The Most Important Piece of Equipment for a Healthy, Lean, and Toned Body

I'm going to let you in on a "secret tool" I use to help people reach their fitness and weight loss goals in record time. It is well known in the strength and conditioning world, but few fitness enthusiasts or personal trainers use it. Failure to utilize this vital gym equipment is the primary reason most people you see at the gym never make progress.


Many people start exercising and achieve immediate, noticeable results. But after a few months these results come to a halt. They may faithfully take spin class, lift weights, and do hour upon hour of cardio year in and year out. But there body never changes.


They blame this on diet. Or maybe they think its just part of getting older. And while these are important factors, using this simple tool every time they worked out would vastly increase their results.


Are you ready? Here it is...the single most important gym equipment you can use to get the body you want in record time:


Pen and paper.


Yes, that's it. That's the secret tool of the most successful trainers and body transformation coaches in the world. Without a record of what you've done you're just going through the motions. Pen and paper do more to help you reach your goals than any dumbbell, group fitness class, or cardio machine ever will.


Did you burn 300 calories on the treadmill last week? Or was it 330? Was it eight reps with fifteen pound dumbbells or ten reps with twelve pound dumbbells? If you don't know the answer to these questions, how are you going to increase the demand on your body? And if you don't increase the demand on your body your body will not change.


Here is a sample workout log I used to help a forty something mother of two lose twelve pounds of fat and gain six pounds of muscle in just 42 days! (The only changes to her diet involved switching to a zero carbohydrate breakfast)  

Workout 1

EXERCISE	8/1/2011	8/10/2011	8/22/2011	8/31/2011
A) DB Bench Press (1-0-1) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	20 x 20-12-5	25 x 14-8-5	25 x 16-8-6	30 x 9-4-3
B) Parallel Grip Pull-down (5-1-1) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	62.5 x 9-5-4	62.5 x 13-6-6	65 x 12-5-4	67.5 x 11-5-5
C) Speed Row Left (x-x-x) 1 x AMRAP	25 x 40	30 x 40	35 x 33	35 x 35
D) Speed Row Right (x-x-x) 1 x AMRAP	25 x 40	30 x 40	35 x 33	35 x 35
E) DB Lateral Raise 1 x 10 full range 1 x 30 partials Static hold x 30	3 x 10-30-18 sec	3 x 10-30-24 sec	3 x 10-30-30 sec	5 x 10-30-8 sec
F) Rower 2000m for time	11:51	11:04	10:49	10:48

Workout 2

EXERCISE	8/3/2011	8/12/2011	8/24/2011	9/6/2011
A) DB Curl (10-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	15 x 8-4-3	15 x 10-4-4	15 x 11-4-4	20 x 8-3-3
B) Machine Calf Raise (1-0-1) As many sets of 10 as possible, 10 sec stretch between sets	90 x 10 x 5	90 x 10 x 7	90 x 10 x 8	90 x 10 x 8
C) Leg Curl (10-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	70 x 7-4-2	70 x 9-4-3	70 x 10-4-3	80 x 8-4-3
D) Neg. Acc. Hanging Leg Raise (5-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	BW x 7-5-4	BW x 8-5-5	BW x 9-6-5	BW x 10-6-4
E) Farmer’s Walk 3 x max time, 30 sec RI	24 kg x 54-32-24	24 kg x 65-30-22	32 kg x 49-24-18	32 kg x 55-30-23
F) Treadmill 20 min x max distance	1.3 miles	1.5 miles	1.6 miles	1.7 miles

Workout 3

EXERCISE	8/5/2011	8/15/2011	8/26/2011	9/9/2011
A1) BB Bench (1-0-1) 6 x 8, 0 sec RI	55 x 8 x 6	60 x 8 x 5 60 x 5	60 x 8 x 6	65 x 8 65 x 6 x 5
A2) KB Front Squat (1-0-1) 6 x 8, 1 min RI	24 kg x 8 x 6	24 kg x 10 x 6	32 kg x 6 x 6	32 kg x 8 x 6
B1) T-Bar Row (1-0-1) 4 x 15-20, 0 sec RI	20 x 20 x 2 20 x 17 20 x 15	20 x 20 x 4	25 x 20 x 4	30 x 20 x 4
B2) 5 Riser Jump Squat (1-0-X) 4 x 20, 2 min RI	BW x 20 x 4	BW x 20 x 4	BW + 10 x 20 x 4	BW + 15 x 20 x 4
C1) KB Overhead Press (1-0-1) 3 x 15-20, 0 sec RI	10 x 20 x 3	15 x 19 15 x 15 x 2	15 x 20 x 2 15 x 16	15 x 20 15 x 16 15 x 12
C2) Plank 3 x 30-60 sec, 0 sec RI	30 sec x 3	40 sec x 3	50 sec x 3	60 sec x 3
C3) Walking Lunge 3 x 1 trip, 2 min RI	BW x 3	BW + 10 x 3	BW + 16 x 3	BW + 20 x 3

Workout 4

EXERCISE	8/8/2011	8/18/2011	8/29/2011	9/12/2011
A1)  Seated DB Curl (2-0-1) 3 x 6-8, 0 sec RI	20 x 8 x 3	25 x 6 25 x 5 x 2	25 x 6 x 3	25 x 7 25 x 6 25 x 5
A2)  Hammer Strength Pull-down (1-1-1) 3 x 20-30, 0 sec RI	30 x 20 x 3	30 x 30 30 x 20 x 2	30 x 30 30 x 22 30 x 20	30 x 30 30 x 29 30 x 18
A3)  Assisted Dips (5-0-1) 3 x 6-8, 0 sec RI	10 x 8 x 3	9 x 8 x 3	8 x 6 8 x 5 x 2	8 x 6 x 3
A4)  DB French Press (1-1-1) 3 x 20-30, 4 min RI	10 x 30 x 3	12 x 30 x 3	15 x 20 15 x 15 x 2	15 x 20 x 3
B1)  Assisted Roll-up (3-0-3) 3 x 8-10, 0 sec RI	BW x 8 x 3	BW x 8 x 3	BW x 10 x 3	BW x 10 x 3
B2)  Trap Bar Deadlift (1-0-1) 3 x 8-12, 0 sec RI	65 x 8 x 3	65 x 12 x 3	70 x 12 x 3	75 x 12 x 3
B3)  High Handle Prowler 3 x 2 trips, 4 min RI	50 x 3	70 x 3	90 x 2 70 x 1	90 x 1 (skipped last 2 sets)
D)  Elliptical Machine 20 minutes for max calories	183	199	178	210