Ingredients:
Water – 1/2 cup
Protein – 100% Whey – 1 scoop
Banana – 1/2 medium
Strawberries – 1/2 cup
Blueberries – 1/2 cup
Mango – 1/2 cup
Spinach – 1/2 cup chopped
Nutrient Breakdown:
Carbs – 55 grams
Fats – 3 grams
Protein – 27 grams
Fiber – 9 grams
Total Calories – 325
This week I want you to alternate sets between Exercise 1 & 2, then 3 & 4, and then 5 & 6. Rather than doing the exercises superset style however, rest between every set. Note that when alternating between Exercises 3 & 4 you’ll finish your fourth set on Exercise 3 last, before moving on to exercises 5 & 6.
Exercise – Sets/Reps
1. Barbell Push Press – 2/11
Just like a Barbell Shoulder Press except before lifting the weights overhead, you’ll dip your knees slightly and use your legs and momentum to life the weights overhead. Return the weight to your starting position, reset yourself, and then continue with the next rep (do not dip your knees as you are lowering the weights back to your shoulders from overhead, wait until you start the next repetition).
2. Barbell Front Squat (with alternative bar hold) – 2/11
Unlike a traditional Barbell Front Squat, you’ll hold the barbell the same way as you would doing a Barbell Shoulder Press; this will prepare you for this week’s Exercise #4.
3. Pullover & Press – 4/7
Like last week, alternate repetitions between a Pullover and a Chest Press (do 7 reps each movement). Focus on form and range of motion first, not weight or intensity.
4. Push Press + Dumbbell Squat – 3/7
This time combine the push Press and Dumbbell Squat by alternating repetitions between the 2 movements (do 7 reps each movement). You’ll need to select a weight you can handle on both the Barbell Push Press and Barbell Front Squat.
5. 45 Degree Back Extension – 3/11
The lower the pad, the more hamstring involvement; the higher the pad the more low back involvement. Go slow and practice form, and DO NOT hyperextend! Raise your torso so that at the top position your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles form a straight line.
6. Select three different Abdominal exercises of your choice – 3/17 (1 set per exercise).
For ideas read “SEVEN MINUTE ABS!” as posted HERE.
Time to Complete: 47 minutes or less, including Dynamic Warm Up and Static Cool Down.
Suggested Rest Between Sets: 47 – 74 seconds. Why the odd number? So you rest with purpose!
FORMS TO USE:
The quickest way to a strong, tone torso and stomach since some tried it in 8 minutes.
1. Jonny Rocker’s – Sitting on the floor, legs straight out in front of you and your torso perpendicular to the floor and legs. Holding a medicine ball close to your body and in front of you (right against your belly button), rotate torso to the right, extend arms out as far as comfortable; then reverse movement and back to starting position. Repeat to the left side to complete one full repetition.
2. Ball Crunch – Complete a regular crunch on a stability ball. Don’t let the ball move, keep your heels directly below your knees and your lower back should stay on the ball throughout the entire movement. This is not a Sit Up!
3. Reverse Crunch – Lying on your back with hips and knees at 90 degrees. Without kicking or changing the angle of your knee joint, bring your hips toward your shoulders and butt off the ground, then back to starting position. Keep back flat on the floor at the start/end of the movement.
4. Dumbbell Side Bends – holding a single dumbbell at your side, opposite arm straight at other side. Lower the dumbbell down your side towards your knee (without bending forward) and then reverse direction as you reach to the opposite knee with the free hand. Complete all repetitions on one side; then repeat holding the dumbbell in the opposite hand. NOTE: if you’re doing this exercise holding a dumbbell in each hand you’re C-H-E-A-T-I-N-G!
5. Toe Touches – Lying on your back, feet up, legs mostly straight but knees slightly unlocked, holding a medicine ball with both hands. Without dropping your legs, bring the medicine ball as close to your toes as possible, then return back to starting position.
6. Bosu Plank. Just like a traditional plank exercise, except you place your feet on a Bosu for an extra challenge. During a plank exercise, your body stays in a static, non-moving position; your forearms are on the floor, upper arms perpendicular to your torso and your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles all form one straight line. Also, keep your head in a neutral position!
7. Russian Twist – Position yourself so that you start halfway between the start and end position for a traditional Sit Up, arms outstretched perpendicular to your torso holding a medicine ball. Rotate to the right as far as comfortable and back to starting position; then repeat to the left side and back again for one full repetition.
NOTE: The following is a dangerous activity – do so at your own risk!
Items needed: hammer, big rock, bat, axe, sledge hammer, or shovel; safety glasses, leather gloves and protective clothing; your body weight scale; and a park or backyard.
Directions: gather all items necessary to complete the assignment and take them to the park or your backyard. Place the scale on the ground and say “It’s not about my weight!” before pulverizing the scale Office Space style (YouTube “office space printer scene” for clarification if needed). Use the smashing tool of your choice.
Whether you complete this assignment or not, remember that the scale is an instrument, but it is not instrumental in your success. YOU are instrumental in your success; it’s not about what the scale tells you, but what you tell yourself that matters most. It’s not about the weight or ages or numbers… it’s about you – your daily attitude, the thoughts you have, and the actions you make about physical activity.
Enjoy!
In order to complete a 5K in 30 minutes you need to run at an average of 6.2 miles per hour. You can simply run a constant, steady state pace of 6.2 mph or vary your speed during the workout.
While there are an infinite number of ways to vary your speed and still complete a 5K in 30 minutes, here’s one of my favorites:
5 minutes @ 4.7 mph
5 minutes @ 7.4 mph
4 minutes @ 4.9 mph
4 minutes @ 7.6 mph
3 minutes @ 5.1 mph
3 minutes @ 7.8 mph
2 minutes @ 5.3 mph
2 minutes @ 8.0 mph
1 minute @ 5.5 mph
1 minute @ 8.2 mph
You should finish your 5K in about 29:45, depending on how fast or slow your treadmill responds to changes in speed. As you get better at this, you can either increase the overall speed for each segment by .1 mph, or ANY segment by .1 to gradually improve your time. Alternatively, keep the speeds the same and increase your incline by .5-1% when you are ready for a greater intensity.
If you have or create your own version of a 30 minute 5K, feel free to comment for others to use as well. Enjoy your workout!
This weeks first exercise, the Pullover & Press, works the back with the Pullover and the Chest with the Press. For legs, even though I’ve removed the Barbell Squat this week, it’ll be tough with two different kinds of Lunge Exercises. Enjoy!
Exercise – Sets/Reps
1. Pullover & Press – 4/7
Alternate repetitions between a Pullover and a Chest Press (do 7 reps each movement). Focus on form and range of motion first, not weight or intensity.
2. Forward Lunge – 4/7 each leg
Lunge Forward, then back to starting position. Alternate legs every other repetition.
3. Reverse Lunge – 4/7 each leg
Lunge Backward, then back up to starting position. Alternate Legs every other repetition.
4. Dumbbell Hammer Curl (one legged) – 2 / 11
Stand on one leg for first set, then switch legs on the second set.
5. Standard Floor Plank – 3/ 30-60 seconds per set.
Focus on drawing in your abdominal muscles and keep head in a neutral position. Also, be sure not to hold your breath!
FORMS TO USE:
A person who walks an extra 3 flights of stairs every day starting when they are age 25 burns the equivalent of over 40 pounds of body fat by the time they are age 65.
Here’s the math:
3 flights of stairs = 10 calories burned (average person). This is also about 3/10 a mile for the average person. Note: Factors vary based on body weight and speed of movement.
So, the average person would burn an extra 10 calories every day, 365 days per year which is a total of 3650 extra calories per year; 146,000 extra calories over a course of 40 years.
There are 3500 calories in one pound of body fat. 146,000 calories / 3500 calories per 1 pound of body fat = 41.70 pounds of fat!
What can you do to burn an extra 10 calories every day?
This week let’s look at some alternate movement patterns and exercises for some common, popular and (too often) over used free weight exercises.
Exercise – Sets/Reps
Instead of this: Barbell Bench Press – do this:
1. Uneven Dumbbell Bench Press – 4/11
Make the press a more functional movement, press 5-10 lbs heavier on one side; then switch sides every other set.
Instead of this: Frontal Deltoid Raise – do this:
2. Reverse Deltoid Raise – 3/11
The Frontal Deltoid Raise, in my opinion, is A WASTE OF TIME! Your front Deltoids are worked in a great majority of all pressing movements, not to mention in every day life so they are commonly overdeveloped. Completing the Reverse Deltoid Raise instead helps develop underdeveloped muscles and balance out the shoulder to improve posture, reduce shoulder pain and make us look more fit.
Instead of this: Free Weight Preacher Curl – do this:
3. Machine Preacher Curl – 3/11
Why? Usually free weights are better for overall development whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete or a weekend warrior. Unfortunately most Free Weight Preacher Curl benches are designed so they only provide resistance until your arms are at 90 degrees (about 50% of the movement), at that point the bar is moving horizontally rather than vertically (against gravity). A Machine Preacher Curl provides resistance through a fuller range of motion because the resistance is coming from a weight stack that moves vertically during 100% of the movement.
Instead of this: Traditional Sit Up – do this:
4. Half Sit Up – 4/17
Hip Flexors dominate the top 1/3 to 1/2 of the Traditional Sit Up, isolate and help keep the abdominal muscles under longer constant tension with the Half Sit Up.
Instead of this: Barbell Squat – do this:
5. Just Kidding… Barbell Squat – 3/17
Can you Squat 1 1/2 – 2 times your Barbell Bench Press yet?
FORMS TO USE:
Last Workout of the Week this year! Enjoy and thanks for following.
Exercise – Sets/Reps
1. Seated Row – 4/7
Palms face each other, keep torso straight and perpendicular to the floor, and don’t use your low back!
2. Dumbbell Overhead Press (one-handed, one-legged) – 4/7
Stand on opposite leg from working/movement arm.
3. Barbell Squat – 5/7
Ahh… because you’re not only realizing the benefits but you’re even starting to like Squats :)
4. Standing Side Bends (hold one dumbbell at your side) – 2/17 (per side)
Use only one dumbbell, otherwise you’re cheating! Then switch sides.
5. Pushups! – 2/ max in one minute
Try a new, more difficult progression from last week! See HERE for suggestions.
FORMS TO USE:
Anyone can do a pushup! Try this progression:
1. Hands on wall
2. Hands on counter top
3. Hands on desk*
4. Hands on bench*
5. Hands on floor, knees on floor
6. Standard (military style) pushup
7. Standard pushup, feet on bench
8. Standard pushup, feet on stability ball
* For some, hands on desk or bench may be a harder progression than hands on floor, knees on floor; depending on 1) the strength of your supporting muscles such as the low back and other core muscles developed doing a pushup and 2) on body weight.
