The 2018 New Year, New You Training Plan

JDP Fitness manager Matt gives you his ultimate new year new you training plan.

The catalyst for many changes is often the coming of a new year and a little thing called New Year’s resolutions — that widely held tradition in which millions of people take stock of their lives and resolve to make changes. Thus, how you look year in and year out could be a direct result of either sticking to a resolution, or starting with great intentions but soon veering completely off course.

This year can be different, because now you have the ultimate JDP Fitness plan to help you get stronger, leaner and more muscular. We’ve got the plan—now you just have to put in the work.

YOUR NEXT THREE MONTHS

The first four weeks are all about one thing: strength. That means you’ll concentrate on low reps and heavy weights. In fact, all sets you do during this month will be for 3–6 reps, with up to three minutes of rest in between.

As you increase the resistance you use each week, your reps will drop. For instance, Week 1 starts out at six reps per set, then drops to five the second week, four the third week and three the final week. You’ll also do weighted ab work every training day to keep your core strong for the challenges to come. A final note you may like: no cardio. We save that for the leaning-out portion.

Next up, Month 2. After building a strong base from which to work, you’ll focus on size. We ramp up the rep count to 8–12 per set and boost the intensity by introducing drop sets into each workout.

After two months, you’ll be stronger and you should have added some size. The next step to transforming your physique is to lean out. Because you’ve used low- and mid-range reps up to this point, we crank them up pretty high, up to 25 per set. You also get very little rest between sets, which keeps your heart rate up throughout the workout and burns more calories. In addition, doing cardio each training day helps rid your body of excess fat.

In just three months of this progressive and all-encompassing plan, you’ll notice that it’s almost spring. That’s a good thing, because with your new body to show off, the warmer days will come in handy.

MONTH 1: STRENGTH IN FOCUS

The first four weeks are all about one thing: strength. That means you’ll concentrate on low reps and heavy weights. In fact, all sets you do during this month will be for 3–6 reps (except for abs) with up to three minutes of rest in between.

Month 1 Overview

• SETS: 5
• REPS:
  • Week 1 = 6
  • Week 2 = 5
  • Week 3 = 4
  • Week 4 = 3
  • For ab exercise (decline sit-up & hanging leg raise), perform 10 reps; For calf raises, perform 20 reps
• REST: 2-3 min between sets

Legs and Abs

Exercise 1 Squat

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 2 Leg Press

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 3 Leg Extension

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 4 Romanian Deadlift

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 5 Leg Curl

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 6 Weighted Decline Situp

5 sets

10 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 7 Standing Calf Raise

5 sets

20 reps

2-3 min rest

Chest, Shoulders, Traps, Abs

Exercise 1 Bench Press

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 2 Incline Bench Press

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 3

Dumbbell Flye

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 4

Overhead Press

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 5 Upright Row

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 6 Lateral Raise

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 7 Shrug

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 8 Weighted Hanging Leg Raise

5 sets

10 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 9 Seated Calf Raise

5 sets

20 reps

2-3 min rest

Back, Abs, Calves

Exercise 1 Deadlift

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 2 Bent-over Row

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 3 T-bar Row

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 4 Rack Pull

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 5 Lat Pulldown

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 6 Weighted Decline Situp

5 sets

10 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 7 Standing Calf Raise

5 sets

20 reps

2-3 min rest

Arms, Abs, Calves

Exercise 1 Barbell Curl

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 2 Hammer Curl

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 3 Lying Triceps Extension

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 4 Seated Overhead Extension

5 sets

6 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 5 Weighted Hanging Leg Raise

5 sets

10 reps

2-3 min rest

Exercise 6 Seated Calf Raise

5 sets

20 reps

2-3 min rest

MONTH 2: PACK ON THE MASS

After building a strong base from which to work, you’ll focus on size. We ramp up the rep count to 8–12 per set and boost the intensity by introducing drop sets into each workout. After two months, you’ll be stronger and you should have added some size.

Month 2 Overview

• SETS: 5
  • DROP SETS: On your last two sets of each exercise, upon initial failure, drop the weight 20%–30% and continue doing reps until you reach failure again
• REPS:
  • Week 1 = 8
  • Week 2 = 9
  • Week 3 = 10
  • Week 4 = 12
  • For ab exercise (decline sit-up & hanging leg raise), perform 10 reps; For calf raises, perform 20 reps
• REST: 1-2 min between sets

MONTH 3: LEAN OUT

The next and last step to transforming your physique is to lean out. Because you’ve used low- and mid-range reps up to this point, we crank them up pretty high, up to 25 per set. You also get very little rest between sets, which keeps your heart rate up throughout the workout and burns more calories. In addition, doing cardio each training day helps rid your body of excess fat.

Month 3 Overview

• SETS: 4
• REPS:
  • Week 1 = 12
  • Week 2 = 15
  • Week 3 = 20
  • Week 4 = 25
  • For ab exercise (decline sit-up & hanging leg raise), perform 10 reps; For calf raises, perform 20 reps
• REST: 30-60 sec between sets

NOTE: During Month 3, you’ll be doing cardio on every training day. If desired, add another 1–3 days of cardio each week on your days off from the gym.

New Year, New You: Nutrition Plan

While training is critical to improving your physique, you won’t get there without a proper meal plan.

General Rules for All Three Months

1. Eat smaller meals every 2–3 hours, rather than a few huge meals, each day. More frequent eating will give you the nutrients you need to grow while helping to keep your metabolism revved for burning fat. Including pre- and post-workout meals and other snacks, you should hit about eight meals a day.

2. Stick with shakes for your pre- and post-workout meals. You need very fast-digesting protein to encourage muscle growth at this time, and whole foods are too slow to offer much benefit. Thirty minutes before workouts, drink a 20-gram protein shake that includes 20–40 grams of slow-digesting carbs. Within 30 minutes after your workouts, down a 40-gram protein shake with 40–100 grams of fast-digesting carbs.

3. Water is a critical component of your diet. It keeps your metabolism humming and helps you maintain muscle fullness. Guzzle about 1 gallon of water per day.