Friday, January 8, 2016

Transformed Trainer: Program Overview

Starting a new workout program is one thing. Keeping it up is another. Transformed is designed to provide you with everything you need to make this the year it all finally comes together!

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Many people who try to transform their bodies never make it to a point they can feel truly satisfied about. Sticking to a program aimed at transforming your body is no easy feat. Even the best-laid plans can get derailed by life: work, family, sick days, vacation, and all the hurdles that pop up, planned and unplanned.

We get it: You can't control everything. But you can give yourself a huge head start by picking a program that:

  • Doesn't demand too much of your time
  • Is simple to follow
  • Gives you options to raise or lower intensity
  • Relies on proven techniques to build progress

This is what Transformed is designed to be. It's the workout program that corrects the flaws in every other program that hasn't worked for you. It's customizable, simple, and effective.

Dymatize Transformed Training Program Program Overview
Watch the video - 7:02



Over the next 12 weeks, you'll become adept at classic lifts, add strength and muscle to your physique, and perform research-backed protocols optimal for fat loss. In three months, you'll learn plenty of valuable lessons about principles of strength training that you can use for the rest of your life!

Weeks 1-6 Transformed Training Basics

Everything in the Transformed program is designed to be simple. The workouts incorporate fundamental exercises that have been shown again and again to work, and you won't have to use any weird specialized equipment. You can do these workouts in nearly any gym, and you'll almost always be able to get in and out of the gym in less than an hour.

During the first six weeks, you'll perform three weekly full-body strength workouts that target all major muscle groups. These workouts are the nonnegotiable part of the program, so just punch the clock and get them done! Each will take about 45-50 minutes and will focus primarily on barbell and dumbbell exercises, along with a few bodyweight, cable, and machine movements.

During the first six weeks, you'll perform three weekly full-body strength workouts that target all major muscle groups. These workouts are the nonnegotiable part of the program, so just punch the clock and get them done!

For Weeks 1-6, each of your three full-body workouts will comprise six movements:

  • Two lower body movements
  • Two push movements
  • Two pull movements

The goal here is to build a strong foundation to which you can add more complex training techniques to in the weeks to come. The workouts and exercises will stay consistent during each phase so that you can track progress and see yourself getting stronger.

During the first three weeks, you'll be completing 3 sets for each exercises using the rep range of 8-10 for most exercises. In these movements, select a challenging enough weight so that the last couple reps in each set are a struggle. Rest times are kept short—right around a minute—to keep your heart rate up and help you burn more calories during your workout.

During Weeks 4-6, you'll still perform full-body workouts, but your training volume will increase. Sets will be bumped up to 3-4 for each exercise, still in the rep range of 8-10. The increase in intensity will get you primed and ready for the final weeks of your transformation.

Cardio Do What Makes You Feel Good

You'll also perform two weekly cardio sessions during the first six weeks. Because not everyone enjoys sweating it out on the treadmill, pick whatever piece of equipment you most enjoy. We recommend the treadmill, bike, or stair machine. You can do this after your strength workouts if you have time, or on one of your rest days.

You also have the choice of completing either high-intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio for 15-18 minutes or lower-intensity steady-state cardio for 40-45 minutes. Both of these options work, so don't get caught up in the online debates.

You'll also perform two weekly cardio sessions during the first six weeks. Because not everyone enjoys sweating it out on the treadmill, pick whatever piece of equipment you most enjoy.

We recommend trying out the HIIT protocol first because it's faster and more efficient. If you feel like you're having trouble recovering afterward, or the quality of your strength training starts to suffer, then switch to the steady-state cardio. After a couple weeks, give HIIT another shot.

If you're still feeling strong after all of this and want to challenge yourself, we've included some additional bonus workouts. These are brief but intense full-body finishers that you can add to the end of any training day or save for a separate day.

These bonus workouts aren't mandatory; only do them if you're really up to the challenge. The worst thing that could happen would be for you to redline it in the first few weeks of the program and end up seeing the quality of your other training suffer—or quitting the program altogether.

Weeks 7-12 Taking Your Transformation to the Next Level

After building up a strong foundation during Weeks 1-6, get ready to turn things up in Weeks 7-12. For the final six weeks, you'll perform four strength workouts a week:

  • Two lower-body workouts (quads, hamstrings, and glutes)
  • One push-focused workout (chest, shoulders, and triceps)
  • One pull-focused workout (back and biceps)

Each of these will still fit into that 45-50 minute sweet spot and focus largely on multi-joint free-weight exercises, along with a little single-joint isolation work.

During these weeks, you'll perform some classic intensity-boosting techniques like supersets, dropsets, and slow negatives, all of which can help you add strength and muscle. You'll definitely be challenged during these sets, but you'll also burn plenty of calories and give your body the perfect stimulus to change.

This program is designed to give you some freedom when it comes to your workouts and how much you do, so it's imperative that you listen to your body to see if you're doing enough—or maybe too much.

You'll also increase your cardio frequency to three days a week during Weeks 7-9, and four days during weeks 10-12. Again, you'll have the option to perform either HIIT or steady state. Just make sure you're challenging yourself during these sessions to make the most of your time. During the second half of the program, you'll once again have the option of performing some bonus workouts as finishers after your strength workouts or on separate days.

This program is designed to give you some freedom when it comes to your workouts and how much you do, so it's imperative that you listen to your body to see if you're doing enough—or maybe too much.

Use your strength workouts as a guide. If you're really struggling to finish them, consider dialing back the bonus workouts or the amount of HIIT cardio you're doing for a week or so. Finding the right balance takes time.

Your Transformation Starts Here

Each day over the next 12 weeks includes videos and articles to help you nail down exercise technique, manage recovery, and make sure your nutrition is up to the same level as your training. Every day also includes your workout, so you can learn as you go through the program.

Training is only one part of the transformation equation. Some days of Transformed include recipes and kitchen hacks, and others will answer common transformation questions. The result is a guided, complete transformation journey that covers every angle: training, nutrition, supplementation, motivation, accountability, and much more.

If you haven't already, watch the Transformed athlete roundtable to see Dymatize athletes discuss some of the most common transformation hurdles and obstacles. Also be sure to watch the nutrition overview, which contains two videos showcasing our favorite meal-prep techniques and healthy shopping strategies.

After that, check out the other Transformed videos if you need help getting into the right mindset for this journey. Otherwise, don't be afraid to just dive in and start Day 1! Sometimes, taking that first step is the most important thing you can do.

Your best self is only 12 weeks away. Get ready to be transformed.



Main | Supplement Overview | Nutrition Overview | Program Overview | Athlete Roundtable | Bonus Workouts | Get Started

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