GYM

3 WEEK

‘INTENSIVE’

PLAN

© Copyright 2003-2006. All rights reserved. David McDonagh

Welcome to our System 10 Gym Plan. This is our3 weekINTENSIVE programme.

This is the exact approach we use at our centres where we aim for powerful results in fat loss. Our approach will leave you with a great metabolism. The following instructions are very important to the success of the plan. Please read all of them carefully.If you have a System 10 consultant, they will advise you on the broad principles of the plan. However you must still take this plan to your gym centre and get help on specific machines from the trainer employed there.

CRITICAL NOTE:

Regardless of your age or fitness condition you should have yourself checked outby your doctor before starting any exercise, food or supplement plan. We strongly recommend that you do this before starting this programme.

THE PROGRAMME

This programme requires some serious commitment and changes to your lifestyle for the 21 days. However they are very manageable if you approach it the right way. You need to keep focussed on the end result which will shock you and your friends. You should also only focus on 3 days at a time, get through them first and then focus on the next 3. You should think of the programme as being in 7 stages each of 3 days.

I guarantee you that if you complete the programme fully, you will most likely consider it as one of the most rewarding things you have ever done.

To achieve the amazing results we are looking for, there are a number of rules you should follow strictly. Please read through these carefully and make sure to implement all of them as fully as possible. There is really no room for compromise when doing this plan.

General rules:

  1. You can choose a circuit-training centre plan OR a standard gym plan.
  2. You cannot afford to miss any exercise session, if you do, your results will be seriously affected. If you have to miss a session, you should pay it back by dividing the time missed over the next 3 sessions, or perhaps doing 2 sessions in one day – 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening.
  3. The food plan must be stuck to rigidly. Please make sure to weight your portions properly and to spread your meals and evenly apart – ideally 3 hours or as close as possible to each eating session.
  4. Water is essential for this plan. You should drink 1 to 1.5 litres for every 100lbs you weigh.
  5. Alcohol – you are allowed 2 bottles of beer or lager or 3 glasses of wine or 3 vodkas with tonic water per week while on this plan. You must not exceed this under any circumstances so go out later if necessary. If you can do without alcohol even better.
  6. You are not allowed any table salt, table sugar or artificial sweeteners – it takes about 5 days to adapt your taste, so give it a shot. Soft drinks are out for the plan.
  7. Tea/Coffee - you are allowed 3 cups of tea or coffee while on the plan. Black tea or coffee is preferable but a small bit of skimmed or nonfat milk is allowed.
  8. Treats are to be bowls of sugar free jelly. You are allowed up to 2 bowls a day. So make up plenty of it and have it ready for those moments of weakness.
  1. Butters are not allowed in any form on this plan. You should use a very small about of marmalade or sugar free jam.
  2. Supplements - the recommended supplements are very important for this programme. This is for a number of reasons. We want to do as much repair and strengthening of your metabolism in the 21 days and due to the demands of this programme we want to keep your energy and health at a top level and minimise any withdrawal symptoms from toxins and also to minimise cravings. If you have supplements left after the 3 weeks, please continue to take them as recommended until they run out.
  3. You must make every effort to eat all portions listed – leaving out an item does not help.
  4. Make the meal plans more tasty and interesting by using sauces, gravies and garnishes cleverly but in small amounts – the minimum necessary to flavour – do not exceed 100 calories per day between all meals. So start reading those labels carefully.
  5. All foods listed should be eaten in a pure state – avoid cans and packages as much as possible, avoid breadcrumbs and wherever possible eat organic.
  6. All plans have built in an allowance for the use of nonfat or skimmed milk in cereals and tea.

The vegetable day instructions

A vegetable day is a challenge but it brings incredible benefits to your metabolism. Outside of detoxing your body it helps to rebalance your metabolism and gives your body the chance to begin to repairweeks and even years of lifestyle damage. A vegetable day is one of the most amazing things you could ever do.

  1. A vegetable day should really be a complete day of rest. Do not exercise. Do not work. You need to provide the time and place for your body and mind to take a break and relax, otherwise it will not work. Do NOT do the vegetable day on a day of high activity or other physical stress.
  2. First of all, make sure to plan in advance.
  3. Aim to eat only raw organic vegetables all day long if possible.
  4. Aim for 5 to 6 mini meals of vegetables spread throughout the day.
  5. You must eat every 2 to 3 hours
  6. Eat mixed vegetables at each sitting.
  7. You should not get hungry on this, so eat plenty of vegetables.
  8. If taking prescription medication you should continue to do so.
  9. Drink plenty of water between your vegetable meals.
  10. No tea or coffee allowed at all on this day.
  11. Expect mild tiredness or slight headaches.
  12. Do not take headache tablets.
  13. Herbal teas ARE allowed. We recommend Chamomile, Fennel or Peppermint tea.

Instructions for the CARDIOVASCULAR OR ‘AEROBIC’ work – please read very carefully

General

  1. These instructions apply to the walking, jogging, cross-training, biking or rowing section of your programme only.
  2. Always warm-up by going easy for the first 5 to 7 minutes on the first machine only and then up the tempo to your correct pace.
  1. Always cool down by going gently for an extra 5 minutes at the end and then do stretches for your legs and lower back and shoulders.
  2. Log your distance, time and RPE (see below) for your records.

Getting Going – simple steps to huge success

  1. Select your RPE - Rate of perceived exertion – see below!
  2. Select a programme and speed on each machine to match your RPE.
  3. Try to avoid using very hilly courses or high resistances on the machines as this tends to overstress leg muscles and prevents getting a good workout for your heart and lungs and also will make it very difficult to get your RPE steady.

RPE(Rate of perceived exertion)

  1. RPE is the effort you are going to put into your training, measured on a scale of 1 to 10. A score of 1 is very very easy, almost at snails pace and 10 is maximum effort flat out. An RPE of 9 or 10 would normally only be used by highly trained athletes. It is basically how hard you FEEL you are exercising DURING each exercise and how you feel over all just coming to the end of each machine and the end of each workout.
  2. Always choose an RPE that is ideally slightly higher than your current training experience but also that will allow you to complete the time required in full.
  3. Never choose one that will in any way cause you to over-train.
  4. We suggest raw beginners should start at an RPE of about 4 out of 10 (40% effort). However, you can adjust up or down according to your current fitness.
  5. Improvers should start at an RPE of about 6 out of 10 (60% effort) or maybe higher.
  6. Decide your starting RPE now! If in any doubt at all start low!

Training programme and speed

  1. On your first few sessions see if the programme and speed you have selected match your RPE.
  2. Fine tune your RPE and pace. If the programme and/or speed is too much for your RPE, just slow down and review for the next session. Likewise if it is too little, speed up and review for the next session.

Checkpoints – as you build up your number of sessions

  1. You should gradually increase your RPE until you get to an RPE of 8. Review your RPE every 10 workouts. To facilitate this you will have to change your programme and/or speed. Again try to avoid using very hilly courses or high resistances on the machines as this tends to overstress leg muscles and prevents getting a good workout for your heart and lungs and also will make it very difficult to get your RPE steady.
  2. When you get to an 8 or if you started at an 8, you must aim to stay at an 8, and so will have to continue to gradually increase your pace to keep you at an 8 because as you get fitter, what feels like an 8 today will get easier and become a 7 soon and a 6 later again.

Again please talk to your Gym Trainer or System 10 consultant if you have one. If you are doing the programme without a Gym trainer or System 10 consultant please contact our head office manager in Limerick, Ireland if you have any problems:

The Cardiovascular or ‘Aerobic’ Work

Please follow as closely as possible the exercise order as listed. If your club does not have a particular machine, please fulfil the time between the other machines listed. The weights programme below goes with this plan.

Exercise / Exercise Log – Date/Amount/RPE
Day1 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 15min
Day2 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Treadmill 20min 4.Bike 15min
Day3 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day4 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Treadmill 20min 4.Bike 15min
Day5 / REST
Day6 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day7 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Treadmill 20min 4.Bike 15min
Day8 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 25min
3. Treadmill 25min 4. Bike or Row 15min
Day 9 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day 10 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike or Row 15min
Day 11 / REST / Review RPE now.
Day 12 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 25min
3. Treadmill 25min 4. Bike or Row 15min
Day 13 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day 14 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Treadmill 20min 4.Bike 15min
Day 15 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 15min
Day 16 / REST
Day 17 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day 18 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 25min
3. Treadmill 25min 4. Bike or Row 15min
Day 19 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Treadmill 20min 4.Bike 15min
Day 20 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 10min 4. Weights
Day 21 / 1. Treadmill 25min 2.Crosstrainer 20min
3. Bike 15min

Instructions for the WEIGHTS work

  • For instruction on techniques, please talk to your local gym trainer.
  • If your gym does not have a particular machine, ask your instructor for the closest exercise to match.
  • Always warm-up at the start of your session by doing 10 repetitions of the first 4 exercises with 50% of the weight you would normally use and then start the programme in full.
  • The weights are to be done in a CIRCUIT style – do the repetitions of the first exercise, then move to the next exercise. Complete all exercises and then go back around again as indicated. There is no rush but please try not to rest more than 1 minute between exercises and circuits.
  • Please pay careful attention to the number of repetitions per circuit – they vary depending on the exercise and the circuit you are on.
  • Start with light weights for the first 2 to 3 sessions until you condition your muscles to weights and exercises.
  • Once you are comfortable with the exercises you must then increase the weight you lift to make sure you are under pressure to complete the given number of repetitions i.e. don’t have the weight too light! If you are supposed to do 20 you should nearly have to stop at 19 from muscle ‘burn’ or ‘ache’ and likewise if you are supposed to do 15 or 10 reps you should nearly have to stop after 14 reps or 9 reps respectively. This would normally mean that the weight you choose will go up as the repetitions to be done get lower. AT ALL TIMES YOUR TECHNIQUE SHOULD STAY STRICT TO AVOID INJURY AND FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS.
  • As the weeks go by you will have to keep adjusting up the weight for some exercises as you will adapt. THIS IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.
  • Please log all training sessions.
  • Always cool down at the end of your session with some stretching.
  • Please pay CRITICAL attention to technique.

The Weights Plan

Exercise / Body Area(s) / Circuit 1 / Circuit 2
1 / Bench Press / Chest/Shoulders/Back of arms / 25 reps / 20 reps
2 / Leg Press / Front thighs/Backside / 25 reps / 20 reps
3 / Rotary Torso / Side of stomach / 26 reps / 20 reps
4 / Seated Row / Back muscles/Front of arms / 25 reps / 20 reps
5 / Leg Curl / Back of thighs / 25 reps / 20 reps
6 / Swiss Ball Crunches / Front of stomach / 40 reps / 30 reps
7 / Reverse Ball Crunches / Lower stomach / 20 reps / 15 reps
8 / Alternate Arm/Leg Raise / Lower Back / 20 reps / 20 reps
9 / Bicep Twisting Curls / Front of arms / 25 reps / 20 reps
10 / Triceps Pushdown / Back of arms / 25 reps / 20 reps

Remember, we want you to succeed. If you do not have a System 10 consultant please e-mail if you run into any difficulties.

Thank you.

David McDonagh.

Dietician & Fitness Consultant

Creator of System 10