I recently got this question from someone considering MITxTreme:

“If I cannot afford a 1 Rep Gym, how is it possible for me to stimulate new muscle growth if I don’t belong to a gym or own any strength training equipment?”

There are 5 different types of strength training workouts, depending on what type of equipment you have access to.

Remember: The most new muscle growth is stimulated when you OVERLOAD the muscle and achieve 100% muscle fiber recruitment with the joint angle at 120 degrees.

But not all training methods allow for this 120 degree angle, and some training methods limit how much OVERLOAD you can achieve.

I’ve listed all 5 of these training methods below in order of effectiveness, with the least effective first.

But even the first one on the list is effective at building new muscle, so if that’s the only option available to you, you’ll still get great results:

1) Body Weight Exercises – Since there is no way to increase the LOAD being lifted (your body weight basically stays the same), the ONLY way to progressively overload the muscle is by performing more reps in the same amount of time, or the same number of reps in less time, and calculating your Strength Index from those numbers.

2) Resistance Bands – Since you can increase the LOAD by using a band with a higher resistance the next time, it’s far easier to progressively overload the muscle from one workout to the next.  This is a better option than Body Weight Exercises, but a set of Resistance Bands does cost a few bucks (but not very much).  Your Strength Index value is determined from the resistance band number along with the number of reps performed in however much time it took.

3) HammerStrength/Nautilus Equipment – Because the machine is in a fixed position and it is easier to be consistent in form each time the exercise is executed, along with being able to increase the LOAD by adding more weight, this is an even better solution than Resistance Bands.  However, most people don’t own these types of machines or have access to a gym to use them.

4) Static Contraction Training with Free Weights – Because you can perform the exercises with the joint angle at close to 120 degrees using a Power Rack or Smith Machine, and enough weight can be added so only 1 repetition at maximum LOAD is required, this is the best option for most people that have access to this type of equipment.

5) 1 Rep Gym™ – The advantage of the 1 Rep Gym™ over Static Contraction Training with Free Weights is the precision with which you can measure the LOAD and know with certainty that your next workout has overloaded the muscle.  There is no guesswork zeroing-in on how much weight to lift and you’ll be able to achieve 100% muscle fiber recruitment at maximum LOAD with the joint at the 120 degree angle and finish the exercise in 7-10 seconds.

Even if you’re stuck at home with no equipment at all, you can still get very good results with Body Weight Exercises, as long as you know how to calculate your Strength Index number and exceed it each time you work that muscle group.

The system to achieve the best possible results using any of the above 5 training methods is shown here:

Another great question I got recently was:

“I’m not sure I can do the Cardio workouts in your program since I don’t exercise now.  How do I know I’ll be able to do these workouts?”

As long as you are physically able to exercise, the only question is whether you can safely build up your cardio-vascular endurance to the point where you can do 8 Tabata Protocol intervals at high enough intensity.

No one said Tabata Protocol workouts are easy, so we expect you to start with only 2 (or even 1) interval at first, and gradually build to 8 intervals at your own pace.

But 8 intervals is where all the magic happens.  

Once you can do 8 Tabata intervals at a sufficiently high intensity, your metabolism will be burning fat at the fastest possible rate, even while you sleep.  Then you switch to Dr. Simeons’ fat burning diet for 30 days (or less) and watch the felt melt off daily.

This is why I developed a system to safely build your cardio endurance, starting with just 1 or 2 Tabata Protocol intervals and measuring your Maximum Heart Rate and Recovery Heart Rate to determine when your heart and cardio-vascular system are strong enough to add another interval.

Most people can get from 2 intervals to 8 intervals in just a few short weeks using this system:

Along the same lines, I get asked a lot:

“How can I do Tabata Protocol workouts if I don’t have any cardio equipment?”

Believe it or not, an aerobic step is probably the best way to do Tabata Protocol workouts.  These are plastic steps with risers for adding height.

You can start by stepping up and down at a brisk pace initially, and then work towards being able to jump up and back down with both feet together at a rapid pace. As you progress, you can raise the height with the risers.

We found heart rates were elevated beyond what can be achieved with cardio equipment and it’s more fun, so the workout goes by even faster.

We love aerobic steps for Tabata Protocol workouts and they’re usually under $50 at the local sporting goods store.

Another great question:

“I’m not sure I can eat the foods that Dr. Simeons’ Protocol diet allows.  How do I know I’ll enjoy the food?”

We haven’t come across anyone that doesn’t like ANY of the food options in Dr. Simeons’ Diet Protocol, but vegetarians are definitely going to have a rough time, since the following protein options are the only options for vegetarians:

– Fat-Free Cottage Cheese

– Eggs (4 whites and 1 yolk ratio)

– Pea Protein Powder

This last one is for Vegans that won’t even eat eggs or dairy.   And if that describes you, your protein options are limited to just that one.

We have some recipes for things like ‘asparagus hummus’ using pea protein powder, but for the 30 days of this fat-shredding diet, you’ll be wishing you had more options available.

As for all the meat eaters out there, shrimp, lobster or any white fleshed fish that is low fat (like tilapia, sole, halibut, etc) are OK, as is boneless chicken breast (with all visible fat removed) or very lean beef or bison (94% lean or leaner).

Vegetable options are limited but there’s always a few veges you can find on the list that will work for you.

Everything you need to get started is available on this page here:

All the Best,

Shawn