We have finally reached Day 7, which completes 1 out of the 12 weeks of the Explode Program. Day 7 is another cardio day. I recommend doing 20-30 minutes of running, similar to Day 3. You may choose either one the cardio days to do something else other rather than running such as cycling, rowing, elliptical, skipping, swimming or attending a cardio workout class at your gym.

If you’re not desperately catching your breath, you’re not desperately trying hard to lose weight!

Hilary Swank looks outstanding in this photo. True strength.

It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.

It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance.

It is the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give.

And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.

I love watching what Hollywood celebrities wear to the gym. Previously, I wrote ‘5 Gym Styles of The Sexiest Celebrities‘, well I simply can’t get enough so here are 5 more! This reminds me, I need to buy new training shoes… I’ve been using my Asics for 2 years now! What brand would you recommend?

Sophie Monk has a great figure. The 5″6′ Australian actress and singer sure knows how to maintain her figure by doing some cardio! I’ve always been a fan of the fold-over waistband yoga pants. I have 3 at home!

For some reason I’ve always thought Cameron Diaz was petite but apparently she’s 5’9″! I love that white hooded jacket she’s sporting.

Eva Longoria may be petite (she’s 5’2″) but she’s in such a great shape that she’s even modeling for BEBE Sport.

Reese Witherspoon, another petite actress (5’2″) keeps it simple and casual in gray and black.

Spotted: Shakira and Reese Witherspoon (above, right) sporting similar NIKE spandex!

Shakira is another living proof that you don’t have to be built tall and skinny like a model to have a great body. She’s only 5’2″ but any girl would still want a body like hers.

If you’re a regular party go-er in KL, you may have noticed a Johnnie Walker F1 car outside a few of the hottest clubs in town. Will YOU be a part of the Pit Crew Experience this Friday and Saturday at the Sepang tracks? Dawn & I will

Taken outside Mist Club (KL)

Day 6 – Shoulders & Abs

1^st Set: Dumbbell Alternating Front Raise – 4 sets x 8 reps

In a power squat position, grasp one dumbbell between your legs and raise your arm while pushing yourself up. Repeat with other arm.

*Tip: On your way up, keep your focus upwards instead of looking forward.

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2^nd Set: Dumbbell Alternating Front Raise (Without Power Squat) – 3 sets x 8 reps

Grasp dumbbells in both hands. Position dumbbells in front of upper legs with elbows straight or slightly bent.

Raise one dumbbell with elbows fixed in 10° to 30° angle throughout until upper arm above parallel to floor. Continue with alternate arm.

*Tip: Raise should be limited to height achieved just before tightness is felt in shoulder capsule. Alternatively, height just above horizontal may be considered adequate. Elbows may be kept straight or slightly bent throughout movement.

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3^rd Set: Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3 sets x 8 reps

Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows slightly bent. Bend over with hips and knees bent slightly.

Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain elbows’ height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat.

*Tip: Maintain slight bend through elbows (10° to 30° angle) throughout movement. Knees must be slightly bent. At top of movement, elbows (not necessarily dumbbells) should be directly lateral to shoulders since elbows are slightly bent forward.

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4^th Set: Dumbbell Seated Rear Lateral Raise – 3 sets x 8 reps

Sit at edge of bench with feet placed beyond knees. Bend over and rest torso on thighs. Grasp dumbbells with each hand under legs. Position elbows with slight bend with palms facing together behind ankles (as shown) or just to sides of ankles.

Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height. Maintain upper arms perpendicular to torso and fixed elbow position (10° to 30° angle) throughout exercise. Maintain elbows height above wrists by raising “pinkie finger” side up. Lower and repeat.

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5^th Set: Dumbbell Shrug – 3 sets x 8 reps

Stand holding dumbbells to sides. Elevate shoulders as high as possible. Lower and repeat.

*Tip: Make sure you choose a dumbbell that is heavy enough that you can’t do a bicep curl with.

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For abs, do 5-8 sets of resistance exercises, preferably half on a machine and half on a mat, with about a 8-12 rep range per set.

Your abs work like any other muscle in your body and gain strength and mass only when stimulated with heavy resistance.

*Note: Doing 1000 crunches will not burn fat only on your abs – the body does not work that way and you cannot selectively burn fat. Cardio will do that for you, and ab exercises will build your core and have that 6 pack come out slowly.

Examples of some of my favorite abs exercises coming soon. I am working on my a video for it.

Day 4. So we’ve worked on strengthening our upper body mostly and now it’s time to work on your LEGS.

DAY 4 – LEGS

1^st Set: 45 Degree Leg Press – 5 sets x 8 reps

Sit on machine with back on padded support. Place feet on platform. Extend hips and knees. Release dock lever and grasp handles to sides.

Lower platform by flexing hips and knees until hips are completely flexed. Return by extending knees and hips. Repeat.

*Tip: Make sure your legs are at a 45 degree angle at the starting point. Do not allow heels to raise off of platform, pushing with both heel and forefoot. DO NOT lock your knees.

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2^nd Set: Seated hamstring curls – 3 sets x 8 reps

Sit on apparatus with back against padded back support. Push hand lever to lower leg pads. Place legs in between pads. Release hand lever gradually. Grasp handles to sides with each hand.

Pull lever to back of thighs by flexing knees. Return lever until knees are straight. Repeat.

*Tip: Avoid rushing on this set. Take your time to do each rep to fully benefit from it.

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3^rd Set: Dumbbell Lunge – 3 sets x 8 reps

Stand with dumbbells grasped to sides.

Lunge forward with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot. Lower body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by forcibly extending hip and knee of forward leg. Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite leg.

*Tip: Keep your upper body upright during the lunge and avoid leaning forward. Remember to maintain your form throughout every rep.

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4^th Set: Hip Abduction – 3 sets x 8 reps

Sit in machine with legs outside of vertical center pads. If available, place heels on foot bars. Disengage and pull lever brace to position legs apart until slight stretch is felt. Engage lever into locked position. Lie back and grasp bars to sides.

Move legs together. Return and repeat.

*Tip: Want a sexy booty? This ought to be your favorite machine.

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5^th Set: Standing Calf Raise – AS MANY AS YOU CAN DO

Position toes and balls of feet on calf block with arches and heels extending off. Place hand on support for balance.

Raise heels by extending ankles as high as possible. Lower heels by bending ankles until calves are stretched. Repeat.

*Tip: Keep knees straight throughout exercise or bend knees slightly only during stretch.

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I had just worked on my legs yesterday and I’m definitely feeling the soreness, especially on my calves. Yup, I can safely say that I had a great workout and it was well worth my time.

Day 5 is your rest day, finally. Give yourself a break and always eat consciously.

Day 6, on tomorrow’s post.

On Day 3, it’s time to give your muscles a little break and do cardio to burn off some fats. The best and most effective cardio workout is running. Not jogging, not walking at a fast pace. Running.

Run for 25 minutes, either outdoors or on the treadmill (speed should be between 7.5 or higher). Keep your heart rate up, try breathing deeply as you go and try not to slow down!

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*Personal note: On my cardio day, sometimes I like to switch it up a bit by using the treadmill for 15 minutes, cycle for 10 minutes and row for another 10 minutes.

Shoot for NIKON in Singapore

Paintballing in KL(Day 1 on the left and Day 2 on the right) Basically, the bruise got bigger. Pain was minimal though, I swear!

It’s always nice to meet people outside of clubs and actually doing some sort of activity together. My friend from KL invited me to a game of paintball with 8 of his friends and we all got a huge kick out of shooting each other with paintball guns. It may sound like child’s play to some but the size of my bruise in the picture above should prove it to be a pretty ‘hardcore’ sport.

Before the game: Looking kinda excited

After: After the adrenaline rush had kicked in

If you’re interested to try paintballing, here’s the direction to the place I went to.

Go kick some ass!

How are you feeling after Day 1? Your muscles should start to feel a little sore and achy. That’s a good feeling. That’s the kind of feeling you want to get a day after a workout. That’s when you can say you had a good workout.

Day 2. Today, we are going to work on another muscle group – back and biceps. Strengthening your back and having a good posture helps a lot in achieving sexy abs. Have you ever seen a hunchback with abs? Exactly. Now, before you start, remember to warm-up by running for at least 10 minutes on the treadmill. Let’s begin.

DAY 2 – BACK / BICEPS

1^st Set: Deadlifts – 5 sets x 8 reps

With feet flat beneath bar, squat down and grasp bar with shoulder width or slightly wider over hand or mixed grip. Use an alternate grip (knuckles facing forward for one hand and thumb facing out for the other) if you can’t get a firm hold. The bar should begin from a position nearly touching your shins. Keep your hips down and get a firm, shoulder-width grip.

Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if rounded. Return and repeat.

*Tip: Avoid locking your knees. Make sure your feet is flat on the ground and use the strength of your legs to push yourself up. Don’t round your back, and keep your head in a neautral position with your eyes focused at a spot on the ground 3m in front of you.

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2^nd Set: Cable Pulldown – 5 sets x 8 reps

Grasp cable bar with wide grip. Sit with thighs under supports.

Pull down cable bar to upper chest. Return until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.

*Tip: Remember to keep your back straight and keep your body in position. Try not to lean back as your pull the cable bar. Pull your elbows towards your back as far as possible and SLOWLY return the starting position. Most people make the mistake of going back to the starting position too fast and this makes the workout less effective. Range of motion will also be compromised if grip is too wide.

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3^rd Set: Seated Rows (alternating) 3 sets x 8 reps

Sit on seat and position chest against pad. Grasp lever handles with underhand grip.

Pull one lever back until elbow is behind back and shoulder is pulled back. Return until arm is extended and shoulder is stretched forward. Repeat with opposite arm alternating between sides.

*Tip: When choosing weights, make sure that you go with one that is not too light (that you can easily do more than 10 reps) or too heavy (that you can barely do 5).

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4^th Set: Weighted back extensions 3 sets x 8 reps

Position thighs prone on large pad and lower leg under padded brace. Hold weight to chest or behind neck.

Lower body by bending waist until fully flexed. Raise, or extend waist until torso is parallel to legs. Repeat.

*Tip: Adjust lower leg brace so pressure is evenly distributed on thigh pad. Another way to do this is by using a weight and holding it close to your chest.

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5^th Set: Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets x 8 reps

Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing in, arms straight.

With elbows to sides, raise one dumbbell and rotate forearm until forearm is vertical and palm faces shoulder. Lower to original position and repeat with opposite arm. Continue to alternate between sides.

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DAY 3, coming up on tomorrow’s next post.

Music that keeps me pumped and focused when I’m doing my cardio (running, elliptical, cycling or rowing) and strength training workouts.

A mix of rock/alternative, hiphop, techno and trance.

For Cardio

1. All My Life – Foo Fighters
2. Rockafella Skank – Fat Boy Slim
3. Hot Ride – Prodigy
4. Hot – Inna
5. Fire Burning On The Dancefloor – Sean Kingston
6. Girls On The Dancefloor – Far * East Movement
7. A Cause Des Garcons (Tepr Remix Tecktonik) – Yelle
8. Riverside Let’s Go (Kurd Maverick Mix) – Sidney Samson (featuring Wizard Sleeve)
9. Falling Down (Kid Kaio Remix) – Space Cowboy (featuring Chelsea Korka)
10. 10. When Love Takes Over – David Guetta (featuring Kelly Rowland)

For Strength Training

1. Praise You – Fat Boy Slim
2. Freak – Silverchair
3. Just A Girl – No Doubt
4. Take California – Propellerheads
5. Motivation – Quietdrive
6. Spark It Up – Caroline D’Amore
7. On To The Next One – Jay Z
8. Believe – The Bravery
9. I Think I’m Paranoid – Garbage
10. 10.  Silver & Gold – Sway (featuring Akon)