Blog Post
We'd love to answer any questions about our gym, this video, nutrition or bodybuilding. Call 02 6584 1122 today! Or visit Port Home Zone, Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Erin Stern's Elite Body 4-Week Fitness Plan
- By Eric Edge
- •
- 21 Apr, 2017
- •
Erin Stern's Elite Body 4-Week Fitness Plan
Erin Stern's Elite Body Fitness Plan is your chance to transform. It's your chance to re-imagine your best. In four weeks, you'll be leaner, stronger, and more powerful than you were before. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned athlete, Elite Body can help you take your physique and your performance to new levels. Get ready to rethink what's possible. It's time to earn your elite.
START with.... Shoulder & Arm Workout
Shoulders are one of the most critical muscle groups in your body. From an athletic standpoint, they're involved in multiple major movements, from push-ups to front squats. If you're mostly into aesthetics, wide shoulders start that classic X-frame and make your waist look smaller. Healthy shoulders are also essential for many sporting and daily activities.
The Elite Body Trainer will help you learn the difference between training and exercising. Set an objective goal and use the workouts to achieve that goal. You're not just going in the gym to break a sweat; you're in there to train with intensity and purpose. An elite body doesn't just look strong, it is strong!
The Elite Body Trainer will help you learn the difference between training and exercising. Set an objective goal and use the workouts to achieve that goal. You're not just going in the gym to break a sweat; you're in there to train with intensity and purpose. An elite body doesn't just look strong, it is strong!
NEXT.... Complete Leg & Plyometrics Workout
Legs are the most important part of an elite body. They form your aesthetic and functional foundation. No matter your goal, your legs will carry you toward it. Your legs are where your power comes from; they're where your strength comes from. You can't build a great body without a base to stand on.
Because your legs are the largest group of muscles in the body, you'll get the biggest metabolic benefit from working them. In other words, performing leg exercises will burn a lot more calories than doing biceps curls. Training legs will result dramatic increases in your physique and performance. The harder you work, the faster results will come!
Because your legs are the largest group of muscles in the body, you'll get the biggest metabolic benefit from working them. In other words, performing leg exercises will burn a lot more calories than doing biceps curls. Training legs will result dramatic increases in your physique and performance. The harder you work, the faster results will come!
This workout will develop your strength, endurance, and power with plyometrics and compound exercises.
NOW... Strong Back Workout
Your back is a big source of power. It's also the second largest muscle group in the body. If you want to see fast results, you can't ignore your back. A wide back, which contributes to your V-taper, is a critical component of an aesthetic physique. A strong back will also keep your posture straight and prevent your shoulders from rounding forward.
This workout is built on supersets that will tax your nervous system, your muscular system, and even your cardiovascular system. It's designed to challenge you in various ways, on multiple planes of movement, and from several different angles. It's exactly what you need to create a brand-new physique. It's going to take hard work and perseverance, but you can do it.
This workout is built on supersets that will tax your nervous system, your muscular system, and even your cardiovascular system. It's designed to challenge you in various ways, on multiple planes of movement, and from several different angles. It's exactly what you need to create a brand-new physique. It's going to take hard work and perseverance, but you can do it.
MOVING ON... Essential Chest & Shoulder Workout
An elite physique isn't complete without a great chest and strong shoulders. You can't press very well without powerful pectorals, and you'll look flat from the front and side if you neglect your chest training. This workout will help you build strength, size, symmetry, and great shape across your upper body.
Although this is technically your second shoulder workout of the week, don't let it deter you from working hard. Training frequency is one of the biggest tools we have for developing a muscle group. In fact, Erin has tremendous shoulders precisely because she trains them frequently.
Although this is technically your second shoulder workout of the week, don't let it deter you from working hard. Training frequency is one of the biggest tools we have for developing a muscle group. In fact, Erin has tremendous shoulders precisely because she trains them frequently.
LET'S STEP IT UP... HIIT Fat Burning Workout
Why are sprints so important for building an elite body? That's easy: You need to burn fat to showcase the hard-earned muscle you've been building in the gym, and sprinting is one of the most effective forms of fat-torching, muscle-preserving cardio. This high-intensity interval cardio workout may not be traditional, but it's incredibly effective!
Today's workout is only 10 minutes, so you have to push it as hard as you can. Be honest with yourself—you know when you're sandbagging and when you're giving it your all. Give it your all to get the best possible results.
Today's workout is only 10 minutes, so you have to push it as hard as you can. Be honest with yourself—you know when you're sandbagging and when you're giving it your all. Give it your all to get the best possible results.
BONUS VIDEO... Erin's Nutrition & Meal Plan
If you're going to train like an athlete, you need to eat like one. That means you need to eat quality carbs, proteins, and fats. The meal plan for Elite Body isn't complicated. In fact, it's built on single-ingredient, whole foods that you can make into myriad muscle-building meals. This is the plan Erin Stern follows to support a great physique and incredible performance.
Although you're working on a leaner, more athletic body, you need to fuel your efforts in the gym with quality nutrition. This meal plan will deliver the energy you need to attack the iron and crush your cardio. It won't leave you feeling hungry or depleted, but it will fuel great results.
Although you're working on a leaner, more athletic body, you need to fuel your efforts in the gym with quality nutrition. This meal plan will deliver the energy you need to attack the iron and crush your cardio. It won't leave you feeling hungry or depleted, but it will fuel great results.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions and ideas are not endorsed by Challenge Fitness. Our aim is to inspire you with content from around the world to help you expand your knowledge. Challenge Fitness is not responsible for any injuries or losses incurred by you following the information within these posts. Please always be safe and if you have any doubts concerning any information don't hesitate to speak to us on 02 6584 1122.
More THRIVE Posts....
| Sarah Hunsberger's Leg-Sculpting Workout |
1. Seated Leg Curl - 3 sets, 12 reps
2. Sumo Deadlift - 3 sets, 12 reps
Superset
3. Hip thrust - 3 sets, 12 reps
4. Curtsy Lunge - 3 sets, 12 reps
Giant Set
5. Wide Stance Leg Press with Band - 3 sets, 12 reps
6. Band Abduction - 3 sets, 20 reps
7. Calf Raise - 3 sets, 20 reps
8. Cable Glute Kick Back - 3 sets, 12-15 reps each leg
Superset
9. Single Leg Bridge on Bosu Ball - 3 sets,15 reps each leg
10. Hamstring Curl on Stability Ball - 3 sets, 15 reps
Sometimes, achieving your dream body means keeping a promise you made to yourself.
Just ask NutraBio-sponsored athlete Sarah Hunsberger. Back in high school, she was excited to sign up for her very first gym membership.
"I had been athletically active for years," says Hunsberger. "I competed in swimming, soccer, track, and volleyball, but this was my first experience doing conditioning workouts by myself and not with a team."
Unsure where to begin, Hunsberger started with exercises that fit her comfort zone.
"I'd spend my time there running on the treadmill and trying out different abdominal exercises, because at the time, that's all I really knew how to do," she says.
Then one day, she took a selfie doing a plank and posted it on Instagram with the caption, "This is just the beginning of my fitness." A promise that has since come true.
1. Seated Leg Curl - 3 sets, 12 reps
2. Sumo Deadlift - 3 sets, 12 reps
Superset
3. Hip thrust - 3 sets, 12 reps
4. Curtsy Lunge - 3 sets, 12 reps
Giant Set
5. Wide Stance Leg Press with Band - 3 sets, 12 reps
6. Band Abduction - 3 sets, 20 reps
7. Calf Raise - 3 sets, 20 reps
8. Cable Glute Kick Back - 3 sets, 12-15 reps each leg
Superset
9. Single Leg Bridge on Bosu Ball - 3 sets,15 reps each leg
10. Hamstring Curl on Stability Ball - 3 sets, 15 reps
Sometimes, achieving your dream body means keeping a promise you made to yourself.
Just ask NutraBio-sponsored athlete Sarah Hunsberger. Back in high school, she was excited to sign up for her very first gym membership.
"I had been athletically active for years," says Hunsberger. "I competed in swimming, soccer, track, and volleyball, but this was my first experience doing conditioning workouts by myself and not with a team."
Unsure where to begin, Hunsberger started with exercises that fit her comfort zone.
"I'd spend my time there running on the treadmill and trying out different abdominal exercises, because at the time, that's all I really knew how to do," she says.
Then one day, she took a selfie doing a plank and posted it on Instagram with the caption, "This is just the beginning of my fitness." A promise that has since come true.
Since we're shifting our emphasis from building to shredding, Phase 2 will be different from Phase 1 in a number of crucial ways. In Phase 1 you ended your workouts with FST-7 sets. In Phase 2, you'll start most workouts with them. The concentration needed to accomplish these special sets will help you focus on developing the mind-muscle connection. We'll also be increasing from 3 sets to 4 sets on other exercises, and boosting the reps per set up to 8-12. And we'll be using machines more, so you can get through some new techniques like dropsets more efficiently.
That's not all that changes, though. You'll also do more cardio and ab work, while eating fewer calories. Nothing will be easy from here on out, but the goal is a noble one: to reveal your best-possible physique.
Let's see what you're made of.
| Phase Two Training Split |
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Day 3: Shoulders, Rear Delts, and Traps
Day 4: Back
Day 5: Biceps and Triceps
Day 6: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Day 7: Rest
You'll still be utilizing plenty of free weights and compound movements in Phase 2, but the emphasis will shift in some cases to machines so you can quickly add or remove weights to make use of intensity techniques such as dropsets. You'll also be doing more isolation movements to enhance the shape of key muscles.
You should continue to start each workout with two warm-up sets for your first exercise. You'll still pyramid up in volume, too, only now you'll do one extra set to increase your volume. And by increasing your reps, you'll be able to work additional muscle fibers and pump more blood into your muscles, which will help stretch the fascia from the inside out.
That's not all that changes, though. You'll also do more cardio and ab work, while eating fewer calories. Nothing will be easy from here on out, but the goal is a noble one: to reveal your best-possible physique.
Let's see what you're made of.
| Phase Two Training Split |
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Day 3: Shoulders, Rear Delts, and Traps
Day 4: Back
Day 5: Biceps and Triceps
Day 6: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Day 7: Rest
You'll still be utilizing plenty of free weights and compound movements in Phase 2, but the emphasis will shift in some cases to machines so you can quickly add or remove weights to make use of intensity techniques such as dropsets. You'll also be doing more isolation movements to enhance the shape of key muscles.
You should continue to start each workout with two warm-up sets for your first exercise. You'll still pyramid up in volume, too, only now you'll do one extra set to increase your volume. And by increasing your reps, you'll be able to work additional muscle fibers and pump more blood into your muscles, which will help stretch the fascia from the inside out.
Yes, it will hurt, but with Hany Rambod guiding you, you can be confident it'll be worth it.
| Hany Rambod's Chest Training Tips |
Flat-bench dumbbell press:
I prefer using dumbbells on the flat bench, because you can get a greater range of motion than you can with a barbell. Bring your hands in closer for a tight contraction, depending on the size of the dumbbells being used.
Close-grip bench press:
Place your hands just inside shoulder width and keep your elbows close to the body. Contract your triceps hard at the top of the movement.
Bench dip:
This version, as opposed to the parallel bars, lets you maintain an upright body position, which puts more stress on the triceps. Make sure the distance between benches allows for a full range of motion.
Remember: Any time you see the words "up to 7 sets" in the programming, that indicates an FST-7 set. For those sets, keep rest time minimal, such as 30-45 seconds, and whenever possible, flex the target muscle for 5-10 seconds during the rest period.
During Phase Two, these sorts of intensity-boosting techniques will only get more important, and you'll start combining movements into FST-7 supersets. For now, just go do the work and start growing!
| Hany Rambod's Chest Training Tips |
Flat-bench dumbbell press:
I prefer using dumbbells on the flat bench, because you can get a greater range of motion than you can with a barbell. Bring your hands in closer for a tight contraction, depending on the size of the dumbbells being used.
Close-grip bench press:
Place your hands just inside shoulder width and keep your elbows close to the body. Contract your triceps hard at the top of the movement.
Bench dip:
This version, as opposed to the parallel bars, lets you maintain an upright body position, which puts more stress on the triceps. Make sure the distance between benches allows for a full range of motion.
Remember: Any time you see the words "up to 7 sets" in the programming, that indicates an FST-7 set. For those sets, keep rest time minimal, such as 30-45 seconds, and whenever possible, flex the target muscle for 5-10 seconds during the rest period.
During Phase Two, these sorts of intensity-boosting techniques will only get more important, and you'll start combining movements into FST-7 supersets. For now, just go do the work and start growing!
FST-7 stands for "fascia stretch training"—the "7" stands for the number of sets you do at the end of a workout. The goal of FST-7 is to expand and create microscopic tears in the connective sheath surrounding the muscle fibers called the fascia. These tears are achieved by flooding the muscle with blood while you work toward the most epic pump of your life!
The purpose of this particular workout is to widen the lats. If you're posing on stage, you want them to look 3-D, even from the back. Wide lats also provide that all-important V-taper. In this workout, we're doing 5 base exercises to help you build strength, and then following them with FST-7 sets that will volumize the muscle.
Jeremy will show you the intensity; I'll give you the cues. Put them together when you do the workout on your own, and you'll see and feel insane results!
If you haven't seen my FST-7 chest-and-biceps workout, make sure to check that out as well! You can implement both workouts into your normal training split. Just make sure to give yourself enough recovery time between workouts.
The purpose of this particular workout is to widen the lats. If you're posing on stage, you want them to look 3-D, even from the back. Wide lats also provide that all-important V-taper. In this workout, we're doing 5 base exercises to help you build strength, and then following them with FST-7 sets that will volumize the muscle.
Jeremy will show you the intensity; I'll give you the cues. Put them together when you do the workout on your own, and you'll see and feel insane results!
If you haven't seen my FST-7 chest-and-biceps workout, make sure to check that out as well! You can implement both workouts into your normal training split. Just make sure to give yourself enough recovery time between workouts.
Watch and learn from Hany Rambod, one of the best coaches in fitness, as he takes Men's Physique Olympia champion Jeremy Buendia through a brutal FST-7 chest-and-biceps workout!
My nickname in the fitness industry is "the Pro Creator." I've coached my athletes to 13 Olympia titles and transformed their bodies from impressive to legendary. Today, you get to see me train 2014 men's physique Olympia champion Jeremy Buendia through one of my incredibly challenging—but incredibly effective—muscle-building FST-7 workouts.
This chest-and-biceps workout isn't easy. It's going to hurt, but Jeremy is a living, breathing example that FST-7 can help you substantially change the shape and size of your muscles. Come with us and stretch your limits.
Before we get into the workout, let's talk a little bit about what FST-7 is and what makes it different from your usual bodybuilding workout. FST-7 stands for fascia stretch training, and the "7" stands for the number of sets you do at the end of a workout.
The goal of FST-7 is to expand and create microscopic tears in the fascia—a connective sheath surrounding the muscle fibers—around a target muscle group by increasing the volume of that muscle. This is achieved by flooding the muscle with blood by working toward an incredibly epic pump. Stretching the fascia will give you room to grow for the long haul.
Heavy weights will get you thicker, denser muscles, but that round, full look comes from training for the pump. With those aspects in mind, this workout is designed so you do heavier work first, then follow it with 7 lighter sets that will bring a lot of blood and nutrients to your muscles. That blood means a lot of stretching and growth.
My nickname in the fitness industry is "the Pro Creator." I've coached my athletes to 13 Olympia titles and transformed their bodies from impressive to legendary. Today, you get to see me train 2014 men's physique Olympia champion Jeremy Buendia through one of my incredibly challenging—but incredibly effective—muscle-building FST-7 workouts.
This chest-and-biceps workout isn't easy. It's going to hurt, but Jeremy is a living, breathing example that FST-7 can help you substantially change the shape and size of your muscles. Come with us and stretch your limits.
Before we get into the workout, let's talk a little bit about what FST-7 is and what makes it different from your usual bodybuilding workout. FST-7 stands for fascia stretch training, and the "7" stands for the number of sets you do at the end of a workout.
The goal of FST-7 is to expand and create microscopic tears in the fascia—a connective sheath surrounding the muscle fibers—around a target muscle group by increasing the volume of that muscle. This is achieved by flooding the muscle with blood by working toward an incredibly epic pump. Stretching the fascia will give you room to grow for the long haul.
Heavy weights will get you thicker, denser muscles, but that round, full look comes from training for the pump. With those aspects in mind, this workout is designed so you do heavier work first, then follow it with 7 lighter sets that will bring a lot of blood and nutrients to your muscles. That blood means a lot of stretching and growth.
Barbell Squat - 5 sets, 8 reps
Leg Press - 5 sets, 12 reps
Bodyweight Walking Lunge - 4 sets, 20 reps (Double reps, with an extra down-and-up on each rep)
Romanian Deadlift with Dumbbells - 4 sets, 15 reps
Leg Extensions - 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Seated Leg Curl - 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Superset - 4 sets
Seated Calf Raise - 20 reps
Donkey Calf Raises - Failure
Leg Press - 5 sets, 12 reps
Bodyweight Walking Lunge - 4 sets, 20 reps (Double reps, with an extra down-and-up on each rep)
Romanian Deadlift with Dumbbells - 4 sets, 15 reps
Leg Extensions - 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Seated Leg Curl - 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Superset - 4 sets
Seated Calf Raise - 20 reps
Donkey Calf Raises - Failure
Lat Pulldown - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Pull-up - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Cable Upright Row - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Hyperextension - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Close-Grip Barbell Curl - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Pull-up - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Cable Upright Row - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Hyperextension - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Close-Grip Barbell Curl - 3 sets of 12-14 reps
Reverse overhead press on machine 4x12
Superset with plate press 4x10
Seated lateral raises 4x12
Superset with plate laterals 4x10
Face pull 4x12
Superset with bent over plate fly 4x10
Seated reverse fly 4x12
Superset with front raise 4x10
Ab roll out 4x15
Cable crunch 4x15
Incline sit up with oblique twist 4x12
Superset with plate press 4x10
Seated lateral raises 4x12
Superset with plate laterals 4x10
Face pull 4x12
Superset with bent over plate fly 4x10
Seated reverse fly 4x12
Superset with front raise 4x10
Ab roll out 4x15
Cable crunch 4x15
Incline sit up with oblique twist 4x12
When she was in middle school, Vanetza heard something no child should. "I'll never forget," now 28-year-old Vanetza tearfully recalls. "Someone said they would kill themselves if they looked like me—if they had a sister as beautiful as mine and were are fat and ugly as me."
As far back as Vanetza can remember, she was always the heavy one. She felt fat and unattractive, and constant comparisons to friends and family led to self-blame. Pair that with moving from Haiti to the U.S. in high school and having to catch up on reading comprehension from a third-grade level, and you have Vanetza's tough situation, which led her to eat more.
It wasn't until after she became an officer after military college that Vanetza was moved to start her weight-loss journey. "I became comfortable and was depressed and sad," Vanetza says. "I was always moving and didn't have my family or my sister nearby. I just started to eat."
Food might have provided temporary relief, but when her weight topped the scales at over 200 pounds, she was left feeling like a fake. "I wasn't setting examples as a solider and felt like I was a hypocrite. I was telling them about the standards but not meeting them myself."
This is Vanetza's story.
As far back as Vanetza can remember, she was always the heavy one. She felt fat and unattractive, and constant comparisons to friends and family led to self-blame. Pair that with moving from Haiti to the U.S. in high school and having to catch up on reading comprehension from a third-grade level, and you have Vanetza's tough situation, which led her to eat more.
It wasn't until after she became an officer after military college that Vanetza was moved to start her weight-loss journey. "I became comfortable and was depressed and sad," Vanetza says. "I was always moving and didn't have my family or my sister nearby. I just started to eat."
Food might have provided temporary relief, but when her weight topped the scales at over 200 pounds, she was left feeling like a fake. "I wasn't setting examples as a solider and felt like I was a hypocrite. I was telling them about the standards but not meeting them myself."
This is Vanetza's story.
The last time Joe Batic felt comfortable with his shirt off, he was four years old. "That was the last time I looked back at photos and didn't have a gut," he says. For Joe, weight has always been an issue. Back in fourth grade, when most kids were more concerned with what toy came in their Happy Meal, Joe was already embarking on his weight-loss journey.
Have feedback for our gorgeous website or something not working? Contact Edgezone Media or Call:
1300 177 088