That's three sessions of core, resistance and cardio per week.

Core exercises

1. Body weight squats (two sets of 12 reps)

2. Floor bridge (two sets of 12 reps)
3. Abdominal plank (two x one minute, now increased to two x 1min 45secs)
4. Supermans (two sets of 12 reps - left side and right side - 48 in total)
5. Swiss ball crunch (two sets of 12 reps)
6. Oblique side flex with Swiss ball (two sets of 12 reps)
7. Lunges (two sets of 12 reps - left leg and right leg - 48 in total)

Resistance training

1. Dumb bell clean and press (two sets of 12 reps)

2. Bench press (two sets of 12 reps)
3. Assisted chin ups (two sets of 12 reps)
4. Dumb bell shoulder press (two sets of 12 reps)
5. Tricep rope extension (two sets of 12 reps)
6. Dumb bell bicep curls (two sets of 12 reps)
7. Leg curls (two sets of 12 reps)
8. Calf raises (two sets of 12 reps)

Cardio exercise

1. 15 minutes running (increasing speed at three minute intervals)

2. 15 minutes cross training (increasing speed every three minutes)
3. 10 minutes cycling (incorporating 4 x 30 second sprints)

Food

1. Resisting the temptation to eat junk food, regardless of how hectic life gets, is just as
important as doing the right training.
2. Friday night is no longer pizza night. I've cut down on the drinking. Chocolate, crisps and
fizzy drinks are goners. Cheese, my lifelong nemesis, is no longer allowed in my flat!
3. A lunchtime sandwich that used to contain chicken, mozzarrella and pesto now contains
chicken, tomato and pesto.
4. I've replaced egg pasta with wholewheat pasta. I'm eating more fruit, vegetables and brown
rice.
Nutrition

1. Increasing my daily intake of protein and water is essential to build the lean muscle mass
that will help me burn fat and drop my excess weight.
2. Staying well hydrated is essential to my weight loss and fitness goals.
3. On the advice of my trainer, I upped my daily intake of water to 3.2 litres. This seems a lot
but it's easily attainable if you have water with meals instead of a soft drink and drink water
through the day.
4. The bigger problem was upping my intake of protein to the levels my trainer advised. It
would require eating four grilled chicken breasts a day which, as much as I like chicken,
wasn't going to happen.

Supplements

1. Rather than become personally responsible for upping the UK's chicken consumption
singlehandedly, I spoke to nutrition consultant Simon Jurkiw, Research and Education
Manager for sports nutrition brand Maximuscle. After explaining my exercise programme and
my taking him through my food journal, Simon recommended some Maximuscle products
that, in conjunction with exercise and a balanced diet, would help me reach my goal.
2. I also take one Maximuscle Thermobol tablet each day (plus one before a gym session).
Thermobol contains herbal extracts including green tea, bitter orange, hot cayenne pepper,
guarana, ingredients that speed up your metabolism and support weight loss.
3. They're fairly large and take a bit of effort to swallow. They also contain a fair amount of
caffeine so it's important not to take them late in the day.

Recovery

1. Recovery after exercise is also really important. I've found replenishing the body's protein
levels after a workout has eliminated the aches and pains I used to suffer from after a trip to
the gym.
2. If one gym session comprises the core, resistance and cardio exercises detailed above,
Simon recommended a Maximuscle Cycline shake.
3. Maximuscle Cycline and Maxi-Milk(Maximuscle)
4. Cycline is higher in protein content than Promax and also contains creatine (which aids
strength building), glutamine (aids muscle repair and recovery) and HMB (which reduces
muscle soreness after exercise).
5. For lower intensity sessions (ie core plus cardio with no resistance training), Simon advised
water or a bottle of Maximuscle's Maxi-Milk for sufficient recovery.
Alternative products

1. As a quick surf of the Internet will demonstrate, Maximuscle is just one of many sports
nutrition brands selling supplements and shakes that, alongside exercise and healthier
eating, will aid weight loss and building lean muscle.
2. My trainer Neil Baker recommended Reflex Peptide Fusion as an alternative to Maximuscle's
Promax. Always speak to a trainer, nutritionist or other qualified professional before
investing money in supplements and shakes as different people with different goals will
require different products to support their individual exercise programmes.

Early results

While my overall success will only be truly measured after five more months of training, the first 30
days of my fitness challenge have yielded some interesting results.

1. In terms of weight, I have lost 3.5 kg.

2. I also feel a lot stronger, as evidenced by the increased weights I am able to lift in my
resistance training. While I wouldn't describe my arms as 'guns' just yet, they are definitely
more defined.
3. My legs feel strong and I find the cardio exercise a lot easier than I used to.
4. Post-exercise, I don't get aches and pains any more.
5. Food-wise, there's still a lot more I could be doing. Eating my largest meal at breakfast, a
smaller meal at lunchtime and the smallest meal of my day in the evening is something Neil
Baker insists will really help. I'm not entirely convinced I can apply that to my life but I
intend to give it a try.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the progress I've made over the last 30 days and am more than
motivated enough to see it through for five more months.

Source: Lee Harvey/MSN HIM UK