1. Bicycle Crunch
2. Flat-on-floor Crunch
3. Coffin Crunch
4. Straight Leg Lift
5. Leg Out Crunch (R)
6. Leg Out Crunch (L)
7. Butt Raise
8. Alternating Knee Raise
9. Twist Plank (R)
10. Twist Plank (L)
Perform exercises for 30-40 seconds with 5 seconds rest in between. Complete 3 circuits. Minimal rest between circuits.
NOTICE: This is a modified ABS routine from VitalyAdvocate on YouTube.

ROUTINE II
Circuit: Stage 1
1. Dumbbell Hang Pull
2. Offset Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
3. Alternating Dumbbell Snatch
4. Dumbbell Thruster
5. Offset Underhand-Grip Dumbbell Row
Circuit: Stage 2
6. Dumbbell Chop
7. Plank Walk-up to Push-up
8. Dumbbell Lateral Row
9. Squat Thrust
10. Jump Squat
Directions: Perform exercises for 45-50 seconds with 15-10 seconds rest in between. Complete 4 circuits of Stage 1 and then 4 circuits of Stage 2. Rest for 2 minutes after every 2 circuits.
NOTICE: This is a modified version of the Spartacus 2.0 routine found on the Men's Health website.

ROUTINE II: ABS
1. Hovering Leg Lift
2. Hovering Scissor Kick
3. Coffin Crunch
4. Iron Cross
5. Long Arm Crunch
6. Cross-over Crunch (R)
7. Cross-over Crunch (L)
8. Alternate Toe Touch
9. Stability Ball Plank
Perform exercises for 30-40 seconds with 5 seconds rest in between. Complete 4 circuits. Minimal rest between circuits.
NOTICE: This is a modified ABS routine from ShakeLightly on YouTube.

ROUTINE III
Circuit:
1. Dumbbell Squat to Alt. Shoulder Press
2. Mountain Climber w/ Push-up
3. Dumbbell Side Lunge And Curl
4. Plank Walk-up w/ Dumbbell Drag
5. Dumbbell Stepover
6. Dumbbell One-Arm Alt. Clean
7. Push-up Position Row w/ Squat Thrust
8. Goblet Squat w/ Alt. Reverse Lunge
9. Dumbbell Russian Twist
10. Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift w/ Row
Directions: Perform exercises for 60-65 seconds with 15-10 seconds rest in between. Complete 3 circuits in total. Rest for up to 2 minutes between circuits.
NOTICE: This is a modified version of the Spartacus 2012 routine found on the Men's Health website.

ROUTINE III: ABS
1. Hovering Flutter Kick
2. Bicycle Crunch
3. Iron Cross
4. Roll-outs w/ ABS Wheel
5. Reverse Cross-over Crunch (R)
6. Reverse Cross-over Crunch (L)
7. Follow-through Crunch
8. Alternating Knee Raise
9. Side Plank (R)
10. Side Plank (L)
Perform exercises for 30-40 seconds with 5 seconds rest in between. Complete 3 circuits. Minimal rest between circuits.
NOTICE: This routine is a combination of exercises from the sources mentioned in the previous ABS routines.

SPEED & AGILITY DRILLS

Instructions on how to do most of the mentioned drills and much more can be found HERE. You can do HIIT instead of Speed & Agility Drills depending on  mood and weather conditions.

Work to rest ratio should be 1:5 (i.e. a 5 second sprint should be followed by a 25 second recovery period).

Substitute speed & agility drills with HIIT or sport/other cardio when necessary.

ROUTINE I
1. 10 – High Knee Sprint - Jog - Sprint
2. 4 – Court Perimeter Sprints (2 CW, 2 CCW)
3. 10 – Weave In / Weave Out
4. 10 – Singular Suicides
5. 10 – Lateral Leg Shuffle (5 left, 5 right)

ROUTINE II
1. 10 – Fast Knee Pick-up - Jog - Sprint
2. 10 – Sprint Lateral Shuffle (5 forward, 5 reverse)
3. 10 – Alternating Start
4. 10 – Snake Drill
5. 8 – Box Drill
Rest ratio 1:5

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)

The benefits of HIIT are self-explanatory.
I do the following routine on the last day weekly training since my metabolism gets a boost for about 24 hours from a good HIIT session.

Treadmill/Elliptical/Stationary Bike/Hand Bike/Row Machine
1. Warmup: 4-5 minutes at 50%-60% intensity (MHR)
2. High Intensity Round: 1-2 minutes at 80%-90% intensity (MHR)
3. Low Intensity Round: 2-1 minutes at 60%-70% intensity (MHR)
4. Cool-down: 4-5 minutes at 50%-60% intensity (MHR)
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for 3-6 rounds before moving onto step 4 (cool-down).

HEALTH & FITNESS RESOURCES, VIDEOS, AND INFO

Disclaimer: I am NOT a personal trainer or a fitness expert, nor do I claim to be. The information I provide here does come from credible sources. Some information I have obtained through personal experience and adaptation of other workouts and routines. I do not and cannot guarantee specific results. It all depends on your own effort, dedication, nutrition, body type, environment, and countless other factors. I will say, however, that if you perform as described, you WILL see great results!

I've been working on and fine tuning this routine for over 14 months now. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll ever be able to find all of my sources, but I will give it my best shot. I think if people can ask me with specific questions about exercises, I can target those and find links to them as time goes on. I'm headed for my HIIT session now, but when I come back I'll get working! Thanks for the rep by the way, but I'm doing this only because I want to share my success with others!

After sweating it out all day, I put together a pretty comprehensive list of the sources where I get my information from. Check it out!!!

P.S. I hit the 20K limit on my K3 post, so any additional videos and websites will be added to the resources posting.

I have updated the original post (version 2.0.6 as of 27.01.2012)

I have deleted some irrelevant crap that only confused people rather than helped.

I also put the 14-26 weeks time frame for this routine. This is important because it takes at least 4 weeks per each of the 3 routines to see impressive results (if your body fat is low and you are advanced). And by the time you hit week 24-25, your results will get painfully slow (at least for me), so it is a good idea to take a break and do a different program altogether after a 26 week period.

Some other changes included clearer instructions and descriptions. Enjoy!

For anyone interested in the results to expect in about one month, here are mine:

I let loose and ate like a pig on New Year's Eve and put on about 2,3 kg (5.2 lbs) in one night . The next morning, I weighed in at 76,5 kg (168.7 lbs) with 6% body fat (see EDIT 2 below) . After doing Phase II of [K3] (HIT Routine II/Strength Routine II/HIIT) for one month, I weighed in at 74,1 kg (163.4 lbs) and 5% body fat (see EDIT 2 below) on February 1st, 2012 (exactly 1 month). I am adding the pics below.

EDIT: The picture from January was taken with my crappy phone (which is why I came out so pale) and the one from Feb. was with my digital camera... I did not get a tan .

EDIT 2: I have readjusted my BIA scale since I was suspicious of the numbers. The actual BF% are around 10%-11% for January pic and 8%-9% on the February pic. The weight measurements are correct.

UPDATE 2.0.8 (08.02.2012)

1. Took out strength training routines. While I do weight lifting while doing this program, I want to focus this post only on the weight loss and cardio aspects.
2. Cleared up a lot of useless junk that I had written to keep myself on track, yet found it to be irrelevant for somebody looking over this program for the first time.

Hope it is no longer as confusing and easier to follow!

Very cool info, thanks for posting! Just an FYI, your first picture after NYE is more like 10% BF, definitely not 5-6%.

This pic is around 5-6% BF, as you can see it's hard to find any fat on the guy. Realize that at 3% the human male can barely maintain life functions, and most pro BBs try to cut to 5% for competition for a few hours, then get back up some afterwards.


Keep up the good work!

Thank you! All the more reason to keep going