Marie Ann Newman

TRAINING

Many people ask me "do you train everyday in order to look like that." Well, the answer is a resounding NO!!!! I train with weights 4 times a week. I train every major bodypart only once per week. Bodyparts like Abs and Calves I train more frequently. Below I have listed my current routine for training 4 times a week.

Monday = Shoulders - Biceps - Abs - Calves

Wednesday = Quads - Hamstrings - Calves

Friday = Chest - Triceps- Abs - Calves

Sunday = Back - Abs

As you can see I train each major bodypart only once per week. I am purposely training Abs and or Calves on every workout to try to bring these areas up. I feel like both my Calves and Abs need to be sharper in order to obtain my pro card. Why do I train this way? Because this is what works for me and this is what fits into my schedule. I truly believe that at my age and training with the current volume of sets and reps that this is about as much as I can train and still safely and effectively recover. Remember, most of us have lives outside of the gym so you must find what works for you, your body, and your schedule.

I train with my husband Jim. This is huge help for me. Because, not only is he alot bigger and stronger than I am, which motivates me, he also knows me better than any other person on earth. So he knows when to kick my butt and when to let up a little. I am currrently training to gain a little size and fullness. I have always been lucky in that I have always been on the lean side. So getting and staying lean is realtively easy for me. However, gaining muscle and size is very hard for me. So I am working very hard with Jim to gain the necesary size in order to reach my goals.

Jim designs most of my workouts and we are always changing things around. He really likes to keep the intensity levels high but we always are doing something different to obtain this. We do Drop sets, Giant sets, Lift heavy, do high reps....You name it .. We probably do it. We are always changing things around in order to not get bored and to keep making progress. I see alot of people doing the same old workout over and over again and they look just like they did a year ago if not worse. You have to make those muscles think and respond to new and different stimuli.

As time goes by I will update this page. I like to share our training tips and hopefully you can find something that will work for you.

Nutrition

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!!! Oh where do we start with nutrition. In my opinion your nutrition is the most important factor in your fitness routine. But it is also the most varied factor. What works for me may not work at all for you. Having said that, I can give you some tips that can make your nutrition worries much easier.

TIP #1 - Keep a journal of what you eat and the macro-nutrient breakdown. This entails a little work to begin with but it is more than worth the effort. I strongly recommend that you get your self a food counts book that lists thousands of foods and their Caloric, Protein, Carbs, and Fat values. Then you can write down everything that you eat and figure up your total calories and your macronutrient totals. Once you do this you will know what and how much you are eating. Jim has a favorite saying, it is " If you don't know what you are doing then you don't know what to change". This one little sentence holds a lot of value in your nutrition and in your overall life. Think about it. If you don't know what you are doing you don't know what to change. So figure out what you are doing nutritionally. Then you can formulate a plan to make the tpes of changes that you want to make.

TIP #2 - Keep changing things until you find what works for you. What I mean by this is to not keep doing something if it is not working for you. Don't keep banging your head against a brick wall. It will just keep hurting each time you do it. Lets say that after you have kept a journal for a week you have determined that you need 1850 calories a day to maintain your weight. Your goal is to lose some bodyfat so know you will need to change your macronutrient levels, to lets say, 50% Protein, 30% Carbs, and 20% Fat and drop your daily calories to 1600. Do this consistently for 4 to 6 weeks and then evaluate the progress that you have or have not made. If things are going great then keep doing what you are doing. If things are not going great or you don't feel as good and vibrant as you think you should, make some changes to your macronutrient levels. Take out some Carbs and add in some Protein. Then do this consistently for a few weeks and re-evaluate. Very soon you will find what works for you. Now you have the answer to the riddle. Once you learn what you need to do in order to lose fat or gain muscle then you can finally start making those gains that you have wanted for so long.

TIP #3 - Be Consistent. Being fit requires and certain type of lifestyle. Learn to love how it feels to be fit. Tony Robbins, the Self Help author and motivational speaker had a great line in one of his books that I have always remembered. " Nothing tastes as good as Fit feels" I have always thought that line was so true.