Try Master Trainer Josh Stolz's 4-week program scientifically designed to remake every muscle.
Trainer Josh Stolz is the secret to the fit physiques of A-list celebrities and power players at Equinox in New York City. But his own body is his ultimate billboard (yes, those are his actual abdominals). Stolz's carefully carved cuts are no accident: they're the result of serious physiological knowledge put into practice (he recently added a Master's Degree from Columbia University in motor learning to his long list of certifications and accolades). We asked him to create an exclusive 4-week plan designed to measurably change the shape of your body.
The Details: Follow the 7-day protocol strictly — there is a method to the madness — then move on to weeks two, three and four. (Be prepared: The moves will get harder each week.)
The Plan:
The Equipment:A kettlebell, ViPR and a stability ball
The Circuit:Click through the slideshow above or download the pdf for this week's moves. Do 8 reps of each exercise and complete the circuit three times, resting for 90 seconds between each circuit.
The Philosophy: The targeted strength training circuit is the core of Stolz’s program. He uses a progression model — building on the moves each week by tweaking them slightly and playing with the sets and reps. "I always hear people saying you need to 'change things up' in order to see results, and that’s true to a certain extent, but there’s much more to it," Stolz says, "The key is changing things up without changing it too much. If I throw something completely different into the mix without your body adjusting to that first movement, it doesn’t do you any good. You have to have some efficiency in order for the movement to take real effect." Another key element: speed of movement. Use slower movements eccentrically — loading toward the body — and faster movements going concentrically — when you push away from your body. "In general, the more time muscles spend under tension, the more muscle fibers you'll activate," he says, "so muscles will grow more quickly, and you'll see better results."
Bring the moves with you.Download pdf instructions.
Done with week one? Move on to week two.