VOLUME 2
HOW TO C REATE DIETS FOR THE
FASTEST POSSIBLE BODY COMPOSITION
IMPROVEMENTS IN MEN AND WOMEN
SETTING
UP FOR
SUCCESS
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 15
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS
Establish Your
Starting Point
The first step in setting up for success is to establish It also serves a very practical purpose, as you will use
your starting point. the results to create your meal plan and inform any
changes you need to make based on your progress.
To do this, you will complete the same body composition
assessment that we use with clients in their first session We have provided comprehensive guides on how
at Ultimate Performance. to complete each stage of the assessment in the
‘Progress Assessment’ section.
The assessment involves:
Each guide covers:
Recording your bodyweight.
Equipment requirements.
Taking circumference measurements.
Recommended frequency and timing
Taking progress pictures
of measurement.
(the infamous ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures).
How to perform the assessment.
Estimating your body fat percentage.
Key issues and trainer tips.
The body composition assessment is a vital part
You can read ahead but make sure to schedule time
of your transformation.
to complete the baseline assessment, as you will
Seeing your starting pictures and measurements need the results to create your meal plan.
can inspire you to take action, and once you are up
and running, watching your body take shape and the
numbers drop can be equally rewarding.
16 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
TRANSFORMATION TIME FRAMES
WHY WE RECOMMEND 12 WEEKS YOU MAY NEED MORE THAN 12 WEEKS
We recommend putting aside 12 weeks There is a limit to how much body fat you
to complete your transformation. can lose in 12 weeks and some people may
need more time to achieve their long-term
From experience, this is the longest time body composition goals.
people can commit to before needing a break.
An unavoidable truth about transformation If this is the case, we recommend taking a
programs is that they require a level of discipline break from dieting after week 12 to focus
and attention to detail that many of your on consolidating your results. Following this,
friends, family and colleagues may struggle to you can then undertake another block of
understand. transformation dieting.
You can sustain a highly focused approach for How long you should break for between each
a relatively short period, but not indefinitely. dieting phase depends on the length of the
Nobody is a robot. initial diet, how much longer you want to diet
for and practical issues like aligning the next
diet with your schedule.
When attempting large scale body composition
YOU MAY NEED LESS THAN 12 WEEKS changes, breaking it up into more manageable
chunks makes it less daunting and from
If you are starting from a relatively experience leads to more sustainable results.
lean position, you may be able to achieve
your body composition goals in less than
12 weeks.
However, unless you are an experienced dieter, YOU MAY HAVE LESS THAN 12 WEEKS
you have no way of knowing for sure how long
you will need. It takes several cycles of dieting If your goal date is less than 12 weeks
to get a solid understanding of how long you away, it is still possible to get in great
need to reach a given body fat percentage. shape, but you will have to tailor your
Life can get in the way and affect your ability expectations about what is realistically
to follow the plan, for example, travel, social achievable.
commitments or even the flu!
There is always the option to make your
It is better to overestimate how long you impending goal date a short-term target
need and then end your diet in advance of and continue to diet afterwards in pursuit of
the 12 weeks if you achieve your target look a more long-term goal.
ahead of time.
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 17
SCHEDULING YOUR TRANSFORMATION
TRANSFORMATION START SELECTING YOUR START
AND END DATES AND END DATES
When scheduling your transformation, we strongly
recommend aligning your start and end dates with a
specific occasion where you want to look your best.
Without a clear start and end date, most dieters
struggle to stay motivated and ultimately never
achieve their goals.
A prime example of this are the countless people who
embark upon post-Christmas diets with the vague
goal to ‘lose some weight’. In most cases, the diet is no
longer in place come February. Now, compare this to a
future bride preparing for her wedding day or somebody
wanting to make a big impression at their college
reunion - nothing will get in their way!
Some obvious dates to target include holidays and
special events like birthdays and weddings.
If you do not have a specific goal but just the clear
idea of wanting a transformation, you should seriously
consider creating one. For example, several of our ACTION:
clients have found it extremely motivating to book Before continuing, choose your start
a photoshoot or holiday to mark the end of their and motivational end dates and mark
transformation. them on your calendar.
Having a motivational goal date gives you something
tangible to aim for and keeps you accountable when We have highlighted some example periods that are
times get tough. conducive to dieting and some that are less so on the
diagram opposite.
For now, only focus on scheduling your first 12 weeks
(or less, if targeting a more short-term date), even if
Without a clear start and end date, you think you may need longer.
most dieters struggle to stay
During your diet break, you can review your progress
motivated and ultimately never and decide if this is a temporary break or a more
achieve their goals. permanent return to maintenance.
18 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
WINTER SPRING
JANUARY / NEW YEAR SPRING
Most people will be dieting so there will be fewer Start here and be lean for summer!
temptations and more social support.
SUMMER
RELIGIOUS EVENTS SUMMER
e.g. Ramadan. Be aware of holidays and social events like parties and weddings.
AUTUMN
AUTUMN WINTER
Normally quiet, but the Christmas party season starts earlier each year. Lots of social events
to navigate like work
Christmas parties.
MOTIVATIONAL GOAL DATES Milestone birthdays, e.g. 30th or 40th / Weddings /
Example motivational dates to target: Holidays / Photoshoots.
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 19
THE 12 WEEK REVIEW EXTRA CONSIDERATIONS
– THE PRACTICE WEEK
Once you have identified your start and end dates, the
next step is to review your transformation time frame Jumping straight into a transformation program can
and identify any events that will affect your ability to be overwhelming, especially if you are new to the
follow your training and meal plan. approaches outlined in this book.
Common examples include: One strategy you can use to make the transition less
abrupt is to schedule a practice week before starting
Travel, e.g. business and pleasure. your full-blown transformation program.
Stressful periods, e.g. work, family and exams.
Even experienced dieters can benefit from an
Special occasions, e.g. birthdays and anniversaries. adjustment period if they have spent the last few
months being more flexible with their approach to
Social events, e.g. nights out with friends.
nutrition.
No 12 week period will ever be without some
challenges and now is the best time to work out
how to overcome these potentially derailing events. One strategy you can use to
Performing this review will address any major events
and you can deal with less significant ones that crop make the transition less abrupt
up as part of your weekly meal planning. is to schedule a practice week
We have outlined several methods you can use to before starting your full-blown
adjust your approach to stay on track in the transformation program.
‘Transformation Meal Planning’ section.
Here is a list of example activities you can
perform in the practice week
SCHEDULE PROGRESS CHECK-INS
Complete the baseline body composition
You will repeat each part of the body composition
assessment (p.88).
assessment protocol several times throughout your
transformation.
Find a diet partner (p.21).
Specifically, you need to schedule time and set
reminders to: Design or select a resistance training program
to follow (p.22).
Measure your bodyweight each morning.
Take your circumference measurements each week. Download and practice using a nutrition
tracking application (p.62).
Review your progress at the end of each week to
see if you are on target or need to make changes. Start recording your daily step total and
Take progress pictures every 2-4 weeks. morning bodyweight (p.89).
For more details, see the ‘Progress Assessment’
section.
20 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
EXTRA CONSIDERATIONS
12-WEEK REVIEW – DIET PARTNER
A key part of a client’s transformation journey at
PRACTICE WEEK Ultimate Performance is the daily contact (in person
and online) with their trainer and the accountability
WK 1 this provides.
You can recreate this for yourself by asking a friend
WK 2 or family member to be your diet partner. This can be
somebody who wants to diet at the same time or who
is just willing to keep you accountable.
WK 3
You can even raise the stakes by making a ‘diet bet’
with your diet partner, for example, agreeing a forfeit
WK 4 for every missed check-in.
WK 5 ACTION:
At the end of each day, message
WK 6 your diet partner with the following
information:
WK 7
Compose message
WK 8
To: [Link]@[Link]
WK 9 Subject: Andrew’s daily check-in 1st January
WK 10 • Morning bodyweight, e.g. 80kg.
• Daily step total, e.g. 10,000 steps.
WK 11
• Training summary, e.g. upper body workout.
WK 12 • Food diary, e.g. screenshot from a food
tracking application or written record.
Start Progress Pic Workout Check-in Weekend
Attachments: MyFitnessPal Food Diary Screenshot’
Birthday Social Event Travel Finish Send
(e.g. night out) (Holiday)
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 21
TRANSFORMATION TRAINING
ALTHOUGH THE FOCUS OF THIS BOOK IS ON NUTRITION, WE CANNOT IGNORE THE IMPORTANT
CONTRIBUTION THAT TRAINING AND REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAKE IN TRANSFORMING
YOUR BODY COMPOSITION.
This section will explain the role of each type of activity in your transformation program and outline our
recommendations.
RESISTANCE TRAINING Resistance Training Recommendations
Resistance training is a type of exercise that forces your For the best results, we recommend resistance
muscles to work against resistance provided by your training three to four times a week.
own bodyweight, free weights (dumbbells and barbells) Training Frequency: 3 x Per Week
and machines.
If you choose to train three times per week, we
When restricting calories to lose body fat, there is a risk recommend alternating between two full-body
that you will lose muscle. This is known as low-quality workouts.
weight loss and reinforces why losing scale weight
should not be your primary goal on a transformation Using a full body program will allow you to train each
program. muscle group at least twice per week, which research
suggests is the optimal training frequency for muscle
Research has consistently shown that resistance growth.
training in combination with a high-protein diet can
maintain or even increase muscle mass during periods After you have completed each workout 6-8 times, you
of caloric restriction. will need to update both workouts by making changes to
program design variables, such as exercise selection and
the number of sets and reps.
3 Workouts 3 Workouts
Week 1 Week 2
Mon Full Body Workout A Full Body Workout B
Tue – –
Wed Full Body Workout B Full Body Workout A
Thu – –
Fri Full Body Workout A Full Body Workout B
Sat – –
Sun – –
22 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
Training Frequency: 4 x Per Week NON-EXERCISE ACTIVITY
If you choose to train four times per week, you can THERMOGENESIS (NEAT)
either use a full body approach or split your program From a calorie-burning perspective, how physically
into upper body and lower body workouts. active you are outside of the gym can have a real
Repeat each workout twice per week until you have impact on your fat loss efforts.
completed each one 6-8 times and then update both The technical term for how many calories you
workouts. burn outside of the gym is non-exercise activity
thermogenesis (NEAT for short).
Only choose the upper/lower body training split option
if you are confident that you can consistently train four Part of NEAT is voluntary and largely determined by
times per week. your occupation and how you choose to spend your
leisure time. There is also an involuntary component
beyond your conscious control that you generate from
Try to avoid training on three maintaining your posture and small bodily movements
known as fidgeting.
consecutive days to give your body
time to recover, although this is Calories Burned by Activity vs Resting
better than not training at all and
will not affect your results if you
are generally on top of recovery.
OPTION 1 OPTION 2
4 Workouts 4 Workouts
(Upper/Lower) (Full Body)
Mon Upper Body Workout Full Body Workout A
Tue Lower Body Workout Full Body Workout B
RESTING
Wed – – (LAYING STILL)
Thu Upper Body Workout Full Body Workout A
Adapted from Levine (2007).
Fri Lower Body Workout Full Body Workout B
Sat The Importance of An Active Lifestyle
– –
Sun The diagram above shows the calories burned
– –
performing several activities.
Sit down for an hour, and you will burn roughly 5kcal
Try to avoid training on three consecutive days to give more than you would laying down still. Stand up and this
your body time to recover, although this is better than triples to 15kcal more per hour. Start walking and you
not training at all and will not affect your results if you can burn up to 230kcal more per hour.
are generally on top of recovery (nutrition, sleep and
stress management). While the exact values will vary depending on your
bodyweight and how vigorously you move, these figures
We have provided sample workouts and review highlight how simply moving around more has the
program design in more detail in the companion book, potential to add up to a surprisingly large calorie count
‘Principles of Muscle Building Program Design’. over the course of a day.
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 23
In fact, Dr James Levine of the Mayo Clinic estimates
that we have lost up to 2,000kcal of activity from our On top of several health benefits,
day in the transition to becoming a mainly sedentary
society – a full day’s worth of eating for a lot of people! you will be less dependent on
caloric restriction to lose body fat
How Active Are You?
and will be able to diet on a higher
A simple test to evaluate your NEAT levels is to use your number of calories.
mobile phone or pedometer to track how many steps
you take during a typical day.
The table below shows the number of steps we consider
to be representative of a sedentary and active lifestyle.
ACTIVITY LEVEL TOTAL STEPS (AVERAGE)
SEDENTARY < 5,000 This is a natural part of weight loss and simply your body
STEPS PER DAY doing its job, ensuring you have enough energy to keep
going. Making an effort to keep voluntary components
LIGHTLY ACTIVE 5,000 - 9,999 of NEAT high can help offset this adaptive reduction and
STEPS PER DAY prevent fat loss plateaus.
NEAT Recommendations
ACTIVE 10,000 - 12,500
STEPS PER DAY
Walking is the main component of most people’s
NEAT, and you can track your step count using your
HIGHLY ACTIVE > 12,500 mobile phone or pedometer.
STEPS PER DAY
Aim for a minimum average step target of
If you currently take less than 10,000 steps, you will 10,000 steps.
benefit from making changes to your routine to become
more active. The target is an average so you can make up for
low-step days, such as long-distance travel, with
On top of several health benefits, you will be less more active days later in the week.
dependent on caloric restriction to lose body fat and will
be able to diet on a higher number of calories. Where possible, aim for ‘active steps’, for example,
making it a rule to take the stairs or walking at a
Numerous research studies have also shown NEAT brisk pace.
(mainly the involuntary component) to decline in
response to weight loss as an attempt by the body If you already take more than 10,000 steps as part
to conserve energy during periods of low energy of your normal routine, aim to keep this consistent.
availability.
24 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
If you currently take less than 10,000 steps, try some of
the following ideas to build NEAT into your day:
AT HOME TRAVEL AT WORK FOR FUN
Start your day with Walk all or part of the Break up long bouts of Set yourself NEAT
5-10 minutes of way to work. sitting with standing, challenges, e.g. 20,000
light exercise, e.g. pacing or walking. steps in one day.
bodyweight circuit.
Get off public transport
Go for a walk while early and complete the Take phone calls and Make socialising active,
calling friends and family. journey on foot. meetings standing or e.g. bowling or table
walking. tennis.
Go for a walk before or Park further away
after dinner. from destinations and Go for a walk on your Plan leisure time around
complete the journey lunch break. walking, e.g. exploring a
on foot. new city or hiking.
By the way, do not pay much attention to the calorie burn estimates provided by commercial grade activity trackers.
While they are great awareness tools, the algorithms are not accurate enough to manage your calorie intake.
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 25
FORMAL CARDIO
Formal cardio refers to structured workouts performed
as part of your training program with a specific goal,
for example:
Develop cardiovascular fitness.
Offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
Burn calories.
There are three main types of formal cardio that are
identifiable based on training intensity (how hard you
work) which you can measure using the following rate
of perceived exertion (RPE) scale.
RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) SCALE
RPE SCALE EMOJI WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE...
MAX EFFORT – This pace should feel as if it is almost impossible to keep
9-10 going. You will be out of breath and unable to talk.
CHALLENGING – This pace should feel difficult to maintain and you
7-8 will only be able to speak a few words.
MODERATELY CHALLENGING – This pace should feel uncomfortable
5-6 and you will only be able to hold a short conversation.
EASY – This pace should feel as if you can keep going for hours, while
3-4 holding a full conversation.
VERY EASY – This pace should feel like very little effort, but more
1-2 than not moving at all.
LOW-INTENSITY MODERATE-INTENSITY HIGH-INTENSITY
STEADY STATE (LISS) STEADY STATE (MISS) INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)
Low-intensity activity (RPE 1-4) Moderate-intensity activity Alternates short periods of
maintained for extended periods (RPE 5-6) maintained for high-intensity exercise (RPE
of time, e.g. incline treadmill extended periods of time, 7-10) with less-intense
walking for 30-minutes. e.g. 5km run. recovery periods (RPE 1-4),
e.g. alternating between
sprinting and walking.
We also consider most group fitness classes, e.g. spinning and circuit training, to be versions of HIIT training.
26 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
Always Prioritise Resistance Training However, there are several physical and practical
benefits associated with formal cardio:
If you can only get to the gym three times a week and
have no other opportunities to train, then resistance 1. MISS and HIIT both develop your work capacity
training should always take priority over formal cardio. which can have a beneficial impact on your
You can develop your fitness, lose body fat and avoid a resistance training.
sedentary lifestyle by sticking to your diet and keeping 2. Formal cardio develops mental toughness.
active outside of the gym. In contrast, lifting weights
is the only way to build muscle. 3. If short on time and low on steps, performing a MISS
or HIIT workout can boost your daily physical activity
levels in a time-efficient manner.
If you can only get to the gym
4. Many of our clients enjoy performing formal cardio,
three times a week and have no particularly the group element of fitness classes.
other opportunities to train, then
5. The low skill component lets beginner trainees
resistance training should always push themselves harder than they can while lifting
take priority over formal cardio. weights.
BODY TRANSFORMATION MEAL PLAN DESIGN 27
LISS vs MISS vs HIIT You Have a Limited Recovery Capacity
The intensity level of the different formal cardio options There is a limit to how much training you can recover
can have a significant impact on their compatibility with from, and both MISS and HIIT add to the total amount
resistance training. of exercise-related stress placed on your body.
Remember, any cardio you do takes place in the same
LISS is not intense enough to interfere with your week that you will also be resistance training three to
recovery from or performance in resistance training four times.
workouts. The primary role of LISS in a training program
is to burn additional calories. You can use LISS to help
Formal Cardio Recommendations
meet your daily step target, for example, walking on the
treadmill for 10 minutes before your resistance training
workout – this is also a great mental warm-up! If you are training three to four times a week and
meeting your NEAT target, you do not need to
The main issue to be aware of with MISS is that your include a formal cardio component in your training
body adapts specifically to the types of training that program.
you perform. The problem this poses is that resistance
training and MISS place opposite and competing Perform a maximum of two cardio workouts (MISS
demands on your body. or HIIT) per week if resistance training three times.
Resistance training conditions your muscles to lift Perform a maximum of one cardio workout (MISS
heavy weights explosively and for short durations, or HIIT) per week if resistance training four times.
whereas MISS conditions your muscles to work at lower There is no limit for LISS cardio as this does not
intensities for longer durations. challenge your body enough to interfere with
recovery or workout performance.
This should not be a problem if you limit the amount
of MISS performed. However, you can avoid the issue Always perform cardio after resistance training if
altogether by using HIIT instead. doing both on the same day. However, the ideal
time to complete cardio workouts is on a non-
The high-intensity nature of HIIT and time spent resistance training day.
working versus resting is very similar to resistance
training, which results in complementary rather than You can find sample formal cardio workouts in
competing adaptations. the companion book, ‘Principles of Muscle
Building Program Design’.
For example, sprinting flat out for 30 seconds and then
resting for 90 seconds is comparable to lifting a heavy
weight for 10 reps and then resting for an equivalent 3 Workouts 4 Workouts
amount of time. Per Week Per Week
Mon Workout 1 Workout 1
Tue Cardio Workout Workout 2
Resistance training conditions Wed Workout 2 Rest Day
your muscles to lift heavy
Thu Rest Day Workout 3
weights explosively and for short
Fri Workout 3 Workout 4
durations, whereas MISS conditions
Sat Cardio Workout Cardio Workout
your muscles to work at lower
Sun
intensities for longer durations. Rest Day Rest Day
28 U.P. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PERSONAL TRAINING
Distilled from our experience as the world’s leading results-producing
trainers, Volume 2 of the U.P. Encyclopaedia of Personal Training,
gives you everything that you need to know to understand and create
your own body transformation meal plans and diets. Aimed at the
beginner right through to the experienced professional personal trainer,
we have included every lesson that we have learned whilst helping
thousands of men and women achieve body composition improvements
that critics claim are too good to be true!
Learn why the proof of the pudding is in the eating,
and experience results like never before.
UK £14.99*
USD $19.99
*Recommended price
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