This is a 3-Day A Week Year Round Workout, using basic principles of "5x5 Training" and basic "Bodybuilder" techniques. The first month the weight doesnt change at all unless its too heavy. The first 4 weeks is all about muscle memory and form; You will and you should "plateau". Month 2 and beyond is about building on strength levels 5lbs at a time: Month 2 add 5lbs to all excercises, month 3 add 5lbs to all excercises etc. Weight training is the quickest way to loose weight and burn fat so cardio is not needed, as most of us are getting enough cardio by simply taking care of our families. If you MUST HAVE your cardio then do it on the day after your 3rd workout that week so you will at least have one day to rest before resuming weight training. Although diets are the backbones of workouts, the money side of things doesnt always allow us to eat like these workout plans & diets ask us to, which can be discouraging at times. This is why i reccomend eating as healthy as you can with what you can afford. If you can afford a certain diet then by all means go for it and see excellent results. But if your like me, with a wife and 2 babies, then you know that the money for how we "want to eat" is not always there. So we run of basic human health as the guidline:
1) Try to eat as much protein, fruits & veggies as you can.
2) Try to avoid excessive amounts of sugar & fried foods.
3) Take a daily multivitamin.
4) Drink that WATER its FREE!
5) Stay away from that scale! Your body doesnt belong to numbers.
If your goal is for weightloss, then try to eat about 2000 calories with smaller meals spread throught the day because you'll need your metabolism at its highest. If your goal is gain muscle then eat about 2000 to 3500 calories. If your goal is to maintain your current size while toning, track your currnet non-diet calories for one day and aim to eat that amount in a healthier way. All foods are okay, but in moderation; example; dont quit eating pizza, quit eating the whole pizza lol.
Persistance & Preparation is the key to success. You will have days where all the excuses in the world will come to your head and tell you why you cant or shouldnt workout. You will have days where all you want to eat is junkfood. You will have days where your energy levels will make workouts seem harder than normal. You will have days where you dont want to do anything at all but sleep. This is called being HUMAN. We all have our reasons, but to give up is not human. We are built to survive and fight another day, and you are no different. Stop being so hard on yourselves because i promise you that the world will do that for you. We are not perfect, so if you eat that whole pizza by yourself, dont use that as an excuse to give up working out & dieting. Always push through. If you miss a workout, its not the end of the world, just pick back up where you left off. This is not some "get fit quick" scheme or a "90-Days Til The Body Of A Greek God" infomercial. This is made for real people, with real bodies, and real budgets. Fitness doenst have to be your whole life for it to be effective. You are your own worst enemy, so tell yourself to chill out, eat as good as YOU can, and push that iron.