THE TAXBEAST
WEEKLY GYM
PROGRAM
Who am I?
The first thing you may be asking yourself, is “Who is this guy, and why should I trust his information?”
To be blunt, i’m not an e-celebrity, i’m not an author of any book, i’m barely even so much as a blip on the radar of the fitness community. I’m an individual who is tired of the mentality of a majority of the health industry. I’m tired of the concept of people paying hundreds, if not thousands of dollars trying to better themselves. I’m tired of companies taking advantage of consumers by misleading the effects of products. I’m tired of seeing people who aren’t sure where to start the path to their health goals stuck in the purgatory that is “What do I do first.”, and all they receive is overwhelming, and usually incorrect information from friends.
I wrote this guide with the intent of acting as an entry point for those looking to get into fitness, or a guide for those familiar with the concepts, and looking to hop back in. While my gym training may be a little intense for some who aren’t used to a lot of physical activity, I hope that the information I can provide will set up the foundation for people to find themselves attaining their goals as time goes on.
As far as a personal background, I have been involved in the fitness and nutrition industry for roughly Ten years as of 2020. I have worked for multiple supplement companies such as The Vitamin Shoppe, Honey Badger, Cellucor Nutrition, Olympus Nutrition, and more. I have acted as a personal trainer through private lessons, as well as a contracted hire through multiple gym chains in the Northeast (New England) and Midwest America. While I am by no means a scholar on every subject regarding health and wellness, I have a solid foundation and want to spread my knowledge to those willing to listen.
This guide is the culmination of many things I know that I want to pass on. While I stand by the idea that there is no “End all” answer to fitness and health, I am quite confident this guide will help you find the best practices for yourself, and help you find a process that helps you make progression as time goes on.
This guide has been my passion project for a while. It has been written in my spare time, and the training portion is something I have fine tuned by self experiment over the past year. While I want this guide to be free to any and all people, tips or donations are greatly appreciated. Money from tips and donations will go towards my personal financial needs such as bills, and personal wants.
Thank you, and please enjoy.
Within every single one of us there is potential. Finding it, and maximizing it is sometimes the hardest part of any type of training routine. In this guide I hope to bring to you a body transformation plan designed for intermediate level activity at your local or home gym. Together we will go over the following categories;
* General Information/Slang terms
Learn some of the lingo you’ll be hearing in this guide, as well as pointers to set yourself up for success in the weeks to come.
* Training
A complete four day a week split training routine designed to maximize your efforts at the gym. Complete with information about how much to lift, and how many times to lift, giving you a head start to your goal.
* Nutrition
A general composition of what you should, and what you shouldn’t eat. Information about foods you eat on a daily basis that you may second guess about after reading this.
* Supplements
Recommendations, explanations, and facts about supplements that may help you reach your goals.
* Myth Debunking within the fitness world
The facts about fad diets, “bad workouts”, body types, water weight, and more.
To get started, there is no obligation to read the entirety of this document. If you came here specifically for the training, by all means use that. If you came here to learn about supplements, I hope I could shed some light on the subject. However, I do completely believe that the more you take from this document, the more you will succeed in your progress.
If you take anything from this guide, the most I can ask for is for you to spread the word to your friends, or even family who may find use or interest in this.
That being said
LET'S MAKE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU
General Information/Slang Terms
The first days in the gym can sometimes be the most intimidating ones. Reasons can range from tragic high school memories of being bullied, to social anxiety, to being confused on where to even begin. One major thing to remember when stepping through the doors of your gym and signing in, is that you are there to better yourself. You’re there for yourself, and nobody else. It doesn’t matter that somebody there lifts heavier than you. It doesn’t matter if you can’t run as fast, or as long as somebody using a cardio machine. What does matter is that what you do with your time here makes you feel better about who you are. There are however a few ways to make yourself “fit in” with the crowd that generally are expectations in almost any gym.
* Simple Tips
* Always wipe down machines
* Always put your weights back where you found them (even though a lot of folks don’t)
* If you need to use a machine that’s in use, it is completely normal, and okay to ask to work while the other person is resting.
* Try not to wear cologne/perfume. Deodorant is more than enough
* Don’t stare. I don’t care how pretty that person is. Don’t do it.
* Set Realistic Expectations On Yourself
* This part can lead to a majority of where people can feel discouraged. Before you begin your plan, you need to ask yourself several small questions.
* What do I want to see with my progress in 6 months?
* How many days a week can I work out?
* How long should I work out per day?
* Do not expect life changing results in a week.
* We don’t get out of shape in a day, we sure as hell don’t get in shape in a day either.
* Remember that you will make progress with every day that you stick to your diet and exercise routines.
* Remember that your mental health is a priority in this. If you NEED a day to relax, and have a little bit of unhealthy food, treat yourself, but never make it a habit.
* Cheat days and general nutrition will be covered in the associated chapter.
* Cell Phone Etiquette
* Cell phones are a part of our day to day. They’re completely fine when they’re brought to environments like the gym
* It’s important to remember to be courteous when using them, however
* Do not abuse your rest sets by sneaking in too many text messages.
* When taking the fabled ‘gym selfie’, but sure not to be taking a photo of somebody near you that may not want to be in your glamour shot.
* Texting/Calls are seen as fine as long as you aren’t blocking machines/weights/free areas.
Seems like a lot of rules so far, I know. Doesn’t really seem like a fun time, I know. However these tips are made to help guide you to an overall good experience at your local gym. Granted, the atmosphere at every gym a little bit different, so never be afraid to do something different if it seems to be the norm at your location. Now you’re probably asking yourself “This guide stated it was meant for intermediate lifters. Why are there such basic tips at the beginning here?”
The reason for that is although these workouts are designed to be for somebody who may be acclimated to a gym, I fully support somebody who is starting out and wants to give their best effort. Not to mention that there will be some modifications that can be made in the training section to help intensify, or decrease the intensity of the workout being displayed.
Now, let’s get onto some slang. There are terms you will hear from this guide, as well as in the gym that may have you scratch your head. After all, we don’t all speak creatinese…. We’ll get to that pun later....
Reps -
The amount of “repetitions” that are performed with a weight or movement before taking a rest.
Sets -
The amount of times you perform an amount of reps. In example, five sets of 10 reps means you are performing the motion of lifting the weight 10 times, resting x amount of time, and then repeat five times.
Rest -
The amount of time you perform no action between your sets. This generally lasts from 45-90 seconds.
1RM -
One rep maximum. This is generally the most weight a person can perform in a single movement during an exercise. 1RM helps individuals realize and find what weights they should be working at for higher weight levels. This will be explained in the training segment.
HIIT -
Exercises that alternate between high-intensity, and low intensity periods. In example, 1 minute of sprinting on a bike, followed by 1-2 minutes of normal paced riding. This is repeated for 12-20 minutes.
EZ Bar -
A short barbell with two “dips” or “hump” shapes in it. This has a more comfortable grip that can benefit individuals looking to train certain muscles, or those with wrist issues. These bars generally weigh 20 lbs without any additional weight added to them.
Free Weights -
Any type of gym equipment that is not attached to a pulley, or machine system.
Barbell -
Long metal bars, usually seen in exercises like bench presses. These bars are extremely versatile and weight 45 lbs without additional weight added to them.
Dumbbells -
A small hand sized bar with weight on both ends. These are usually given a marked weight and range from 2.5 lbs upwards of 120 lbs, or higher!
Bulk -
A process in which a person may over eat their daily intake of food in the effort to gain mass, or muscle. A bulk is not necessarily comprised of eating unhealthy food, but it is not unheard of.
Cut -
A