CHAPTER
10

NEXT-LEVEL GREATNESS

ONCE YOU’VE ACHIEVED OR MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS toward your body goals, you can afford to loosen the reins on your dietary restraint, just a bit. If you’re trying to lose more weight, stick with the dietary guidelines for your body type 90 percent of the time and ease up 10 percent of the time (perhaps by having a small treat a couple of times per week or giving yourself a free pass to eat whatever you’d like for a day every 10 days). Easing up is okay; easing up too much is a problem—so you’ll need to hold yourself accountable. When my clients reach their goals, I continue to track their eating habits on a bi-weekly basis to make sure they’re not straying off course too much (I recommend you do the same). I also ask them how they feel and what they want, to help them aim for the sweet spot where they can stay accountable and committed to their body-type breakthrough while allowing themselves to enjoy their favorite foods now and then.

By contrast, if you’re trying to maintain your newly slimmed-down status, you may be able to relax your vigilance 20 percent of the time. Restricting yourself excessively is not the way to go because it sets you up for all-or-nothing thinking that can backfire and trigger serious lapses from the plan. But remember, too, you can’t out-train a bad diet. A great workout can burn 400 to 600 calories in an hour (even more if you’re going into full-blown beast mode), but that same amount of calories can be put right back into your body with 2 cups of gelato, some chips, an iced mocha with whipped cream, or even a delicious and “healthy” acai bowl (I love these but they can be 1,000 calories or more with all the fixings—a serious calorie bomb!). The point is, if you’ve achieved your body goal, partly through tightening up your food choices, especially if you’ve been focused on weight loss, if you say, “Hey, I made it!” and start regularly adding back foods and drinks that are not on the plan, you might soon find that your clothes feel a bit tight or the number on the scale has crept up. You’ll find yourself backsliding, in other words.

Sure, you can relax a bit, but the goal behind this book has been to give you a balanced lifestyle that suits your body type. When you go outside it with increasing frequency, your body will slowly start to return to where it was before you made these changes. Which is probably not what you want!

KEEP CHALLENGING YOURSELF PHYSICALLY

Don’t let your workout efforts become stagnant or stale, and don’t become complacent about your physical fitness goals or your accomplishments. As you get stronger and fitter, you’ll notice that the workouts you’ve been doing have become easier. That’s a good thing as well as a bad thing. On the upside, it means that you’ve made major progress and that what used to be challenging for your body no longer is. The downside: this means that your muscles, lungs, and heart have adapted to the program and you are no longer getting as many cardio-boosting, strength-building, or fat-burning benefits as you did initially. This is a normal part of the overload-adaptation cycle that comes with physical training. When your current workouts consistently feel easy to you, that’s a sign that you need to take them to the next level or you’ll wind up stuck on an exercise plateau (reaping lackluster perks, in other words!). At that point, the key is to confuse or surprise your muscles or your heart by introducing more intense segments to your workouts, making your workouts longer or faster than they are now, adjusting the amount of weight you’re using or the reps you’re doing, or adding challenging new forms of exercise to your current regimen. Whatever your personal body type is, making these changes will essentially jump-start your body’s fitness gains once again and help your heart, lungs, and muscles continue to thrive.

You can also tweak your body-type program in key ways to take your progress to the next level. Here’s how:

Ectomorphs

Until now, you’ve been focusing on building muscle—and you’ve probably got some new definition to show for it. Congrats! The focus of your workouts was initially on doing compound movements with heavy weights to add volume to your frame, followed by isolated accessory movements to shape those long limbs and add some curves. You’ve been avoiding lots of cardio to avoid burning too many calories (and losing muscle) and to keep your sensitive adrenal hormones in check—it’s all to the good!

Now comes the more advanced part: we’re going to implement three different techniques—time under tension (which refers to how long a particular muscle is under strain during a set) to help you gain muscle faster; plyometric (a.k.a. jump training) movements to increase your speed, strength, and power; and medium-level calisthenics (using your own body weight to help you get stronger)—to help you continue to build your dream physique. Your next-level program will look similar, but feel completely different—as in, much harder (sorry not sorry).

For the first technique, you will continue the muscle-building ectomorph workout—but change every exercise to a 5-second eccentric movement (the “going down” part) and a 2-second concentric movement (the “going up” part). This technique utilizes the principle of time under tension, which essentially means the more time that your muscle is under stress, the more muscle fibers are recruited, and the more benefits you will reap in terms of muscle growth. (Note: this is not very effective for power or strength training, but this is a next-level technique specifically for muscle growth.) Don’t be alarmed: with this technique, the amount of weight you lift and the number of reps you do will naturally decrease dramatically—and that’s okay. Start by following the same protocol for reps and sets, but adjust them as needed: if you were using 25-pound dumbbells for three sets of 10 reps on shoulder presses, don’t be surprised if that comes down to 20 pounds or even 15 pounds at first. The slowed-down exercises are much, much more difficult; they’re supposed to be. Stick with this technique for a 6 to 8 week periodization phase, and you’ll soar over your fitness plateau with ease.

The second and third techniques (plyometric movements and medium-level calisthenics, respectively) are different, but complementary. These are body-weight-based training methods. With plyometrics (plyo), the focus is on increasing power (think squat jumps, box jumps, ladder hops, and the like), whereas calisthenics are more flexibility- and strength-oriented (think L-sits, levers, handstands, etc.). Both techniques are extremely effective at increasing your body’s strength, agility, and quickness capabilities and helping you create a tighter, faster, stronger, more defined body. Who doesn’t want that?! You’ve already done some of both of these types of movements in your workouts or HIIT trainings, but now you’re going to add some structure and difficulty to the picture.

Plyometrics workouts: Box jumps, squat jumps, push-ups with an explosive push off the floor (clap if you can), burpees with knee tuck (bringing your knees to your chest when you jump up), lunge jumps. Treat this like a shorter HIIT workout.

Calisthenics: Pistol squats, L-sits, handstands (practice against a wall), triceps triangle push-ups, hand walk-outs. Work up to doing three sets of 10 reps on the movements, and 30-second holds on the L-sit and handstand. If you can do handstands, try doing handstand push-ups (also on the wall) until you have strong enough balance to try them without the wall.

You can sprinkle these workouts in anywhere you’d like with your existing workout days, or do them before or after a cardio session of your choice. The beauty of these next-level routines is that you can mix and match them, doing some or all three. The time under tension regimen is designed to maximize muscle, so if that’s no longer the goal you can skip it. Plyometrics and calisthenics are notoriously hard for long-limbed ectomorphs so they’re a great way to push your limits—or you can combine calisthenics and plyo for a 20- to 30-minute workout one or two days per week. Remember, these workouts aren’t the foundation of your exercise regimen, so use them when you have extra time or energy but not at the expense of the primary stuff. Try them a couple times per week to build up your technique and endurance. I promise, you will build crazy core strength with these, more than if you did sit-ups all day long. Between doing slow, meticulous reps with the time under tension technique on your weight days and powerful, strong movements when you mix in plyometrics or calisthenics, you’ll find you are pushing yourself to new heights without even realizing it.

One of my clients, actor Alan Ruck (from HBO’s Succession and the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), has reached the north side of 60, and he can do 10 full pull-ups. After hitting the gym hard with me for a year, he started traveling for work for months at a time; while he was away, we focused on having him do a full body-weight plyo/calisthenics program instead of going to the gym, and he was able to get stronger than ever with just 30 minutes of a plyo-calisthenics combo three times per week, plus daily brisk walks. Alan is a pure ectomorph who was threatening to tip over the edge into ecto-endomorph territory, and he totally transformed his body and strength; then, he maintained his newly muscular body with these advanced techniques.

Mesomorphs

In some ways, it’s hard to imagine mesomorphs needing to up their game. After all, they’ve already got muscles, they burn fat efficiently, and they reap progress quickly from their workouts—but even they are not immune to plateaus. To take progress to the next level with mesomorphs, I usually go one of two ways—by doubling down on the cardio or the weights route. In terms of volume, I’ll add about 20 percent more distance or duration with the cardio, but I try to really push the limits with intensity (by giving maximum effort on hill sprints, body-weight HIIT or Tabata workouts, or cardio machines and ending each cardio session with a few minutes of a push-to-failure level of intensity). Since mesomorphs have muscle-sparing bodies, there’s less of a concern about overtraining and depleting muscle glycogen reserves. If a mesomorph wants to get really toned, with washboard abs, we’ll go through a “conditioning phase,” in which they’ll do morning cardio workouts (under fasting conditions; as in—no breakfast!) at a brisk uphill pace (such as speed 4 and incline 4 on a treadmill) for 30 to 45 minutes. While the jury is still out on whether exercising on an empty stomach makes you burn more body fat, since mesomorphs have more muscle, they will burn more body fat in a fasted state than if they were to exercise after eating. It allows your body to get into stubborn fat stores more quickly than when you have food or glycogen to burn first. Plus, after you’ve worked out in a fasted state, the food (protein/carbs) you consume post-workout is directly used to replenish your glycogen stores and your muscle.

Diet wise, I’ll encourage my mesomorph clients to implement a 16-hour fast, followed by an 8-hour eating window (with the same recommended macronutrients and calories during the eating phase). Their weight training will continue as usual—sticking with whatever plan they were doing, unless they really need to vary it because they’re bored or they have specific new goals. This consistent approach really tightens up the body, allowing toned muscle to shine as the fat melts off.

If getting to the next level of muscle is the goal because you want to look jacked for a show, an event, or a competition, then we will increase the volume of sets and reps per muscle group and further isolate which body parts are addressed on which days. If calorie intake, macronutrient levels, and sufficient rest are all in check, a mesomorph can lift weights up to 5 days a week, which means we are adding both an entire day of exercise and more total volume. This is in line with the principle of progressive overload (to refresh your memory, go back to Chapter Three, if you need to). For serious muscle growth, I would typically split a mesomorph 5-day plan into something like this (though, the spacing or timing may change based on day 5 choices):

Day 1: Chest and Core. Try adding alternating one-arm/one-leg Push-Ups and Planks using a ball.

Day 2: Back/Forearms/Calves. Do 6 sets of 15 to 20 reps on calf raises, wrist curls, and reverse flies.

Day 3: Legs (Hamstring, Quads, Glutes) and Abs. Try adding Pistol Squats and Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts to tone the smaller, stabilizing muscles.

Day 4: Arms (Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps). Address the muscle you want to get the most results with first on this day, then proceed in a prioritized fashion. Shoot for 15 sets of moves per muscle, alternating between muscle groups to keep your arms pumped; focus less on the weight amount here. For example, you might do back-to-back sets of Standing Dumbbell Biceps Curls, Lateral Raises, and Triceps Kickbacks, for 10 to 15 reps of each; after completing the series of three moves, take a 45-second break then repeat the series two more times.

Day 5: Double-up Day. Pick the two body parts you want to maximize your results on and do the same exercises as on the other days but mixing and matching the moves so they address your goals. For example, if you want to develop toned abs and more leg definition, you could pair up Planks and Pistol Squats.

Whether your next goal is to become extra toned or extra muscled, the key for a mesomorph is to increase the total volume of your workouts by upping the frequency. But remember to listen to your body because rest, recovery, and the right calories are essential for fueling these workouts. If you find that you’re not performing well, check out these factors first before you decide this approach is just too hard. Then, readjust your habits and reevaluate the workout as necessary. By this point, you likely have a much better handle on what your body can do and what it needs, which means you can adjust your current mesomorph workout on your own. Give it a shot; you can always fine-tune your approach along the way.

Endomorphs

While it’s especially true at the beginning, dietary changes will continue to rule the day for endomorphs who want to slim down and shape up. There’s just no getting around that. That means you can continue to follow the endomorph plan (from Chapter Six) if it’s working for you; or, if you need an extra boost, I would highly recommend intermittent fasting for six to eight weeks, whether you want to lose fat or gain muscle. Start with a 14-hour fast, followed by a 10-hour window for eating, and try to stick to the same schedule daily to optimally manage your satiety and hunger levels. Maybe you’d fast from 7 p.m. until 9 a.m. then divvy up your meals and snacks between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. While doing this, you’ll want to make sure you continue following the macronutrient guidelines for endomorphs. Remember, this is an advanced technique that you could try assuming you’ve already trained and eaten properly for your body type the basic way. If that’s not the case, you may feel tired, foggy, and aggravated trying to do intermittent fasting before you have stabilized your leptin, ghrelin, and insulin levels through months of healthy living. Don’t try to run before you can walk! (It’s not safe.)

From a training standpoint, you’ll want to keep your low-intensity cardio workouts going as often as possible, and do weight-training workouts three or four times per week. The most effective advanced technique for boosting an endomorph to the next fitness level is really focusing on bringing up the level and frequency of HIIT workouts that are being performed: whether it’s a high-intensity Spin class, a Tabata workout, or hill sprints (my favorite), getting your HIIT sessions up to three or even four times a week is a great way to keep burning body fat for fuel and staying mentally and physically on top of your game.

If you want to get super advanced and do Olympic and powerlifting style movements like cleans, clean and jerks, and snatches (you may have seen these on YouTube, at CrossFit gyms, or in Olympic competitions), I recommend working with a coach or trainer who can teach you the proper form for these movements. Endomorphs have great power and muscle fibers that are well tuned for these movements, but there are precise techniques for each of these. If you don’t do them correctly, you could get injured (hence the need for supervision by a pro). But if you do them the right way, your muscles will pulse and tighten, and you’ll continue to chisel out your physique—and look downright badass!

NEXT-LEVEL MOTIVATION

As you make additional progress with your body-type plan, continue to seek out physical activities that make you feel vibrant and strong or that challenge your body or mind in all the right ways. (Think of them as physical fun.) Continue to find the fire inside you and strive to achieve new personal bests, to push your limits and expand your comfort zone in the fitness arena and in the rest of your life, so that you can create the absolute best version of yourself. This way you can feel happy and proud of yourself, which brings its own brand of positive reinforcement. Remember, you’re the one who’s holding the keys and sitting in the driver’s seat with your hands on the steering wheel. You’ve got the strength, power, and know-how in your body and mind to guide you to the next destination, whatever or wherever it might be. So, set your sights on your target and rely on your physical and mental strength and prowess to drive you to the prizes of better health, fitness, and a happier, more gratifying life. You deserve nothing less!