Strength Training Article Archive

Total Body Conditioning: Burn Fat, Build Muscle and Get Lean with this New iTraining Concept!

Ever heard the saying big things come in small packages? As over-used as that phrase may be, it quite aptly fits today’s workout routine.

Now, before I get into it, I want to give you a quite caveat. I often tell you guys to put the 5-pound dumbbells down and lift some real weights. I say that because far too often, I see (primarily) women lifting these little dumbbells hoping to make muscular progress. They think heavy weights = getting big and bulky. While that’s not really accurate, it’s another story for another day. It’s totally fine to use light dumbbells and higher repetitions if that isn’t the ONLY thing you are doing. Mixing and matching the types of weights you use is the best way to make constant progress. Not only that, this workout routine utilizes an awesome concept for the “iTraining” crowd as you’ll see below….

Pacer Training..The Best Way to Achieve Your Goals

This 30-minute fitness class utilizes our concept of “Pacer Training”. What is pacer training you may be wondering? Unlike other fitness plans and videos which simply demo a few movements then send you off on your own to complete them, pacer training has a real-life personal trainer leading you through the entire class…just like a group fitness class you’d find in an actual gym. By delivering our workouts in this manner, we are able to dictate the speed, intensity, and rest times effectively. Additionally, we are able to push you harder to burn more calories, fatigue your muscles greater, and leave you in better overall shape than if you were doing the same routine on your own. All you have to do is mirror the trainer on your screen and keep “pace”. Want more fitness classes utilizing our Pacer Training concept? We’ve got hundreds more to choose from on our full site, www.shareitfitness.com.

What do I Need?

This video workout routine uses extremely light weight. I mean EXTREMELY. You think it’s going to be easy though I bet, huh? Guess again. Opt for a set of dumbbells between 2-5 lbs if you want to make it all the way through. You’ll be doing tons of iso repetitions, pulses, and a little cardio to bump your heart rate. Believe me, you’ve never seen a class like this. And the soreness you’ll feel after…don’t even get me started.

Why It Works

Since 99% of you have never trained in this manner, your body is going to be completely surprised by the hell you’re about to put it through. You’re pushing your muscles to extreme fatigue over the course of this class so be prepared to feel some real soreness in the following days. By breaking your muscles down in this unique way, you cause them to grow back even stronger. Doing iso exercises really helps us focus in on specific muscles, i.e. biceps, triceps, shoulders, etc so you can expect to develop a nice firm, toned appearance from this type of training. And again, by keeping pace with your trainer Casey, you’ll be ensured a sweat-inducing, heart-pounding workout that delivers results.

How Often Should I Do It?

Since this class is intense, I’d recommend no more than 2 (possibly 3) days a week. If you’re already on another one of our workout routines simply substitute this class for a strength training day. As I always say, mixing and matching workouts from various plans is a great way to make sustained progress; never let your body adapt.

Share It Fitness expert trainer, Casey Kirch.

The Iso Strength Workout

Click HERE to start this workout NOW

Like This Workout Routine? Want More?

If you want hundreds of other group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts, available OnDemand 24/7, at the touch of a button, sign up for our premium site, ShareItFitness.com. We’re giving away free premium memberships for a little while longer, so don’t wait! In addition to our OnDemand library we feature tons of great recipes, workout plans, live health and fitness professionals ready to assist you, and an interactive social network of other like-minded people. Simply put, Share It Fitness is the greatest internet training tool available. Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today…let us help you reach all of your goals NOW!

The Top 10 Ways to Make Your Friends Hate You…And Your Six-Pack.

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Matt Posted in Strength Training, Training 1 Comment

They won’t admit it; they never do. The next time you strip down into that bikini or swim suit in front of a bunch of girlfriends (I’d say friends, but we all know this article is mostly for the women out there) you haven’t seen in a while, and you’ve got that perfectly flat, toned, and tight stomach, take a look at their faces. They do their best to hide it but they can’t. They’re soft, flabby, and looking rather……old. You on the otherhand…well you’re tight, toned, athletic, youthful, and amazing.

Don’t feel bad about it. You earned it. You didn’t go to some doctor to have a couple of double D’s installed. You didn’t happen to fall into this tight and toned body. You worked for it. You did what you had to, you made sacrifices, and you now get to reap the rewards for all that hard work.

The envy over your sizzling midsection is to be expected after all. Who doesn’t want a flat and tight stomach? Well, achieving this really isn’t as hard or as far off as you may think. After years of helping men and women of all shapes and sizes, I’ve uncovered some serious tips that will help put you on a path to success.

1. Your Abs are Made in the Kitchen. At LEAST 60% of the way you look is the result of your diet. It’s time to make a decision. Would you rather have ice cream after dinner tonight or a six-pack by the end of the summer? Start eating your way to a six-pack. Opt for complex carbs, avoid sugar, consume ample protein, and avoid bad fats.

2. Tons of Crunches Won’t Get It Done. For the love of God…there is no such thing as spot toning, AND, doing crunches won’t burn fat. You need a calculated approach that will strip your entire body of fat. An ab routine that burns fat and builds your core is ideal. Look for something that incorporates intense cardio and complex abdominal exercises. I’ve seen this work infinite times over for people much worse off than you, trust me on that one.

3. Understand what Toned Means. People always write in asking how to get “toned”. “Toned” simply means you have less body fat, thereby making your muscles look more pronounced, defined, or toned. Want to look toned? Start doing HIIT cardio. HIIT cardio has been shown by study after study to help you burn calories, boost your metabolism, and build a lean and athletic physique. Burn the layer of fat covering your abdominal muscles and a six-pack will slowly start forming.

4. Stop Expecting Change Overnight. When you expect instant change (and you don’t get it), you are setting yourself up for disappointment and burn out. Tell yourself this is a slow, but gradual process. Depending on your current physique, noticeable change in your midsection can be seen in 4-10 weeks. If it’s taking more than that and your diet is on point, up your cardio sessions each week.

5. Lift Weights. And no, I’m not talking about 5 lb dumbbell curls. When you perform heavy compound exercises, you recruit more muscles fibers during your workout. When you recruit more muscle fibers you build more muscle. When you build more muscle your metabolism elevates. When your metabolism is elevated you burn more calories throughout the day. When you burn more calories throughout the day you lose more body fat. Simple.

6. Meet Ab Wheel, He’s Your New Best Friend. Seriously, spend the 8 dollars and get an ab wheel. I’ve seen clients on all kinds of routines over the years. The ones that did 15-20 minutes of ab wheeling on their own at home a couple of times a week looked SO much better in the long run than those who didn’t. It effectively hits your core muscles from a variety of angles and keeps almost constant fatigue on them throughout. Simply one of the best core exercises out there. Get one and get it now.

7. Fiber Flattens. Consuming ample amounts of fiber have been shown to especially help abdominal fat stores. Some studies have shown that consuming 10 or more grams of fiber daily, your midsection will carry nearly 4% less fat. Beans, broccoli, lentils, and apples provide loads of fiber to help you get your daily dose!

8. Mix and Match. Forget the guy who says he does 1,000 crunches a day and has abs like a washboard. While it may work for him, that is certainly not the norm. Make sure you mix and match the types of exercises you do each day. Utilizing Body Diversity Training methods is a great way to make continued and steady progress. This approach will burn fat, build muscle, and deliver a tight and toned body. Not to mention, you’ll avoid running into that damn plateau phase everyone else eventually hits.

9. Jump In Head First. If you have access, regular swimming has been shown to be more effective than any other type of cardio on helping you build a lean and tight core. Swimming recruits more core muscle fibers, as well as provides a total body cardio experience which helps burn massive amounts of calories. Unlike running and other high-impact activities, it is easy on joints making it something you can easily do as you age.

10. Surround Yourself With Positive Influences. I’m not saying drop those jealous friends, but make room in your life for people who are where you want to be. Strike up a friendship at your gym, talk to someone in yoga class, go out of your way to surround yourself with people who are physically fit. Studies show people will often emulate those around them. If you’re hanging with a bunch of couch potatoes who consider not ordering dessert when they go out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory an example of healthy living, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

Building a beautiful core you can be proud of isn’t hard to do. Does it take work, determination, and a little sacrifice? Of course. But there isn’t some secret formula to get there. The 10 tips laid out above WILL get you the stomach you’ve always wanted. Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today. Get started now and your friends will be green with envy in no time.

What has been the biggest obstacle for you in your quest for six-pack abs? Have you tried doing any of the above but are still running into issues? Let us hear about them and well be happy to help you overcome them.

Want to Really Transform Your Body Once and For All?

Come on over to our full site www.ShareItFitness.com and sign up to start burning fat and living healthier today! We’ve got hundreds of OnDemand group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts ready to be streamed to any smartphone, tablet, computer, or wifi-television. Even better, we’re still giving away free premium memberships for a little while longer, so jump on the bandwagon while it’s still free! Connect with hundreds of other people on our workout plans, contact live health/fitness professionals ready to answer your questions, and see why Share It Fitness is the most interactive and effective fitness experience on the web!

Complex Workouts: The BEST Way To Develop a Lean, Healthy, and Athletic Body

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Featured, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 14 Comments

Anyone ever get tired of endless cardio sessions? Have you tried HIIT, but want something equally as explosive and beneficial to add to your routine? Keep reading, because there’s something out there that is just starting to gain traction in mainstream fitness circles and will change the way you workout forever. That something, is complex workouts.

What are Complex Workouts and Why Should I Do Them?

Complex workouts are a form of weight training that are intense enough to replace traditional cardio sessions. Just like your body adapts to weight training, it will also adapt to repetitive cardiovascular activity as well. Using complexes in conjunction with a HIIT routine and general strength plan will help you break through this adaptation. Additionally, complex workouts are going to hit your muscles in a very intense way, helping you build lean muscle mass and break through any strength plateaus you may have hit. Been doing the same old thing for months on end? Start doing complex workouts now and you’ll wonder why you waited so long in the first place.

You know those really fit people you see at the gym, or on the street; the ones that look like they were blessed with a perfect body. Do complex workouts and you’ll start looking more and more like them; no joke, exaggeration, or over blown hype whatsoever. Complex workouts are THAT effective. Look at complex workouts as a cardio training but with weights. You’re getting the best of both worlds, minimizing your time spent working out, and hitting your body harder than almost anyone else in the gym.

How Do I Do Complex Workouts?

Contrary to their name, complex workouts aren’t all that complex. Even better, you’ll use one piece of equipment the entire time, making this something you can even do at home. Whether you’re using a barbell, dumbbell, medicine ball, etc, you’ll be keeping the weight the same for the entire complex. You move from one exercise to the next, with no rest between. A typical complex consists of 4-6 exercises, 6-10 reps per exercise. That said, there are times you will go above and beyond the 6-10 rep range, as I’ll explain below.

All Complex Workouts are Not Created Equal

In theory, it may seem like you can string together any 4-6 exercises and call it a complex. Technically, you can, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be anything more than a giant waste of your time. The best complexes have been carefully tested and refined to produce the best results. Some key points I’ve uncovered in my experience with complexes:

Exercises like the deadlift, power cleans, high pulls, etc. require a lot of technical ability. Exercises like this should come earlier in the complex. You really don’t want to lose your form on a power clean, so make sure not to do them when you’re already exhausted.
Avoid using a weight that is heavier than what you can handle on 8-10 reps of your weakest exercise. For instance, if the most you can handle is 50 pounds for 10 reps of an upright row (if this is your weakest exercise in the complex) then 50 lbs would be what you would use for the entire sequence.
Along the point above, you will naturally be stronger on certain exercises. You can no doubt squat more than you can upright row. Since you’re using the same weight throughout, feel free to add some additional reps to your squat.
Utilize active rest. Exercises need to be set in a way that allows opposing muscle groups to rest. Using a push/pull format is generally a good idea. For instance, performing bent over rows is a pulling exercise. Following that up with an overhead barbell press would be a pushing exercise. This would allow your back and bicep muscles to rest while working your shoulder and neck muscles.

Using expertly crafted complexes will make the difference between burning a few calories and making a permanent change in the physique of your body. Remember, the order, prescribed reps, and selection of exercises are what makes complexes so effective.

Using Complex Workouts

As I mentioned above, complex workouts utilize one piece of equipment. I’ve given you two complexes below; one uses a barbell, the other a set of dumbbells. Remember, you’re doing these primarily as a way to get your cardiovascular exercise, with the added benefit of hitting your muscles at the same time. Keep the intensity high, do your best to limit rests between exercises, and focus on your breathing throughout.

Barbell Complex Workout

Barbell Squat
Clean and Press
Bent Over Barbell Row
Reverse Barbell Lunges (alternate legs each rep)
Overhead Barbell Press
Barbell Squat Jumps

Key Points: Repeat this entire complex 5-7 more times, with 1 minute rest after the end of each complex. Overhead barbell press will likely be your weakest exercise, so aim to use a weight for the entire complex that you would typically use to perform 10 reps of the overhead barbell press

Dumbbell Complex Workout

Bent-Legged Deadlift
Snatch
Squat Press
Plank Rows
Push Ups
Curl Press

Key Points: Repeat this complex 5-7 times, with 1 minute rest at the end of each complex.

For video demos of all exercises, head over to ShareItFitness.com

The Incredible, Versatile, and Amazing Complex

The beauty of complexes lie in the fact that they are so versatile. Plyometric complexes, BOSU complexes, medicine ball complexes are examples of workouts which make great complexes that will leave you begging for mercy. You can even change-up the rep ranges by introducing pyramid schemes (adding reps to each additional exercise in the complex), reverse pyramid schemes (subtracting reps to each additional exercise in the complex), or timed schemes (lifting for time, not reps). With complex workouts there are so many ways to keep things varied, interesting, and best of all, effective.

Complex workouts will have you burning tons of calories during the workout, spike your EPOC better than just about anything else, improve endurance, improve lean muscle mass, and have you looking wonderfully toned, athletic, and fit. Even better, you can get in and out of the gym in less than 45 minutes knowing you hit your body MUCH harder than those slackers chugging along on the elliptical or the bros taking 2 minutes to stare at themselves in the mirror between each set.

Bottomline, if you want to look fit, healthy, and strong, a well-designed complex workout is the best and fastest way to get there.

Have any questions or ideas about exercises that would be well-suited for a complex? Comment below and let’s get this discussion started!

Want More Ways to Transform Your Body?

Come on over to our full site ShareItFitness.com and sign up today! We’ve got hundreds of OnDemand group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts ready to be streamed to any smartphone, tablet, computer, or wifi-television. Even better, we’re still giving away free premium memberships for a little while longer, so jump on the bandwagon while it’s still free! Connect with hundreds of other people on our workout plans, contact live health/fitness professionals ready to answer your questions, and see why Share It Fitness is the most interactive and effective fitness experience on the web!

The Home Workout Bible: Make Working Out at Home WORK

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 3 Comments

Photo Courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine

To the chagrin of gym owners and personal trainers everywhere, more people are realizing home workouts are an increasingly effective way to lose weight, build muscle, and reach their fitness goals. With the rise in popularity of in home workout fitness programs and routines, it has become easier than ever for anyone to get a fantastic workout sans all the fancy equipment and expensive personal trainer.

The one potential pitfall for at home exercisers is the lack of direction and/or poorly designed plans. Let’s face it, when you don’t have an arsenal of gym equipment available to you, it’s going to take a skilled and creative fitness mind to craft something that will actually do more than waste your time. There’s nothing worse than engaging in some fitness plan you found on some blog or website, only to find out 4 weeks later you’ve made no progress and have wasted a ton of time and energy. Talk about a sure-fire way to de-motivate yourself…

With that in mind, I’ve created The Home Workout Bible. This is for anyone who’s going to be working out at home but doesn’t want to sacrifice the quality of their workout.

7 Things You Need to Know To Improve At Home Workouts

You need space…just not a lot of it. Forget anything that has you bouncing around the room and requires you a full garage amount of space. A simple 7 x 7 area is more than enough. With home workouts we’ll be relying on compact, explosive plyometric movements rather than traditional cardio, thereby minimizing the amount of space we need to move around.
Love and use your body. Your body weight IS enough to get you ripped. Look at gymnasts if you need further evidence of what body weight exercises can do for you. The key here is to find body weight exercises that engage multiple muscle groups while maintaining a heightened time under tension (TUT), i.e. doing an 8 second rep pushup, rather than a 2 second rep pushup.
Your home isn’t just your living room. I know I said you only need a 7 x 7 area to workout, and while this is true, it doesn’t hurt to get outside once or twice a week for a little fresh air and sunshine. Try working an intense plyometric cardio routine, like a jump rope workout, or short sprints in your front yard, etc. Including this type of HIIT explosive training with your “indoor” workout, will result in quicker gains.
Avoid the home workout complacency. When people workout at home away from all the equipment and variety a gym offers, they often get a little complacent and begin repeating the same or very similar variation of their workout. This is a guaranteed progress killer. You must continually mix up what you’re doing. When you’re working out without much (or any) equipment, it becomes even more vital you are following a plan that takes this into consideration. When searching for fitness plans, find something that offers a balanced approach to your workout.
Keep pace. A new form of training developed by Share It Fitness is called Pacer Training. This is a very effective way of working out at home without the luxury of a personal trainer. Unlike standard workout plans which simply provide a list of exercises to complete (and possible a video demo if you’re lucky), pacer training is a full workout routine (15-60 minutes) led by an actual trainer/instructor on your (phone, tablet, computer, television) screen – all you do is keep pace with their instruction. Training in this method allows the fitness professional to keep an appropriate intensity and regulate work/rest times to ensure your heart rate stays in a zone that is conducive to burning calories and fat.
Respect workout time. Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you aren’t working out. Take a break from answering phones, dealing with work, stopping to check email, etc. Act as you would if you were in an actual gym. Don’t get so comfortable because you’re in your own home that the quality of your workout begins to suffer.
Fuel yourself. Fueling your body is of vital importance. Since you’re working out from home, your kitchen is likely only a few feet away. After each workout, be sure to make yourself a nice whey protein drink to help build up the muscle fibers you broke down. Taking whey protein immediately after every work out will lead to faster lean muscle gains, an improved metabolism, and ultimately, a leaner, tighter, and more athletic physique.

Two At Home Workouts…

The first is an example of a circuit style routine that creates power combos of explosive plyometric routines with body weight resistance training. Training in this format is great for boosting metabolism, building lean muscle, and incinerating calories in a hurry.

1 minute Jumping Jacks
30 seconds Horizontal Jacks
30 seconds X Jumps
30 seconds Ground Runners
1 minute Plank Ups
1 minute Four Point Hops
1 minute Turbo Lunges
30 second Hindu Push Ups

Repeat this circuit 6-7 more times for nearly 45 minutes of intense calorie blasting and muscle building goodness. Aim to complete exercises one after another without a break. Take 45 seconds rest at the end of each round of the circuit.

For those interested in Pacer Training...

The following workout is a perfect example of Pacer Training. While there is a piece of equipment used in this (BOSU) it can easily be done without if you don’t have access to one at home. This home workout is for Share It Fitness members only, but don’t worry, becoming a member is still free for a little while longer.

If you’re already a SIF member, simply log in, then click HERE to open the BOSU Cardio Core workout. If you forgot to log in before clicking the workout link above, it will bring you to a log in screen. Go ahead and log in then come back here and click the workout link again.
If you’re not a SIF member, simply create a free account by clicking HERE, then come back to this post and click HERE for our BOSU Cardio Core workout.

Our trainer Sharon keeps a high intensity with this workout. To achieve all the benefits of pacer training, simply follow her pace, rest when she tells you, and give it your all. Use her as your guide to keep proper form and maintain an the appropriate intensity. If you do that, there’s no way you aren’t getting all the heart-pounding and sweat dripping benefits of this workout…and burning serious calories (and fat) in the process! If you’re feeling extra strong, trying going through this class a second time, circuit-style.

To Recap…

At home workouts can be just as effective as gym workouts provided you know how to properly use your own body weight to challenge yourself.
Be aware of home workout pitfalls and aim to avoid them by using well-designed fitness plans that continually mix things up.
Pacer Training has been proven to be a highly effective way to replicate the benefits of a group fitness class or 1-on-1 personal training session for at home exercisers – consider incorporating this new type of training into your routine.

What have been your biggest obstacles with at home workouts? Is there anything you feel would make working out from home easier and/or more effective?

Power Combo: Burn Fat and Build Muscle With This MUST DO Workout

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 6 Comments

Photo courtesy of MarkVPhoto

Burning fat and building muscle at the same time isn’t easy. Usually, people will go through periods where they strive to add muscle (and inevitably fat), followed by periods heavy on the cardio with the idea of trimming away the accumulated fat (but unfortunately sacrifice a great deal of their muscle gains). The problem with this cycle, if it isn’t already obvious, is the amount of work you put in does not return the expected gains, i.e. you retain some muscle and improve your physique slightly enough for you to notice it when you look from the right angle and in the right lighting. Body builders call this bulk/cut, but it’s something most of us normal people do without even realizing it. We’ll go heavy on weights for a while..then back off and do more cardio when we feel “bulky”. In the end, we spin our wheels but don’t make it very far. If we want to burn fat AND build muscle, something has to change.

The Power Combo Savior.

The way out of this cycle is to introduce high-intensity cardio in short bursts, combined with resistance exercises all in one workout. A very simplified example would be something like push ups, followed immediately by 30 seconds of burpees, followed by bent over dumbbell rows, rest, repeat. Working out in this manner does wonders for your EPOC (if you don’t know about EPOC, do yourself a favor and click the link), which allows you to burn massive amounts of calories at rest. Rather than doing weights one day and cardio the next, you are able to get both your cardio and weight training in all at once, which allows you to do both more often. The fat burn and lean mass gain potential from this format of workout is tremendous. Amongst clients we’ve tested this workout on, the results have been very impressive.

A Power Combo Workout

That said, we’ve got a workout for you today that utilizes the basics of this power combo. All you’re going to need is a BOSU, your body weight, and a 6′x6′ area (a living room works great). Now, I must tell you, this workout is unlike anything you’re used to. We’re not going to give you a list of exercises to complete. While those type of workouts have their place, we’ve found a more effective way to deliver workouts to you.

Train Differently…Train More Effectively.

In order to train differently, we need something different. Enter pacer training. At Share It Fitness, we went a step further with our workouts. We feel you’ll get the most effective workout possible if you have a real-life personal trainer leading you through the routine. Along with the encouragement and advice they provide, they also keep the pace for you to follow, which guarantees HIGH INTENSITY throughout. When you’re given a list of exercises to complete, you’re left to your own devices and the quality of your workout can suffer..especially if it’s a cardio session. When you’re following the trainer keeping pace on your screen, it’s a whole new ballgame. It’s as close as it gets to being in a 1-on-1 session or in a group fitness class.

Are You Ready for a New Challenge?

Our BOSU Cardio Core is led by one of our favorite personal trainers, Sharon Blair. Sharon keeps a quick pace, high intensity, and seamlessly transitions from movement to movement. All you have to do is keep pace with her and you’ll be guaranteed to torch hundreds of calories, boost your EPOC, and bring your muscles to exhaustion. It really couldn’t be any easier to get a guaranteed effective workout.

Now What?

This workout is for Share It Fitness members, but don’t worry, becoming a member is still free for a little while longer.

If you’re already a SIF member, simply log in, then click HERE to open the BOSU Cardio Core workout. If you forgot to log in before clicking the workout link above, it will bring you to a log in screen. Go ahead and log in then come back here and click the workout link again.
If you’re not a SIF member, simply create a free account by clicking HERE, then come back to this post and click HERE for our BOSU Cardio Core workout.

To make the most of this workout, simply keep pace with Sharon (believe me, she makes this a tough one), and follow her movements. Use her as your guide to keep proper form and maintain an appropriate intensity. You do that, and there’s no way you aren’t getting all the heart-pounding and sweat dripping benefits of this workout…and burning serious calories (and fat) in the process! If you’re feeling extra strong, trying going through this class a second time, circuit-style. Good luck, and let us know what you thought of this workout!

Dual Loading – Powerful Combo For Powerful Gains

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 1 Comment

What does it take to be successful? Have you ever wondered that? Why do some people achieve their goals while others do not? Why does progress seem to come so effortlessly for certain “lucky” individuals? Aside from not putting in the same quality of effort, the most resounding explanation is these people have a better fitness plan and/or methodology. While I often preach fitness is not an exact science, this doesn’t mean going out and doing anything at all is going to help you achieve your goals.

If you are even a casual reader of this blog, you’ve no doubt seen the countless workout programs we create and post. I’m a firm believer that having access to loads of quality fitness plans will foster success. It is far to easy to get comfortable, do the same routine every time out, stop making progress, and wonder what the hell is going on. Having access to tons of tried and true programs will ensure your body stays challenged. Ultimately, it comes down to you to select and follow the fitness plan posted here. Learn to accept the fitness plan as a challenge and go about it with your best effort.

One of the key aspirations of this blog is to take advanced training concepts and programs and make them easily understandable and relatable to our audience. We know who our core followers are; we’re not talking to very many Ironman competitors and professional athletes. That said, we strive to take the workouts and advanced training concepts from Ironmen competitors and professional athletes and make them something you can easily follow along with at home or your gym. This leads us to our latest workout program, which relies on the advanced concept of dual-loading. This training method has produced explosively fast results in tons of real-life clients. We’re bringing this to our blog audience, so stay right here and we’ll easily break this down and show you why dual-loading is the next concept you need to incorporate into your overall routine.

What Is (and ISN’T) Dual-Loading?

Dual-loading in its simplest terms is the combination of heavy/short workouts with light/long workouts. Typically, a fitness plan will look something like this:

Weeks 1-6 high reps/low weight
Weeks 7-12 low reps/high weight

After the 12th weekly, you’d return to the high rep/low weight sequence of weeks 1-6, but you’d bump the weights. This is how MOST programs work to bring about progress. That’s NOT what dual-loading is all about.

With dual-loading, we completely eliminate the exclusive high/low rep training periods. Dual-loading combines both methods into one workout, thereby affect your body and muscle-fibers in two completely different manners each week. If you think changing every 6 weeks is shocking your body into change, try shocking your body every few days. Results have been very impressive in clients I’ve witnessed incorporate dual-loading into their routines

Want to get Toned?

A quick aside – there is no ONE manner for building big, bulky muscles or lean, long, and “toned” muscles. “Toned” is a buzz word that gets thrown around a lot. In reality, all “toned” really is, is an absence of body fat covering the muscle, thereby making it more pronounced, ripped, defined, or “toned”. An effective weight training program combined with a healthy dose of explosive (not long and slow only) cardio results in a “toned” appearance.

Why It Works…

It’s become almost common knowledge by now that your body makes progress when new stimulus is introduced to a training routine. Muscle confusion theory is the basis for popular fitness plans like P90x, Insanity, progressive resistance training, etc. Dual-loading takes the basics of muscle confusion theory, and ratchets them up a notch. Instead of changing the manner in which you lift once every 4-6 weeks, you’re changing it every few days. Dual-loading allows you to…

Build fast twitch muscle fibers on short/intense cardio days to increase explosive power and performance
Build slow-twitch muscle fibers on long/intense cardio days to increase long-term endurance
Quickly add muscle mass to your physique which has the added benefit of improving your metabolism and caloric burn

By building both fast/slow twitch fibers, and fatiguing the muscles in a way that promotes maximum growth, you are training in an extremely complete manner. The reason this dual-loading fitness plan has been so successful is because it allows you to quickly build muscle, incorporate cardio without sacrificing gained muscle, and ultimately leaves your metabolism in a constantly elevated state. All of this didn’t happen by accident; the combination of weight training/cardio training has been carefully tested and I believe THIS to be the most effective ratio for peak performance.

HIIT vs. Long and Slow

One quick point – while I often say HIIT is better than long and slow cardio, this is true if you are ONLY doing long and slow cardio. Constant long and slow cardio makes it tough to maintain muscular gains (along with the added bonus of a heightened metabolism that increased muscle mass delivers). Most people are going to go with one or the other, so I’ll always recommend HIIT. On a dual-loading fitness plan, we’ll be doing both manners of cardio, albeit still leaning more on HIIT than long and slow. This combination keeps your cardiovascular system off-balance, thereby promoting maximum benefits of each format.

The 8-Week Plan

This dual-loading fitness plan has been set for 8 weeks. I believe two months of following this fitness plan will be sufficient for you to start seeing progress. By no means should you take this to mean that after 8 weeks you will either a) be finished with the fitness plan or b) have accomplished ALL of your goals. Your body is a constant work in progress, you need to continually try new things to promote progress. After 8 weeks, I’d recommend running through things again, while incorporating new exercises, heavier weights, etc. If you need ideas on how to mix it up, head over to the Share It Fitness forums and we’ll be happy to help you out.

One last point: the combinations and structure of this plan are why things work so well for individuals. The exercises, to a lesser degree, are what have been making this program such a success. Below, there are a few lists of exercises broken down into groups. Pick exercises from the groups as indicated. Try to hit your entire body by choosing a wide variety fo exercises. If you’d like, feel free to include exercises not found on this list; simply aim for compound movements incorporating multiple muscle groups.

Week 1-2 and 5-6

On “heavy” days, go for 4 sets of 6-8 reps, and use weight that causes failure on the final rep of the last set or two. On “light” days, go for lighter weights that bring on muscle burn around the 12th-15th rep; shoot for 3 sets. For all group 3 exercises go until failure.

Day 1: HEAVY day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 2: CARDIO day. 20 minutes jump rope (30 second jump/30 second rest). 20 minutes HIIT running (30 seconds sprint/60 second jog).
Day 3: LIGHT day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 4: CARDIO day. 45-60 minutes bike ride. Gradually increase/decrease RPM’s over the training period.
Day 5: HEAVY day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 6: CARDIO day. 30 minute HIIT cycle (30 second sprint/60 second relaxed pace). 30 minute HIIT jump rope (30 second jump/30 second rest).

Weeks 3-4 and 6-8

Day 1: LIGHT day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 2: CARDIO day. 20 minutes jump rope (30 second jump/30 second rest). 20 minutes HIIT running (30 seconds sprint/60 second jog).
Day 3: HEAVY day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 4: CARDIO day. 45-60 minutes bike ride. Gradually increase/decrease RPM’s over the training period.
Day 5: LIGHT day. Group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 1 exercise, group 2 exercise, group 3 exercise, exercise group 2, exercise group 3.
Day 6: CARDIO day. 30 minute HIIT cycle (30 second sprint/60 second relaxed pace). 30 minute HIIT jump rope (30 second jump/30 second rest).

Exercise Group 1: Smith Machine Squats, Leg Press, Deadlift, Quad Extensions, Box Jumps, Bulgarian Squat Jumps, Hamstring Curls, Squat Press, Dumbbell Lunges, Dumbbell Step Ups, Long Jumps.

Exercise Group 2: Hang Snatches, Clean and Press, Bench Press, Close Grip Bench Press, Wide Grip Pull Ups, Single Arm Barbell Row, Incline Dumbbell Press, Bent Over Barbell Row, Barbell Curls, Skullcrushers, Plank Rows, Incline Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Upright Barbell Row, Dips.

Exercise Group 3: Windshield Wipers, V Sit, Hip Twists, Up Down Planks, Spider Planks, Leg Climbers, Reverse Crunches, Leg Raises.

The fitness plan above is a great entry into a dual-loading routine. Follow along with the instruction, but don’t be afraid to mix things up a little. If you want to sub out one of the HIIT cardio workouts above for our INTENSE at home cardio blaster workout, feel free. I’m a huge proponent of keeping things fresh…if you REALLY hate HIIT cycling, don’t do it. Forcing yourself will only lead to burn out. Check out some of our OnDemand cardio classes and add those to your fitness plan if you so desire. In order to have success with this fitness plan, the main things to be strict about are…

Lifting to induce muscle fatigue - use appropriately heavy weights depending on the day and feel the burn
Stick to the prescribed heavy/light and HIIT/long and slow days.
Eat clean - ample protein, eat enough complex carbs so you can perform, whey protein shake after every workout, limit eating bad restaurant/fast food meals out, no high-sugar meals right before bed, etc.

You follow those three points, this fitness plan will bring you success you never thought possible. Just imagine, you could be one of “those” people…who look, act, and feel like success is coming so effortlessly to them. It really isn’t hard, it just takes a quality plan and a little determination. We’ve got the plan part squared away, just follow through on what we’ve laid out above, and you’ll be sporting a healthy body and physique in no time.

Want More?

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Float Like a Butterfly Sting Like a Bee: Intense Boxing Workout that Would Make Even Mike Tyson Flee!

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

“Ew, But I Don’t Want to Look Like a Man!”

I’ve heard this time and time again. Ask yourself, what DO you want to look like? Toned, tight, lean, and hot? Who doesn’t? We already know it’s really (like REALLY) important to combine various workouts together. Doing the same workout day in, day out, is a recipe for failure and loss of motivation. In today’s featured boxing workout, we’re going to look at a certain type of athlete who trains in a way much different from most other athletes. The result? Lean muscle mass, a very toned appearance, great endurance, and a boosted metabolism which helps them keep fat off better than almost anyone else.

And in This Corner…

Ever seen the body of a boxer? These guys (and girls) aren’t big and bulky. ( Butterbean and other heavyweights notwithstanding). They rely on their strength, endurance, and speed to help them do what they do. Think about that for a second…strength….endurance….speed. Who here wouldn’t like to increase their strength (and lean muscle mass), endurance, and speed? I hear it all the time from men and women alike, you want to look lean and athletic not bulky and husky. You want to be “toned”. You DON’T want big bulky muscles that slow you down and make you look thick.

We already know you don’t want to look like this. You want to look more like Gina Carano…or guys, just think of Sugar Shane Mosley in his prime…

Well, if you want to look like Gina Carano (pictured above) or Sugar Shane (pictured in your head) then you’ve got to get yourself doing intense, cardio heavy, plyometric focused routines that will leave you feeling like you just went 10 rounds with someone like them.

What This Workout Accomplishes

This boxing workout accomplishes several things important to the progression and development of your body:

You can’t train all day like pro athletes – we’re going to maximize your caloric burn to get you in and out in just about 60 minutes.
Burning calories in the gym is one thing. To get REALLY fit you need to boost your post-exercise caloric burn potential - the intense circuit aspect of this workout increases your EPOC (click the link if you are unfamiliar) which leads to a boosted metabolism and continued caloric burn after exercise finishes.
Induces muscle fatigue, but not to the point heavy lifting does – translation: you can do this workout 3 or more times a week without fear of overtraining your muscles.
Timed intervals with intense bursts of cardio lead to improved endurance and speed - healthier heart and lungs, increased ability to workout longer and harder, increase in fast-twitch muscle fibers making you more athletic.

Great. So What Do I Do?

So glad you’ve asked. Although, after I tell you, you may not be so happy yourself. Like I said, this boxing workout is intense. If you can’t complete a certain aspect of the training, no worries, just do your best and always aim to go longer, harder, and better, the next time out.

Without further adieu, here we go…

8 rounds of jump rope. Each round is 2 minutes. Take a 30 second break between rounds. If you can’t go 2 minute continuously, do your best and aim to improve each time out.
20 second sprints/40 second jogs. Repeat this combo 10 times for 10 total minutes.
8 rounds of 30 second jump rope/10 curl presses (per arm)/15 leg up crunches. Take a 30 second break between rounds.
15 reverse crunches/30 seconds max burpees/30 second plank/30 second rest combo. Repeat this 10 times.
Grab a barbell and finish strong! 3 rounds of 10 clean and press/12 barbell shrugs/10 bent over rows/10 upright rows/30 second rest*.

BOOM! You’re done. How was that? That routine is KILLER and a very similar way in which a lot of fighters train. Heavy on the rope work, quick bouts of cardio, weight training combos (*use a weight slightly less than you normally would), and intermittent core work. You can’t beat something like that. To really up the ante, include some additional abdominal work on off days OR after this workout is finished if you’re feeling up to it.

When you’re going through this routine, think like a fighter. Pretend you’re training to square off against someone who wants to beat you into submission. You’re doing a boxing workout…not a an hour on the boring elliptical. Think like a fighter. Think explosive. Think of the progress you’re making. Think about WHY you’re training. The training you put in now is going to help you transform your body into a lean, mean, fighting machine.

How to Incorporate This Into What You’re Already Doing

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Fitness is NOT an exact science. There is no ONE program that is the ONLY way to get fit, healthy, and develop a killer bod. While some programs are better than others, a little deviation won’t kill your progress. Doesn’t matter if its p90x or our Total Body Blitz program; adding/subtracting things here or there is fine.

Regardless of the plan you’re on, if you want to give this a go, simply incorporate this boxing workout in place of a cardio day. If you’re doing Total Body Blitz, just substitute a cardio day here or there if you’d like to spice things up. Variety is key to making progress. Using different styles and formats of workout routines in combination is the best and fastest way to change your body. So go head, don’t be shy to use this in place of a scheduled workout and be amazed at the progress this type of training can bring about.

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The 8 Best Total Body Exercises You Should Be Doing (..But Probably Aren’t!)

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 3 Comments

At Share It Fitness, we’re all about pushing the envelope and getting you out of your comfort zone. We live in a world where diets are telling us we can lose 10 pounds in 5 days simply by avoiding sugar, or fitness magazines tell us we’ll lose our stomach fat in 4 weeks by doing their 4 exercise crunch workout. Sadly, people buy into this and when things don’t work, they end up disappointed at best; burnt out and turned off to fitness at worst.

I say it all the time, fitness is simple. It truly is. Unlocking the “key” is simply a matter of knowing what to do, how often to do it, and understanding what works/doesn’t work for your body type. When you’ve mastered these three points, the weight will seem to start dropping effortlessly, you’ll begin to notice muscle in places you never thought possible, and you’ll have a whole new inspired outlook on fitness, and your body.

My goal is to move you away from being the person who relies on regurgitated fitness magazine articles or celebrity trainer advice, and on to the guy or girl who goes into the gym, looking as great as they feel, full of confidence, because they know exactly what they are doing is helping them meet their goals. With that in mind, it’s time to kick the nonsense advice to the side and focus on actual exercises that have been proven to burn the most calories, activate the most muscle fibers, and provide the greatest total body workout.

One quick caveat…these eight “best” exercises may not be the best for everyone. Surely body builders and the such may not consider these the “best”. When I say best, I have your standard exerciser in mind; someone who wants to lose a few pounds of body fat, build muscle and tighten up, or a combination of both. When combined, these exercises provide a healthy balance of muscle-building movements along with explosive, calorie blasting, compound cardio movements.

Smith Machine Squats - Really, these can be done without the Smith Machine, but if you’re more of a beginner I definitely recommend the stabilization a Smith Machine provides. A squat is one of the most effective exercises out there, in that it hits tons of muscle fibers, across multiple muscle groups in your body. Make this a staple in any weight training program.
Hang Snatches - These advanced movements incorporate tons of muscle groups when performed correctly. Explode through this lift and hold at the top for a full second. With this exercise you’ll be building muscles in your thighs, shoulders, traps, and even tightening your abdominals. Limit rest between sets of hang snatches to realize the cardiovascular benefits of this total body killer.
Barbell Squat Jumps - Plyomeric movements are awesome. Weighted plyometric movements are even more awesome. This move will increase your fat burning potential, have you burning loads of calories, and tax the muscle fibers in your butt, hamstrings, and glutes like few other exercises can. Slowly try to up your pace (without losing form!) to increase the cardio benefits of this exercise.
Push Up/Dip Swings - Quick..name an exercise that hits the muscles in the shoulders, chest, triceps, and core, while providing a serious heart-pounding caloric burn? Push Up/Dip Swings, of course! This exercise does something few others can. Using your own body weight, you are able to build four major muscle groups in your upper body WHILE getting your cardio on. Using this exercise on a regular basis is what has got many “fit” people that tight and toned body. Don’t neglect this powerful exercise any longer!
BOSU Trifecta’s - If the word burpee brings on a sudden, heart-pounding panic attack…you may want to stop reading right here. BOSU Trifecta’s are essentially a burpee, but with a BOSU between your hands. This increased weight adds another element to one of the best total body cardio moves out there. Using this will help increase muscle mass while whittling away stubborn body fat when used regularly.
Bench Press - One of the most standard exercises out there, and for good reason. The bench press is a great way to hit your chest muscles, triceps, and anterior shoulder muscles. What this means is, a toned and lean upper body. Don’t worry about packing on too much muscle if you’re a lady. The bench press is going to give you an athletic and lean physique, provided you aren’t eating like the bulky body builders you’re afraid of looking like.
(Plated) Box Jumps – Of all the exercises I see most commonly performed by the most fit and athletic looking people, box jumps has to be it. These can be performed by themselves or with a plate when you are ready to really amp the intensity. Box jumps recruit tons of muscle fibers in your legs and boost your heart, so you’re burning loads of calories at the same time.
Clean and Press – The clean and press is a compound power exercise designed to add lean muscles mass to your physique. When combined with the similar, hanging snatches, you’ll be sure to effectively fatigue the major muscles in your upper body to the point required for growth. Forget the iso exercises, and go for compound power lifts when you want to really make a difference.

Now that you know the 8 best total body exercises, you may be wondering how to work them in to a routine. Already a step ahead, I’ve put together a routine based on these exercises alone. Depending on your personal goals, this type of workout could be completed up to three times a week. You may want to include additional cardio and abdominal work as well on off days.

Since our goal is to build muscle AND maximize our caloric burn in the process, we’re going to fashion this workout circuit style, with little rest between. A couple of bouts of HIIT mixed in will do wonders for your EPOC (this is what boosts metabolism and gives you an elevated caloric burn AFTER your workout has ended) as well. This no-nonsense routine can be completely finished in 45 minutes or less, making it perfect for anyone on a time crunch.

*To make sure you’re pushing yourself hard enough, you should be using heavy enough weights that make completing the last rep or two nearly impossible without losing your form.

Smith Machine Squats 10
Hang Snatches 10
Barbell Squat Jumps 20
Push Up/Dip Swings 20

– 90 second rest –

BOSU Trifecta’s HIIT format (30 seconds on, 15 seconds off, repeat for 10 times total)
Bench Press 10
Plated Box Jumps HIIT format (30 seconds on, 15 seconds off, repeat for 10 times total)
Clean and Press 10

– 90 second rest –

Repeat this circuit at least two times total, but with a goal of stepping it up to three or even four times total.

Incorporating exercises like this is going to be so much more beneficial than doing bicep curls and other isolated exercises, with long rest periods in between. You aren’t going for size (most likely) you don’t need tons of rest between sets. Go for short, intense bursts, and then change to a different exercise quick, like this circuit workout has you doing. Continue doing a serious workout like this one and you’ll be looking, feeling, and acting like a lean, mean, ripped machine in no time.

If you enjoy this workout, head over to our newly launched, ShareItFitness.com. Create a free membership and get access to all of our workout plans like this one, along with our OnDemand library of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts on video!

The 8 Fastest Ways to Burn 800 Calories (In 1 Hour or Less!)

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 23 Comments

You dedicated SIFers are a busy bunch. You’ve got better things to do than spend hours upon hours working out. I get that. I’m willing to bet most of you aren’t professional athletes whose sole purpose in life is to workout multiple hours a day so you are able to function as a living, breathing, machine. I’m guessing you’d just like to drop a few pounds of body fat, add a little muscle in the right places, tighten up, and fit into those pants or dress you haven’t worn since 2003. Am I right?

By now we should know that slimming down, i.e. cutting body fat, is all about burning those little bastards known as excess calories. Excess calories are found on your hips. They’re found on your stomach. They’re even found on the inside of your thighs…imagine that! Your body stores excess calories as fat when you have a surplus. Quick aside; eating sugary cereal before bed, drinking soda, and consuming deep-fried foods is a pretty good way to ensure a surplus, in case anyone was wondering.

We should also know by now, there is no such thing as spot toning. Doing tons of crunches isn’t going to make you lose your stomach fat. The best way to burn this excess fat is to maximize your caloric burn during each workout. The following workouts are some of the very best at maximizing your caloric burn. Sure, you could burn 800 calories chugging along at one pace on the elliptical trainer. Any idea how long that would take you? Just under 2 hours. Anyone have the time (or patience) for that? Didn’t think so.

The following workouts maximize your caloric burn in one hour or LESS. These are designed to get you in and out FAST. One last point that needs to be made before I start getting comments telling me I’m an idiot; calories burned is not an exact measurement. It varies on your age, body weight, heart rate, physiological make up, etc. To calculate your own caloric expenditure, I find the following formulas from the Journal of Sports Science to be quite accurate:

Women: Calories = [(0.074 x Age) + (0.4472 x Heart Rate) -- (0.05741 x Weight) -- 20.4022] x Time / 4.184. Men: Calories = [(0.2017 x Age) + (0.6309 x Heart Rate) -- (0.09036 x Weight) -- 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.

Treadmill Intervals – We’ve posted about treadmill intervals before. By changing speeds, inclines, and the manner in which you run (forward/backward) your body is going to be pushed to the max. By changing speeds and inclines, your body cannot adapt and heart rate will thus steadily rise. Mix in all out sprints here and there to really push yourself into the 80-90% max heart rate zone. Try out our treadmill of terror workout to make 800 calories disappear in no time.
Hill Sprints – No gym or equipment required for this one. Find yourself a nice big hill (ideally at least 100 feet of clear space to run up). Sprint all the way up. Once at the top, you’ll perform 10 reps of a variety of exercises. Some total body, high caloric burn exercises would include squat jumps, squat twists, burpees, 180 planks, or push up jacks. Pick a variety of exercises and go for 10 reps at the top of each hill sprint. Run back down the hill, rest for 10 seconds, then sprint right back up. Perform this for 45 minutes and start kissing that stomach fat goodbye.
Swim – Swimming is the ultimate total body workout. You’re using almost every muscle in your body which will help tone and lean you out, while burning massive calories. Alternate between freestyle and butterfly stroke, with breast stroke here and there when you need a little break. Just 45 minutes in the pool will easily burn 800 excess calories just itching to be stored as fat.
Boxing Workouts – You ever seen a boxer? These guys (and girls) are RIPPED. They get this way by virtue of their training methods. Try this out: Get in front of a heavy bag and punch, kick, and/or strike the bag non-stop for 2 minutes. Take a 30 second break. Repeat 11 more times. Next, grab a jump rope and get jumping for 45 seconds, then take a 30 second break. Repeat this format a total of 20 times. Congrats, you’ve just trained like a lean, mean, fighting machine, and will no doubt be looking like one soon enough.
Cycling Sprints – Cycling is fantastic for building the muscles in your legs and butt (who doesn’t want a great butt?) while completely taxing your cardiovascular system. This strenuous workout increases your heart rate steadily which requires loads of energy, i.e. calories. Aim to cycle in the 16-19 mph range to burn almost 1,000 calories per hour. To keep things interesting, try doing 60 second all-out sprints every couple of minutes to spike your heart rate and really push yourself to the max.
Compound Power Workout – By combining heavy compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, lat pull downs, wide grip pull ups, etc with intense bouts of cardio (instead of just standing around catching your breath after each set), you do two important things. First, you burn a ton of calories during your workout by not allowing your body a full rest. More importantly however, you effectively bump your EPOC, which results in a phenomenon that will have you burning massive amounts of calories AFTER you’re finished working out (read about EPOC here). This is a great way to add serious muscle but not sacrifice your caloric burn; two birds, one effective 60 minute or less workout.
Row it Out – A good, solid rowing workout can easily have you burning 800 to 1,000 calories in an hours worth of work. Remember to push yourself and keep intensity high during the workout. If you feel you are getting tired, try using HIIT. Row all out for 30 seconds, then back off for 1 minute. Repeat this cycle to keep your body guessing what is coming next, and your heart rate elevated. Remember, alternating your pace is more effective than chugging along at a moderate, but static, pace.
Cardio/Weight Classes – These classes combine aerobic movements with dumbbells, barbells, or other weighted pieces of equipment. These type of classes are a fantastic total body workout because they effectively work your muscles, as well as cardiovascular system. At Share It Fitness, we’ve got tons of these type of routines. Check out our Power Cardio Circuit class for an idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into:

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Now, lets get to the part everyone really cares about. What are the practical, real-life benefits of doing the workouts above? Surely most of you aren’t just going to go out and work out like freaks because I say so, so lets look at the science. One pound of fat is equal to approximately 3,500 calories. By using any of the 8 forms of exercise above, 4 times a week, you will have burnt ~3,200 calories. When you factor in the EPOC benefits (seriously, read about EPOC above!), it is safe to say that in just 4 workouts (and 3-4 hours) you will have burned at least 3,500 calories.

Again, those 3,500 burned calories are equal to one pound of burnt fat. Remember, weight loss is a result of a caloric deficit, which is the opposite of the caloric surplus we discussed above. Watch your diet, put in the work above, and you should easily lose 1-2 pounds of excess fat each week. Keep in mind, the scale may not be a true reflection of your lost body fat, as you will be adding muscle, and muscle weighs more (and looks better, may I add) than fat. Don’t worry about the scale…worry more about your waist line and physique. These are more telling indicators of how you are improving.

I once had a coach who would say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Same goes for getting in shape. Exercise for the sake of exercise isn’t going to change anything. Exercising in the best possible way, and for max effectiveness, will bring about visible changes in your body. You don’t need to exercise for hours upon hours to get in shape. If you’re going to put the time and effort in, maximize that time and effort and make a lasting difference in your body, both inside and out.

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The Bubblicious Butt Workout: Using a Plyo/Weight Combo for Better, Faster Results

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Matt Posted in Strength Training, Training 89 Comments

The human body is a great and complex thing. For those of you who train, this is both good and bad. On the one hand, if every body were the same, there wouldn’t be a need for hundreds of different workout programs, philosophies, etc. There would be a science to how things are done. There’d be one specific way to build muscle, lose fat, and generally look like a Maxim fitness model. Life would be pretty easy wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Every body has a different physiological response to a given stimulus. Simply put, what works for some, may not work for others.

That said, there are some relative constants in the fitness world that are generally accepted to be especially beneficial to everyone. For instance, running sprints in a HIIT fashion will boost your EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oyxgen Consumption) and cause your metabolism to spike. This is something science has figured out will work for just about every human being. Another interesting and game-changing tid bit is the fact that lower body plyometric training COMBINED WITH lower body weight training will result in greater gains throughout the lower body. Greater than what, you may be wondering. The plyo/weights combo greatly outperformed the results of individuals who trained with ONLY plyo, or ONLY weights. Participants utilizing the plyo/weight combo realized an increase in strength, definition, vertical jump, and speed. Simply put, they became (and looked) more athletic. Countless studies have replicated these results over time, leading us to believe that this is one of those relative constants I mentioned earlier. One such peer-reviewed study, and what was used as reference for this article, can be found here.

I’ve had this knowledge and have been using plyo/weight combo workouts with clients for years. The effects this method of training has is absolutely phenomenal. Whether you’re an athlete training for a sport, or simply someone who wants to have that lean, mean, athletic look (and a great butt and thighs to go along with it) this is THE workout for you. Expect a rounding and tightening of the backside and firm, lean thighs, hamstrings, and calves. If you’re already doing another workout plan, don’t worry. Go ahead and substitute these combo workouts in for lower body days. Fitness is all about trial and error. See what works best for you and then stick with it for a little bit, before changing it up to something more challenging.

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Perform this workout 3 days a week. If you are experiencing soreness, push your workout back until you can comfortably perform all exercises without pain.

Day 1 - Keep weights lower during this session. If you see (4 x 10 exercise a/20 exercise b/rest), you should perform exercise b immediately following exercise a, and only rest at the end of exercise b. Complete this combo for the total number of sets listed before exercise a.

4 x 12 Smith Machine Squats/30 box jumps/rest 60 seconds
3 x 20 Long Jumps
4 x 12 Bulgarian Squat Jump
4 x 20 Four Point Hops
3 x 20 Reverse Dumbbell Lunges/20 forward lunges/rest 30 seconds (alternate legs)
3 x 2 minutes Plated Speed Skaters
3 x 1 minute Line Jumps
4 x 100 Speed Squats/10 X Jumps

Day 2 – This session is going to focus on fast explosive movements to really torch your hamstrings and glute muscles, before moving to the weights to finish things off. Feel free to do the running parts on a treadmill or outside.

20 x 10 second all out sprints/rest 15 second between each sprint
5 x 2 minutes running in reverse (if using a treadmill start slow and gradually increase your speed)
5 x 30 Jumping Lunges
5 x 15 Tuck Jumps
5 x 15 Plated Box Jumps
3 x 10 Quad Extensions
3 x 10 Hamstring Curls
3 x 10 Leg Press Machine (first set feet wide, second set feet close, third set feet shoulder-width)
3 x 40 Calve Raises on Smith Machine
3 x 20 Side Barbell Squats (10 per each side)

Day 3 – We’re going to repeat the session from Day 1 with a few minor modifications to increase intensity. Also, be sure to increase weights as you’ll be performing fewer reps per set.

4 x 8 Smith Machine Squats
4 x 8 Barbell Deadlift (please make sure you are using proper form for this exercise!)
3 x 20 Long Jumps
4 x 12 Bulgarian Squat/1 minute jump rope/45 seconds rest
4 x 20 Four Point Hops
3 x 20 Reverse Dumbbell Lunges/20 forward lunges/rest 30 seconds (alternate legs)
3 x 2 minutes Plated Speed Skaters/1 minute jump rope/45 seconds rest
4 x 1 minute Line Jumps
4 x 100 Speed Squats/10 X Jumps/45 seconds rest
5 minutes jump roping (use as few rest breaks as possible)

Give this workout a try. I will almost guarantee you’re not going to be able to walk straight after your first few times through. Let the soreness fade, then get right back into it. Run through this 3-day cycle for about 4 weeks, then increase weights, incorporate some new exercises, and continually keep pushing yourself. Remember, the plyo/weight combo is THE way to develop a great butt and legs. Keep at it and you’ll be ready to fill out that bikini bottom in no time!

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