Cardio Training Article Archive

The MetCon Challenge: High-Performance Metabolic Conditioning Workout

Metabolic conditioning is perhaps the BEST way to develop that lean, mean, athletic physique...

Alright, so we’re piggybacking on last week’s metabolic conditioning post and giving you something you can actually work on. If you didn’t happen to check out the write-up on the many benefits of metabolic conditioning, I suggest you jump over there and check it out before moving on to this work out. It’s always good to know the WHAT and WHY of what you’re doing, wouldn’t you say?

Creating an effective metabolic conditioning workout is about a lot more than just stringing together any sort of strength and cardio exercises without giving it much thought. Part of the problem with exercise routines you’ll find on the internet or have been handed down by so-called experts, is the fact they have never actually been tested. It’s amazing how many people don’t realize just throwing a variety of exercises together isn’t enough. The only way to create an effective and safe workout, in my humble opinion, is by testing it out, in real-life, through trial and error.

So since I heard a lot of you guys ask for an actual metabolic conditioning workout to accompany last week’s article, that’s exactly what I did this weekend. Myself and my mostly willing guinea pigs tried out a variety of routines to get something that pushed the limits and satisfied the protocols of metabolic conditioning. The workout you’re about to check out is a great way to achieve all of the awesome benefits of this type of training….

Boosted metabolism
Increased calorie burn
Heightened fat loss
Muscle fatigue leading to lean mass gains

I want you to think about things for a second. We all know professional athletes are in excellent shape, and have the bodies to prove it. When these guys are girls are training, do you think they’re training to look awesome, or perform awesome? Obviously, they’re going for performance. Their physique is simply the byproduct of their performance training. This is why I constantly harp, train like an athlete. Even if you aren’t competing in an event at a very high level, training as if you are will get you the results you want. This is why metabolic conditioning is so amazing; it mimics the type of activity performed by many high-caliber athletes.

Think about it…most sport requires short, sudden bursts of all out effort followed by a more extended baseline level of exertion. Tennis, football, soccer, basketball, volleyball….they all follow a similar up/down exertion level. Metabolic training recreates this so you are better able to train like an athlete and develop the body you want.

I’m willing to bet most of you aren’t already training like this. You may be using HIIT or complex workouts, but those are different. By introducing this new stimulus to your training, your body isn’t going to know how to react. When your body doesn’t know how to react, it has to work harder, thereby giving you better progress. Keep things diverse, keep yourself guessing. This is the ultimate key to making real, measurable progress. Take the workout I’m about to give you and work it in to everything else you’re doing. If you’re already on one of our plans, don’t worry – simply insert this in to one of your scheduled days. So many people fret about sticking to a workout plan and never deviating from the prescribed workouts. As I always say, fitness isn’t an exact science. Keeping things diverse and always pushing yourself is far more important than sticking to any one plan 100%.

So, all that being said, let’s move on to the workout.

Give yourself 20-30 seconds rest after each circuit. Perform cardio movements as hard and as fast as possible to get the maximum benefits from metabolic conditioning.

30 seconds Jump Rope
10 Dumbbell Swings
10 Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
30 seconds Jump Rope

Repeat 4 times.

30 seconds Speed Squat Jumps (Do them faster than video)
10 Dumbbell Snatch (per side)
10 Single Dumbbell Plank Row (pass dumbbell back and forth after each rep instead of using two at once)
30 seconds Mountain Climbers

Repeat 4 times.

30 seconds 180 Planks
12 Single Leg Dumbbell Deadlift Rows (6 reps per side)
10 Push Up Dip Swings (if you can’t swing, just switch between push ups and dips)
30 seconds Shadow Boxing (as simple or complex as you feel comfortable doing!)

Repeat 4 times.

This entire routine should take you no more than 30 minutes if you’re doing it correctly. When you’re doing this, remember what I mentioned above; think like an athlete. Short bursts of all out energy expenditure, followed by sustained periods of strength conditioning. Keep a solid pace during your strength exercises and give it your all during the cardio portions. Keep rest times strict and you’ll no doubt start realizing the benefits of this explosive way of training.

Transform Your Body With Metabolic Conditioning

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Matt Posted in Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 7 Comments

Trying to get lean and mean? Metabolic conditioning will help you get there in a hurry...

As fellow fitness freaks, you’re no doubt familiar with the concepts of high-intensity interval training, complex workouts, hypertrophy training, or functional training. If you’re not familiar, you’ve at least heard these terms thrown around by personal trainers and fitness bloggers.

If I asked you what’s the best way to burn fat, you’d probably give me the standard answer; high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprints, Tabata….something along those lines, right? What if I were to ask you what you knew about metabolic conditioning? Does anyone have any idea what I’m talking about? If not, it’s time for you to soak up the knowledge I’m about to drop on you, because metabolic conditioning is literally changing fitness instruction and the lives of people who are adopting this method of training.

Metabolic Conditioning Explained

First and foremost, metabolic conditioning is not simply aerobic exercise. Metabolic conditioning refers to a series of exercises which aim to increase the storage and delivery of energy for activity.(1) When people have a goal of increasing their endurance, they usually turn to cardiovascular exercise. While at one time, it was believed this type of training was the only way to increase cardiovascular endurance, studies now show that anaerobic exercise may condition your CV system to the same extent as aerobic (running, etc) exercise.

Additionally, when you engage in metabolic conditioning, you improve the muscles ability to use energy stores by improving their efficiency through a variety of metabolic pathways.(2)

If all of this is getting too scientific for you, let’s get back to how this relates to you and your workouts….

How to Perform Metabolic Conditioning

Metabolic conditioning makes use of compound exercises that work a wide variety of muscle groups across your body. It often combines two exercises into one, i.e. powercleans, weighted burpees, etc. However, it doesn’t stop there. To achieve the benefits of metabolic conditioning, there must be an aerobic factor worked into the equation. The aerobic movement dominates the lower body, while the anaerobic (weight-bearing) exercise dominates the upper body. This type of training is supported by research which shows it to be a highly effective way to burn fat, increase muscle mass, and improve endurance. The journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise put out a 2001 study that backed this effect. Additionally, studies found in Vol 94 and 97 of the European Journal of Physiology replicated the same findings.

The goal of metabolic conditioning is to perform each exercise, one after another, with little to no rest. Rest shortly at the end of each circuit, before repeating the whole thing again. For instance, here is an example of a metabolic conditioning circuit…

Circuit #1

Treadmill at 8 mph for 30 seconds
10 Dumbbell Swings
12 Wide Grip Push Ups

Repeat 4 times total

Circuit #2

Treadmill at 10 mph and 5% incline for 30 seconds
10 Barbell Bent Over Row
10 Diamond Push Ups

Repeat 4 times total

…and so on..

A great program would include 3-4 circuits hitting all of the major muscles in the body, while intermixing various types of cardiovascular work. Be sure to perform the cardio portion at max intensity to get the ultimate benefits from this type of workout.

You Aren’t Metabolic Conditioning If…

Ropes are a fantastic tool to use when metabolic training.

Keep in mind metabolic conditioning is all about keeping a high intensity throughout aerobic work, hitting the upper body with compound weight-bearing exercises, and minimizing rest. If you are doing iso-exercises, body builder style, with loads of rest time, you aren’t metabolic conditioning. If you are running HIIT sprints or biking, you aren’t metabolic conditioning. If you are performing a complex workout with only an anaerobic (weight-bearing) component, you aren’t metabolic conditioning. Metabolic conditioning is a very specific form of training that is able to produce tremendous results in those who stick to the format precisely.

Remember, metabolic conditioning is different from other forms of exercise in that it combines short bursts of aerobic exercise with compound anaerobic exercise, following a circuit format. Rest times are limited, and you move from one exercise to the next as swiftly as possible.

The benefits from metabolic conditioning are numerous but include increase in power, speed, endurance, metabolism, and muscle mass….while serving to decrease your body fat percentage. All in all, combining a metabolic conditioning workout with a full routine is an ideal way to ensure you are getting great diversity and effectiveness in your workouts.

Glassman, Greg (June 2003). “Metabolic Conditioning”. CrossFit Journal (10).
Baye (June 22nd, 2008). Q&A: What is Metabolic Conditioning?. Baye.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-18.

The 10/1 Workout: OnDemand Video Workout For Serious Fat Loss

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Matt Posted in Strength Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

In the fitness world, us bloggers, trainers, and content providers are always looking for new and interesting ways to help you get your fitness fix. Unfortunately, there is often little deviation from the standard routine. HIIT, heavy weights, squats….these words are probably losing their effectiveness on you by now. In the quest to find and create you workouts that are not only effective, but keep you engaged and help avoid burnout, we stumbled upon something pretty awesome.

After playing around with different exercise formats and movements, we settled upon a workout that has come to be known as The 10/1 Workout. We wanted to create something different and interesting, but not try to get all trendy and throw in a bunch of stuff just for show. With The 10/1 Workout we’ve successfully paired complementary exercises in a pyramid/reverse pyramid format.

The two exercise combos quickly shift between cardiovascular movements, like burpees, and muscle-builders, like spider curls. This back-and-forth combination uses active rest principles, which means you can work out almost non-stop for 30 minutes straight. This ultra-high intensity format is great for boosting your EPOC and metabolism, as well as helping you torch hundreds of calories during the workout itself.

The format may be a bit unfamiliar, but is easy to get a hang of. It looks something like this.

Exercise A 10 reps/Exercise B 1 rep
Exercise A 9 reps/Exercise B 2 reps
Exercise A 8 reps/Exercise B 3 reps
And so on……

While one exercise is getting easier, the other is getting harder due to the pyramid style repetition sets. Having trouble adding muscle or burning fat, or simply making it through a plateau? This workout is going to tax your body in a way it probably hasn’t seen in a very long time..if ever! Make this a weekly staple and you should start to notice progress going into overdrive.

Since the rep sets in this workout have been so precisely designed, it’s important that you follow along with your trainer on the screen. This way you don’t have to worry too much about counting; just follow along and mimic their movements.

To get started with The 10/1 Workout, click HERE.

The Great Debate: Can You Use an Elliptical Machine To Lose Weight?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Training, Weight loss 2 Comments

Like a worn-out security blanket, the elliptical has become the defacto exercise machine for millions of exercisers. Not surprisingly, this gym staple has been the object of scorn amongst personal trainers, Cross-fitters, and hordes of other “hardcore” fitness pro’s everywhere. There probably isn’t another piece of gym equipment that’s caused this much polarization since the Thigh Master…kidding of course.

You’ve probably heard a few different takes on this gym staple, but where do you stand? Are you using the elliptical? Do you feel like it’s helping you reach your goals? Burn more fat? Build more muscle in your lower body? In the spirit of election season, we’re going to tackle this issue, debate style, and lay out both sides of the argument in hopes of getting a more clear picture on the actual benefits of using an elliptical exercise machine.

On one side we have Steady Sally (SS) who has been a life long proponent of the elliptical and cannot gush enough about how much this machine means to her. She prefers the long and slow way of doing cardio, which she takes full advantage of on the elliptical. The elliptical also provides the familiarity and comfort that she seeks when she’s at the gym. On the other side, we have Juicin’ Joe (JJ) who thinks the elliptical is for the weak. His no-nonsense attitude and ACE-certified opinion say the only way to get a good workout is through high-intensity cardio and throwing heavy objects around the room.

So enough with the introductions, let’s get down to business and see what these supporters and haters have to say…

For a little background, first tell us about your exercise style and how the elliptical fits in, or contrasts with that.

SS: Well, I’ve been exercising almost my whole life. I try to go to the gym for about 45 minutes 4-5 times a week. I dedicate three or four days for cardio, sometimes including weight training afterwards. I’ve been doing full body routines so I can maximize my time; I really don’t have the time or patience for 2+ hours in the gym. The elliptical is my go-to because it helps me burn a ton of calories, I’m familiar with it, and it’s easy on my joints.

JJ: I’ve been working out six days a week, at least 90-minutes a day since my high school football days. At the moment, I’m really into Cross Fit two to three days a week, with a couple of cardio sessions on top of that. I’ll usually do some sort of isolated work another two days a week. I lift heavy weights, low reps, and always push myself to do more. When I do cardio, I do sprints, and nothing but. Anything else is just a waste of time. The elliptical is what lazy people do so they can feel good about themselves for going to the gym. It’s a huge time waster.

Steady Sally, I noticed you prefer long, slow, and steady-state cardio. Why do you feel this is better than Juicin’ Joe’s method of high-intensity cardio?

SS: Well, I’m not sure if Joe knows, but your body burns more FAT calories when you exercise at a lower intensity. Since I’m trying to burn fat, this is why I focus on long and slow cardio. It just makes sense. I’m not trying to become an Olympic sprinter. The elliptical is perfect for the long and slow approach..and you know what? It’s actually kind of fun!

JJ: Sally doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. When you do your cardio at a higher intensity, you burn more total calories, which makes what Sally is saying, irrelevant. More total calories burnt means you will have less body fat. The elliptical is almost impossible to sprint on, so it really is just there for people who want to raise their heart rate slightly, but not make progress. Also, the act of sprinting helps develop lean muscle mass in the lower body which the elliptical could never do.

What about for people with weak knees or other joints? Do you still recommend all of your clients perform high-intensity cardio, Juicin’ Joe?

JJ: Let me answer that question with a question of my own. Do these people with weak knees or other joints want to make progress? If so, then YES! High-intensity cardio combined with heavy lifting is the only way to make progress! If you want to make progress you will sprint….and avoid the elliptical. Period.

SS: I don’t agree with that. Yes, I still have some weight to lose, but the elliptical has been so effective for me. Not to mention, it’s helped spare my knees, ankles, and hips which lets me continue working out even as I age. Juicin’ Joe has no idea what aches and pains of middle-age are like. People my age can’t sprint like a 25-year-old!

JJ: That’s because you don’t push yourself! You’ve been working out for 20 years doing the same damn thing…and you STILL have weight to lose? Obviously something ain’t workin! You can’t keep doing the same thing forever and expect change…it doesn’t work that way!

SS: Like I said, I’ve lost a ton of weight, I just have some remaining stomach fat to lose, but I can already tell I’m down a pound or two this month…so it’s coming off. Slow and steady..that’s the healthiest way to lose weight!

JJ: A pound or two this month? I used to lose 10 pounds in an afternoon when I was cutting weight for wrestling! You need to raise your goals or you’ll never make progress!

Alright calm down…Let’s move on to a topic Joe brought up; changing what you do. Steady Sally, do you buy into the ideas of muscle confusion and mixing up your routines to promote change?

SS: I’ve heard about muscle confusion on P90X, but I’m pretty sure that’s for people who are lifting serious weights. Cardio is cardio. The machine tells me how many calories I’m burning, so I know it’s working. If I could fix my diet a little more, I know I’d be losing much more weight than I am.

JJ: No way. Muscle confusion isn’t just for the weights. You’ve got to switch up your cardio too. I try to do biking, running, whatever. I just do something different and I can making progress. Look at me! My abs are phenomenal. Does this look like I don’t know what I’m doing? Hardcore abs, 2 grams of protein per body weight, and sprints….this is why I look the way I do.

But Juicin’ Joe…let’s be honest; your name is Juicin’ Joe. Do you really expect us to believe your approach and physique are all natural?

JJ: Like I said, mixing up what I do has me looking the way I do. I do sprints bro, you don’t even know about them because you probably jog on the treadmill or something. You’ve got to sprint or you’re just wasting your time!

SS: I’d also like to add, people like Juicin’ Joe are the reason the elliptical is so enjoyable. I don’t have to see, talk, or interact with all these meatheads and hussies running around the gym. Just hop on my elliptical, read my mag, and get out.

JJ: Maybe if you stopped being so lazy and started doing what I was doing in the gym, you wouldn’t have that spare tire to lug around?

Juicin’ Joe, that’s a low blow, let’s stay professional here. Before we wrap things up, I’d like you both to sum things up for the people at home. Explain your position and what you feel is the best way to lose weight. Sally, you go first…

SS: Finding something you actually enjoy doing is the best way to make progress. If you hate your workouts, how long do you think you’ll keep up with them? I love the elliptical and it works for me. It tells me how many calories I’m burning and makes me feel good about myself. It works out my upper body, lower body, and boosts my heart rate. On top of that, it’s not hard on my joints and is perfectly suited for burning those fat calories which you can only do at a lower intensity. It’s the best overall machine and something everyone should consider.

JJ: I’ll say it again, the elliptical is for lazy people who want to feel good about going to the gym, but don’t care about making progress. If you want to make progress you’ll lift as much weight as possible, do sprints, and eat clean. It’s that simple. Everyone can look the way I do, they just don’t work hard enough. Do sprints outside or do complex workouts to boost your heart rate and maximize the calories you burn in the gym. If you want to look soft and average, use an elliptical. If you want to be a ripped up beast, you better up the intensity.

So in this oversimplified and admittedly corny debate, we’ve look at two extremes. First, we have Steady Sally, who is the typical elliptical user. She believes the long and slow approach is best for burning fat and is a bit hesitant to try things outside of her comfort zone. Juicin’ Joe is the kind of guy who jumps on the latest fitness trend and believes there is only way to accomplish fitness goals. To be perfectly honest, both points of view have some validity to them, it’s just about discerning what points to take away from each.

So, the answer the million dollar question…. Can an elliptical trainer machine help you lose weight?

Yes, with a few big IF’s….

Ellipticals can help you lose weight if you use them appropriately. Sally was wrong in that exercising long and slow is the best approach for significant weight loss. Joe has the right idea when he explained that burning more total calories will help you out in the long run. Also, continually confusing your cardiovascular system is just as important as confusing your muscles. Don’t rely solely on the elliptical. It can help you lose weight most effectively if it is combined with other forms of cardio, as well as weight training. Use an elliptical as just one part of a total weight loss plan, not the one and only focus. Additionally, the low-impact nature of the elliptical is great for people with bad joints, as Sally pointed out. Combining the elliptical with other forms of low-impact exercise would be a good plan for those more limited.

A few other helpful tips to maximize the benefits of the elliptical machine…

Use the settings on the elliptical to bump the intensity. Keeping it on the lowest setting isn’t going to cut it. Bump it up and remember you can still perform interval sets by simply pressing a button. Try bouncing between a high/low settings which should help you push yourself harder.
Try doing “elliptical sprints”. Just like high-intensity interval training on a treadmill or bike, you can alternate between periods of all out exertion and a relaxed pace. A :45/:45 split (45 seconds all out, 45 seconds relaxed pace) can be very challenging and beneficial when performed over a 30-45 minute period.
Combining the elliptical with a challenging weight training program will give you the best results. Adding muscle mass to your body will bump your metabolism and help you burn more calories overall.

The Winter Warrior Workout Plan Part 1 of 3

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 18 Comments

: Follow this workout plan and there’s no reason you can’t keep in this kind of summer shape year round…

Summer has officially been dead for almost 3 weeks now, the weather is starting to cool down, swimsuits are going into hibernation, and waistlines everywhere are slowly but surely starting to expand. Does all of this just sound too depressing to even think about to you? Unfortunately for millions of hardworking summer fitness freaks, the fall and winter months are when their motivation takes a hit and their well-deserved progress they’ve made all summer slowly melts away; covered in a pale, flabby layer of winter fat.

First off, if you’re reading this, you’re a human, not a bear. You don’t need winter fat, nor do you need to hibernate all winter long. Odds are you’ve been going at it full-throttle for 4-6 months and are probably in need of a serious change to your workout plan. We’re going to give you something so uniquely awesome, it’s sure to jumpstart your metabolism, as well as motivation, and keep you on the track to lean body heaven.

Something else to keep in mind; it’s a lot harder to eat healthy during the cold winter months when EVERYTHING seems more difficult. Farmer’s markets are gone, the days are shorter, and picking up a quick meal on the way home seems oh so easy. Let’s not forget about the Thanksgiving to New Year’s gauntlet which is sure to throw more pies, cakes, and fatty goodies at you than any other time of the year.

This winter, we need something that is SERIOUSLY going to combat all of these things working against us. To keep this a fair fight, we need a workout plan over-the-top, but engaging enough to keep you on top of things all fall and winter long. I KNOW how hard it can be to get yourself to the gym when its overcast, rainy, and 42 degrees out….so a lot of these workouts can be done from your living room…provided you have a little bit of room and a couple of pieces of equipment.

The Winter Warrior Workout Plan

This plan uses a lot of full body workouts to keep your metabolism spiked all winter long. The short rest times and explosive movements are great for burning fat (much better than boring steady state cardio) and keeping your endurance levels high and heart healthy. We’ll only *require* you go to the gym once or twice a week for the complex lift sequences. These are very important as we can’t let our muscles atrophy over the winter. By keeping the muscles engaged all winter (and assuming you’re eating healthy), it’s very likely you’ll come out more ripped and lean than you were in the middle of summer.

Weeks 1-6

Day 1:

Tips: Burn 5-600 calories, spike EPOC, build explosive lean muscle in the lower body. Repeat each circuit a total of three times. This workout can be completely accomplished at home, so no need to head to the gym today.

Warm up: Turbo Jacks 90 seconds
Circuit 1: Breakdowns 1 minute/Broadway Shuffle 1 minute/180 Planks 1 minute/REST 1 minute
Circuit 2: Cross Jumps (use cans or dumbbells) 1 minute/Donkey Squats 1 minute/10 Hindu Push ups/1 minute rest
Circuit 3: Horizontal Jacks 1 minute/Turbo Lunges 1 minute/Turbo Hops 1 minute/ 1 minute rest
3 x 25 Bicycle crunches
3 x 1 minute Planks
3 x 25 Dumbbell (or can) Crunches

Day 2:

Tips: Maintain the heightened metabolism we established in day one, burn an additional 5-600 calories, completely fatigue the muscles, hit all major muscle groups. Unless you’ve got a great home gym, you will want to get yourself to your gym or fitness center for today’s workout. We’re going to use complex workouts to burn your muscles and increase your endurance. Repeat this complex 6-8 times total. Be sure to use a weight that allows you to perform 8-10 reps on your WEAKEST exercise.

8-10 Dumbbell Curl Press
6-8 Bent Over Dumbbell Row
6-8 Hanging Knee Raises
6-8 Push Up Plank Rows
8-10 Burpees
8-10 Squat Press
10-12 Russian Twists with Dumbbell

Day 3:

Tips: Again, this is another workout you can easily do at home as long as you have a little room. This workout is going to require you to use a jump rope. Don’t already have one? Luckily you can pick one up for under $10 at Play It Again Sports or something similar. This workout is extremely intense and great at building shapely muscles in your lower half while helping you melt fat all over your body and tighten your midsection.

15 rounds of:

Jump Rope 1 minute/Max Burpees 30 seconds/Plank 30 seconds

Day 4:

Tips: You’re likely going to have to head to the gym to get on a treadmill and stationary bike here. But don’t worry, this one is going to be short and sweet. We’re all about doing HIIT cardio today, i.e. short periods of 100% max effort followed by a slower and longer less intense period. This is one of the best, if not the best way to burn that annoying fat covering your stomach, sides, and lower body. Remember, 100% max effort means as FAST AS YOU CAN GO. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to catch your breath during the slow periods.

Minutes 1-12 (30 second sprint/1:30 jog)
Minutes 13-14 Bump treadmill incline to 7.5% and set speed to 5 mph
Minutes 15-16 Bump treadmill incline to 10% and set speed to 3.5 mph
Minutes 17-24 (30 second sprint/1:30 jog

Get off the treadmill and head immediately to the stationary bike…

Minutes 1-6 (45 second sprint/45 second relaxed pace)
Minutes 6-8 Bump resistance to 50% of max and grind it out….keep those legs moving!
Minutes 9-15 (45 second sprint/45 second relaxed pace)

Day 5:

Tips: Today we’re all about doing heavy, complex lifts. We’re going to focus on going heavy, setting rep ranges between 5-8 while doing 3-5 sets per exercise. Make sure you’re using a weight that causes you to fail before completing your last rep on your final set or two. In the coming months we’ll change things up, but for now, focus on using heavy weights.

4 sets of 5-6: Bench Press
4 sets of 6-8: Barbell Squats
3 sets of max: Wide Grip Pullups
4 sets of 6-8: Skullcrushers
5 sets of 5: Clean and Press
3 sets of max: Push Ups
4 sets of 6-8: Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
3 sets of max: Dips
5 sets of 5: Close Grip Seated Row

A quick tip…if you are unsure of any of the exercises in this workout plan, simply hop over to ShareItFitness.com and browse our Body Diagram tool. We feature hundreds of exercises demonstrated on video, so simply take a look and make sure to get the form down right.

This plan takes you through six weeks of workouts. After this point, you’ll want to check out part 2 of this 3 part series and follow along for the next six weeks. Expect a stark change in parts two and three as we aim to confuse your body and keep your muscles and cardiovascular system guessing about what’s coming next. We’ll be sure to slowly increase the difficulty of workouts so you’re guaranteed to keep making progress.

In total, we’re giving you 18 weeks of fat blasting and lean muscle-building workouts. Depending on when you start, this should take you to right about the end of February or early March. Give yourself a well-deserved and much-needed break of two weeks. When you’re fully recuperated and ready to get back at it, spring should just about be ready to start blooming and hopefully you’ll have a much improved and fit body to go along with it.

Like Our Workout Plan? Want More Great Share It Fitness Content?

Head on over to our full site, shareitfitness.com and check out all that we have to offer. If you’re looking for additional workouts or fitness classes on video, we’ve got you covered. Share It Fitness features one of the largest libraries of OnDemand fitness classes on the web. Head on over and sign up for free at shareitfitness.com and browse our OnDemand library. Whatever you like doing to keep fit, we’ve got something for you, so come check us out today!

The Fat Blasting Circuit Workout That Will Change You Forever

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training Leave a comment

This OnDemand circuit workout is perfect for killing fat at the gym OR at home...

It’s Friday..and for most of you, your minds are already shifting into weekend mode. That’s all well and good, but don’t let yourself fall into a little something I like to call the weekend trap. You know the weekend trap all too well; get home from work, immediately begin making plans for the evening as you reason to yourself… It’s the weekend damnit! I worked hard all week, one missed workout isn’t going to kill me! And as you know all too well, a missed workout Friday usually translates into missed workouts Saturday and Sunday too.

Let’s Get Going!

Let’s do out best to avoid this and get in a solid workout today…how’s that sound? And better yet, if you’re able to sustain the pace you’d been keeping all week, hitting that Saturday/Sunday workout becomes all the less difficult to muster.

I know a lot of plans recommend a 5 day per week routine…this is simply a recommendation. I know when I create plans and use a 5 day a week routine, it’s simply so I don’t burn you guys out. The fittest, healthiest, and most physically appealing people are working out a solid 6-7 days a week. Keep in mind, every day doesn’t have to be grueling, but getting out there and elevating your heart rate, working your muscles, and getting a sweat on will help you reach your goals faster.

So, with that in mind, I’ve got a little dumbbell circuit workout for you today. Lead by the lean, mean, Casey Kirch, this class is perfect for a friday afternoon (or morning) workout. You’re in and out in less than 40 minutes, and hit all of the major muscle groups in the process. What’s more, Casey has carefully timed each of the rest intervals so all you have to do is lift/rest when he does.

As an added bonus, because of the strict rest times and complex lifts found in this circuit workout, you’re guaranteed to bump your EPOC and seriously spike your metabolism. That means you’re going to burn more calories AFTER the workout has finished. So while you’re laying in bed Saturday morning thinking about the 101 reasons you can’t go get your workout on…this circuit workout will STILL be working its magic….although don’t take that as an excuse to stay in bed until 1 pm!

What Do I Need?

For this workout, not much. You’ll need your own bodyweight, a little space, and a set of dumbbells. Whether you’re taking this class at home on your computer or at the gym following along on your phone or tablet, make sure you have a little room to move around. Casey moves quickly between exercises, so make sure you’re paying attention. Other than that, get loose, have a bottle of water nearby, and get ready for 40 minutes of virtual training like you’ve never seen before!

To take our Dumbbell Circuit class by Casey Kirch, click HERE!

Burn Fat Fast with This 10 Minute Workout “Finisher”

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

Use this 10 minute “finisher” to burn fat fast and give your metabolism a kick in the pants.

Think back over the course of the past month. How many workouts do you think you did? 10, 15, 20 or more? Okay, great. Now, do you recall how you ended most of these workouts? Maybe a little ab work? How about a few dumbbell curls to pump up those biceps before you walk past all the chicks on the treadmills on your way out. Perhaps a light one mile jog to finish things out? Do some of you even remember doing anything in particular to finish off your workout before leaving the gym?

If you’re like most people, the end of your workouts probably leave a lot to be desired. Today, I’m going to explain to you why you need to change this, and why the last 10 minutes of your workout are arguably the most important 10 minutes of your ENTIRE day.

Physiology Is Your Friend

I’ve touched on this several times in past articles, but I’ve got to highlight the phenomenon known as EPOC one more time. For those that don’t know, EPOC stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. This represents the number of calories burned while your body attempts to get itself back into a pre-exercise state. You see, everything your body does to regulate itself requires energy; i.e. calories. In brief, the harder you exercise, the more work your body has to do to get itself back to the way it was before your killer workout.

The key to successfully boosting your EPOC to stratospheric levels AND maintaining a good workout while you’re in the gym is highly dependent on:

High intensity
Carefully calculated rest times
Complex movements hitting multiple parts of the body at once

You probably already know how to bring the intensity. What you may not know are how to use rest times to satisfactorily allow you to continue exercising at a high level, but push you hard enough that EPOC receives a significant boost. You can’t just go out there, pump some weights, take a breather, maybe run on the treadmill for a while, and expect to reap all of the EPOC benefits. You want to maximize EPOC and burn fat fast? Then you need a carefully designed workout that takes into account all of the above.

Additionally, if you think simply jacking your heart rate through high-intensity cardio alone is going to get the job done, guess again. Lifting heavy weights takes a major toll on the muscles (in a good way) and spikes your heart rate as well. This combination of extreme muscle fatigue and increased respiration and heart rate are the perfect storm for a sizzling EPOC. Combining heavy weights with high-intensity cardio is the single best way to increase your post-exercise caloric burn. Next, I’ll show you how we can realistically accomplish this.

The Most Intense 10-Minutes of Your Life

Before people start jumping on me for my choice of words, allow me a brief admission. I’ve never given birth to a child. I’ve been told in some cases, that process can go on for days. So please, forgive my slight exaggeration in calling this the most intense 10-minutes of your life. I fully respect the intensity it takes to shoot a watermelon sized human out of your body. But, bottomline, this workout is KILLER. Thankfully though, it’s not long enough that you want to die. It’s the right mix of intensity and length that does the job without completely burning you out.

So check it out, we’re going to shift between high-intensity plyometric work and low rep/heavy weight lifts…and we’re going to shift quickly and with limited rest, so get yourself ready for 10 minutes of intensity.

1 minute squat jacks
1 minute turbo hops
2 x 6 dumbbell snatches per arm

Tips: On the snatches, perform right side, left side, 15 seconds rest, repeat. Use a weight that is heavy enough that completing the final rep of each set is difficult.

30 Second Rest

1 minute Plated Speed Skaters
1 minute Lateral Hops
2 x 6 Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Tips: On the Bent Over Dumbbell Rows go for only 30 seconds rest between sets and again, go heavy so the final rep of each set is very tough to complete.

30 Second Rest

1 minute Box Jumps (substitute squat jumps if no access to a box)
1 minute Mountain Climbers
Windshield Wipers until failure

So there you have it; this is the 10 minute workout finisher that is going to completely change your outlook on weight loss and staying fit. Bet you never thought something so short could be so effective. How effective you may be wondering? Well, keep reading…

The Little Things Add Up

By now we should have a clear understanding of what EPOC is and why we want to use it to our benefit. After all, continuing to burn loads of calories after you’ve gotten off the treadmill, gone home, and laid yourself out on the sofa is a pretty awesome thing. I want to show you in a more concrete way why this 10 minute workout is literally going to change your life. Take a look..

As we know, caloric burn is dependent on several variables such as weight, gender, muscle mass, etc. So the numbers I’m giving you below are simply guidelines to illustrate my point. These stats are fairly accurate for my body type. As a reference, I’m 5’10″, 165lbs, ~8-10% body fat..so it’s safe to say I probably burn more calories during exercise than most, but I digress..

Over the course of 10 days, I calculated that this 10 minute workout finisher burns on average ~140 calories per workout. While 140 calories may not seem like much, lets take a look at that number in the grand scheme of things…

140 calories burned x 6 workouts a week = 740 EXTRA calories burned a week
740 calories burned a week x 4.33 weeks a month = 3,204 calories a month

We should also know by now that 3,500 calories is equal to one pound of body fat. So, with this 10 minute finisher tacked on to the end of your workout, you instantly, magically, and wonderfully are now losing an extra 12 pounds a year. Again, this is on top of EVERYTHING you are currently doing. Consider this excess fat burn a little bonus.

BUT WAIT….

Didn’t you say that EPOC will continue to help burn fat AFTER the workout? As a matter of fact, I did. So hold on to your horses, because things just got even better here. Not only are you burning 3,204 calories a month WHILE you’re actively engaged in this workout, but since this 10-minute finisher is designed to spike EPOC, you’re getting all of the post-exercise calorie burning benefits as well. So when combined together, this nifty little workout finisher is helping you seriously torch calories, burn fat FAST, and build lean, strong muscles across your body. Not bad for 10 minutes of work, huh?

Using This Workout

It doesn’t matter WHAT plan you’re on now. Whether your on our Total Body Blitz plan, doing Crossfit WOD’s, or doing the P90x DVD’s, it doesn’t matter. This 10-minute finisher is easily tacked on to ANYTHING. Since it’s so short, you don’t have to worry about it throwing off your next day schedule.

Like I said, this plan is just right bit of intensity and length, making it something you could theoretically do after each workout. That said, if you are performing this long-term, consider shifting the weight training exercises every 2-3 months. Wide grip pull-ups, heavy lat pull downs, bench press…there are tons of complex movements that would fill in nicely. The cardio exercises are what I consider to be some of the best exercises for jacking your heart rate, as well as hitting the major muscles in your lower body and core. Keep them constant and shuffle the resistance work as you see fit.

The Med Ball Cardio Video Challenge: 30 Minutes of Simple, Yet Effective Fat Burning Goodness

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Training Leave a comment

A medicine ball and YOU is all you need for this intense workout.

These are the reasons I love exercise. Unlike so many other things in our lives, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Sure, there are people and programs who make it seem overly complicated, but it’s not really. I often liken a great trainer to a great artist; being able to come up with routine after routine, each different, yet as effective as the next, while using a wide variety of mediums requires true skill. It requires a certain instinct; something that can’t necessarily be learned. Finding a program and/or trainer who doesn’t just help you exercise, but helps you exercise WELL is paramount to your success.

Exercising vs. Exercising Well

As expected there are differences between exercising and exercising well. Exercise is simply done for the sake of exercise. You do it because you feel like you need to. Little time or care has gone into your routines. They grow stale and they don’t recognize who YOU are and what YOU are looking for in a workout. Exercising well is the smart way of going about things. It utilizes the less is more approach. It’s aware of what you’re looking for in a workout. It delivers big results as efficiently as possible.

A big part of what we try to do at Share It Fitness is make top-quality fitness instruction more accessible and effective than the current state of affairs allow. DVD programs are awesome, but they’re hundreds of dollars. Group fitness classes are cool, but you can’t always adjust your schedule, and their costs start to add up quickly as well. Our OnDemand fitness classes strive to bring you the same level of instruction, while affording you the convenience of taking your workout anywhere, anytime.

Fitness is Simple

Have you ever walked into someone’s home and seen tons of fitness contraptions, gizmos, and dusty equipment scattered about? How about those people who bounce from one machine to the next at the gym? While everything has its place, this certainly isn’t the only way to exercise well. We pride ourselves on being able to create amazing, body-changing, heart-pounding workouts with next to nothing. This is what we think separates our method and our trainers here at Share It Fitness. With that said, we’ve created a beautifully simple, yet highly effective fitness class for all of you at home (or at the gym) to follow along with. This fat burning workout video is minimalistic in nature, this class requires the use of only your own body weight and a small medicine ball (or dumbbell if you don’t have access to a medicine ball).

Share It Fitness trainer, Sharon Blair, has created this class with one thing in mind: BURN FAT. This class is great for increasing your endurance or simply used as a fat burner. As with all Share It Fitness classes, our format is created in such a way that you are encouraged to keep pace with your trainer; this is how we are able to ensure our workouts are so effective. Match Sharon’s speed and intensity (while maintaining form) and you’ll be dripping sweat and burning calories in no time. If you aren’t quite at her level, don’t worry, work your way up to it. If you’re ready for a real challenge, run through this class twice for an almost full hour of non-stop cardio conditioning.

Med Ball Cardio Challenge

Click HERE to take our 30-minute calorie blasting Med Ball Cardio Challenge Class

The Total Body Superset Complex Workout Plan

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 12 Comments

Training with intensity is key to success with this program...

By now, you’ve got to realize we feature a lot of workout plans on Share It Fitness. We’ve had tons of success with our total body transformation plan, Total Body Blitz. The Greatest Ab Workout in the World has also developed a legion of loyal followers. The great thing is, combining or moving on to other plans is something we highly encourage here at Share It Fitness. There isn’t ONE plan that will give you everything you need for the rest of your exercising life. Once you’ve made it through one plan, start looking for another.

One of the great things about our plans is that we try them out on ourselves and our completely willing (I promise) ~~guinea pigs~~, real-life clients before submitting to our online fans. We see what works, what doesn’t, and in turn, you, our online readership only see the best and most effective fitness routines. This is what Share It Fitness is about and this is why we’re different. That said, it’s been some time since we come out with another plan…so hold on to your hats, because we’ve got something that is simply going to blow you away.

By now, we should be familiar with the idea of complex workouts. Complex workouts are great for building muscle, burning fat, and making the most of your time in the gym. I got to thinking though…what if we were to take the standard complex workout format and break it down into a more specific routine. What if there were a way to create a hybrid split/complex routine that still managed to achieve massive amounts of fat burning power? Well after a little trial and error, I’ve got something that turns everything else on its head; meet Superset Mini-Complexes.

Superset Mini-Complexes are for anyone looking to up their intensity in the gym, while maximizing their time, AND focusing more of their efforts on improving their physique through the development of lean muscle mass.

How They’re Performed

Similar to regular complexes, we perform a series of exercises one after another, with rest only after the completion of the final exercise. However, instead of sequences featuring 5-8 exercises as normally found in a complex workout, we break things down into 3 exercise complexes, performed in superset format. Similar to supersets, we perform exercises hitting differing muscle groups one after another. However, to put a twist into things, we add a third exercise, which goes back to hitting the first muscle we targeted, thereby inducing extreme fatigue (and growth). Additionally, the shortened rest times keep intensity and fatigue on the muscles through the roof. An example exercise sequence in the Superset Mini-Complex workout would look like this:

8-12 Incline Bench Press, supersetted with
8-12 Incline Dumbbell Curls, supersetted with
8-12 Incline Dumbbell Flys, rest 30 seconds, repeat entire sequence 2-3 more times.

One point of note, the weights used during these exercises sequences should be slightly lower than you are accustomed to. To perform these exercises listed, especially with short rest times, it’s vital to use a weight that is doable. Whatever weight you choose, you should be reaching failure on most (if not all) exercises by the third or fourth set.

Why They’re Awesome

This workout plan is great for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they allow you to hit your entire body effectively in a short period of time. However, unlike regular complexes, you can really get in and hit your muscles to a greater degree. Because of this, this workout routine is great for anyone who has trouble building muscle, or simply wants to continue improving their physique through muscle development. Complexes are great in that they bump the heart rate while allowing you to hit your muscles, but to really get the muscle-building benefits of a serious weight training workout, you’ve got to attack the fibers and make the beg for mercy…which is exactly what Supersetted Mini-Complexes do.

For those concerned with the inclusion of fat burning benefits in a workout plan, rest assured the high-paced format of these workouts will get your heart rate pumping at and the sweat dripping. The short rest period of 30 seconds is just enough to allow you to catch your breath, but not enough for your heart rate to completely drop down. This is one of the bigger problems with a split schedule routine, i.e. chest/triceps one day, back/bi’s the next, etc. How many times have you seen someone at your gym do a set of a particular exercise, put the weight down, the sit and rest for 60-90+ seconds? This format is great for body builders or other individuals interested in large, yet not so functional, muscles…but for anyone else wanting to burn some fat and develop a lean, athletic physique…not so much.

This format is all about inducing serious fatigue, then backing off as not to over train the muscle. Training in this manner allows you to shock your muscle fibers in a way they likely haven’t seen in quite a while, if ever. Most people don’t train in this manner, so whenever someone new starts this plan, extreme soreness for the first week or so is expected. That said, once past the soreness, all you have to look forward to are serious gains.

The Workout

Day 1 – Upper Body Focus

Mini-complex #1

8-12 Bench Press, superset with
8-12 Lateral Dumbbell Raises, superset with
8-12 Dumbbell Flat Bench Flys
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #2

8-12 Single Arm Dumbbell Rows, superset with
10-15 Feet Elevated Push Ups, superset with
8-12 Curl Presses
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #3

8-12 Dumbbell Military Press
8-12 Overhead Tricep Press, superset with
8-12 Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Flys
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #4

8-12 Tricep Rope Pushdown, superset with
8-12 Close Grip Lat Pulldown, superset with
Dips til failure
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Day 2 – Lower Body Focus

Mini-Complex #1

8-12 Smith Machine Squats, superset with
15-20 Smith Machine Calve Raises, superset with
8-10 Squat Jumps
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-Complex #2

8-12 Reverse Barbell Lunges, superset with
8-12 Barbell Bench Step Ups, superset with
8-12 Bulgarian Squats
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-Complex #3

12-15 Russian Lunges, superset with
25-30 Bodyweight Squats (get 90 degrees!), superset with
8-12 Leg Press Machine
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times.

I’d recommend taking these two workouts and alternating between them so you are hitting your upper body muscles 2-3 times a week (play around with what ratio works best for you) and your lower body 1-2 times a week. In addition, I recommend some short HIIT cardio on off-days. A full program with this routine would look like this…

Monday: Day 1 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
Tuesday: Day 2 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: 15-20 minutes HIIT Sprinting (:30 second sprint/1 minute jog)
Friday: Day 1 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
Saturday: Day 2 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
Sunday: 15-20 minutes of HIIT Sprinting/Cycling/your choice using a sprint/rest ration of 50% (as used on Thursdays workout)

Every body is different, if you need more weight training, feel free to mess around with my schedule and adjust accordingly. Just be sure you are NOT over training. If your muscles are still sore from a pervious workout, I would highly suggest you either train the opposite day or get in a little extra HIIT cardio.

The happy medium for our participants we tested this workout on have been about 2-3 days of upper body training with 1-2 days of lower body training. Figure out what works best for your body then roll with it for 2-3 months.

Keeping Things Fresh

If you want to keep things fresh, feel free to mess around with the exercises to find different things to challenge yourself. Head on over to our full site, ShareItFitness.com and browse our exercise video library. We’ve got hundreds of exercises demonstrated on video for you. Just browse by body part and you’ll surely find things to supplement what I’ve listed above.

Additionally, and this is very important, make sure you are keeping track of the weights used in a journal, notebook, on your computer, etc. Reference this often and continually make efforts to bump the weights. One of the best ways to avoid plateau and keep making progress is by always looking to increase weights as your strength improves. It’s impossible to improve your strength and physique if you’re using weights that are too easy or that your body has grown used to. Don’t be afraid to push yourself. It’ll likely take a bit of mental willpower to lift weights that are uncomfortable at first, but once you see you can make it through a full workout, the next time out will be that much easier.

Happy lifting to everyone, and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Like This Workout Routine?

…Then you’ll love everything we’ve got over at ShareItFitness.com. We feature one of the largest full-length exercise video databases on the web in our OnDemand library. Browse hundreds of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts that you can stream on any phone, tablet, computer, or television. All available at the touch of a button, and best of all, free for a little while longer.

Re-Energize Yourself: An NFL Caliber Workout for an NFL Caliber Body

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training 1 Comment

The NFL season is just about here, and I think it’s time we take a cue from the masters of the Gridiron and give our workouts a facelift. By this time of the year, summer is winding down and your workouts are likely getting just a tad stale. Like most things, change is needed to continue moving the bar forward. While there are a million and one ways to mix things up, people often get so overwhelmed with their options that they end up changing nothing.

In order to combat this, we’re going to take some workout ideas from some of the NFL’s best. This workout series is designed to increase your strength, power, and speed. Some of you may be scratching your heads thinking, “Why do I need to increase my strength, power, and speed?” Well, while you may not NEED those physical abilities, the body that come with developing those physical abilities is something I’m willing to bet you ARE after. Who doesn’t want to look like a lean, toned, and well-developed athlete after all?

By performing a workout that quickly shifts between power lifts, speed/agility drills, and advanced lifting formats like drop sets, you’ll be able to effectively train like an NFL caliber athlete and develop a killer body in the process. This workout is for men or women; workouts that claim to be gender-specific are almost always gimmicky and you should steer clear.

The following plan gives you two separate days of workouts. Based on your current fitness program you may want to combine both days with what you’re currently doing, you may include only one, or you may decide to repeat the workouts below up to 4-5 days a week.

Workout A

The first workout in this series is all about helping to increase your speed, agility, and explosive power. Again, these may not seem like vital life skills given your occupation, but developing these skills by way of this workout will help you burn tons of calories, increase lean muscle mass, and tone up across your body. All you’re going to need t accomplish this workout is a little area outside or in your gym, making it highly versatile. You’ll be performing this workout circuit style, moving from one exercise to the next with rest only when indicated. This format of workout will help increase your endurance, fatigue the muscles in your lower body helping you build a lean set of legs and butt, and torch calories and fat.

5 yard sprints x 25. Get down in sprinter’s stance and explode up and as fast as possible for 5 yards. Stop, rest 5 seconds, repeat.
Four Point Runs x 10. Set up four cones or points in a square, each side ~8 yards long. Shuffle sideways from point 1 to point 2, run in reverse from point 2 to point 3, shuffle sideways from point 3 to point 4, and sprint forwards from point 4 to point 1. Rest 10 seconds and repeat nine more times.

3. Criss Cross Runs x 10. This drill is slightly different and will help you work on your foot work, agility, and explosive power. Shuffle from point 1 to point 2. Back pedal across the box from point 2 to point 3. Side shuffle from point 3 to point 4. Run full speed ahead from point 4 back to point 1. Repeat 9 more times. Do your best to limit the time it takes to transition from a shuffle to back pedal to full speed ahead. As you continue to work on this type of drill you’ll develop the fast-twitch muscle fibers in your league which will improve your speed and agility, all while giving you a nice, shapely tone. Rest 90 seconds before moving on to the next part of this workout.

4. 100 yard sprints x 10. Get yourself on a track or football field for this one, or simply walk off 100 yards. Sprint 100 yards as fast as possible, rest for 10 seconds, repeat. This is a variation of HIIT training which will burn a ton of calories, exponentially increase your endurance, and leave you in fantastic shape. Rest 90 seconds before moving on to the next part of this workout.

5. High Knee Runs x 10. Set up cones, or simply walk off 20 yards. Run with HIGH KNEES from one point to the other. Turn around and run back; that’s 1 full repetition. Rest 10 seconds between each full repetition. It should be noted that you will not be able to run very fast if you are doing this properly. Focus on getting your knees as high as possible and do your best not to slack as you tire. This exercise is great for developing your core, gluteal muscles, and endurance. Repeat for 9 more repetitions. Rest 90 seconds before moving on to the next part of this workout.

6. 100 Squat Jumps/50 Burpees. Complete each exercise in order, in as few sets as possible. Explode through each movement, get yourself high off the ground and land softly on the balls of your feet. Time yourself and continue to try to improve on your personal best each time out. Limit your rest and really finish strong, this is the final element of the workout.

Workout B

This workout places a greater emphasis on building your strength and muscle tone by utilizing complex exercises in a circuit style format. You will perform one set of one exercise, then move on to the next, then next, and so on. Once you’ve completed the circuit once, you’ll take a break as indicated, then start with the first exercise in the circuit again. You’ll repeat this entire circuit 8 times through. Focus on exploding through the lifts and generate power from your lower body during the overhead movements. All you’re going to need here is a barbell and dumbbell. Since we’re performing these exercises back-to-back opt for a weight slightly lower than you would normally use.

Barbell Clean and Press 8 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows 8 reps
Barbell Squat Jumps 10 reps
Dumbbell Snatch 8 reps per arm
Box Jumps 10 reps
Dumbbell Curls 8 reps per arm
Dumbbelll Squat Press 8 reps
Rest 60 seconds, repeat 7 more times.

That circuit is brutal, no other way to describe it. But the great thing is you’re going to get a ton of cardio work (and the associated calorie burn) as well as hit almost all of the major muscles in your body. This is an extremely effective way of working out as it will literally transform you from an average gym-goer into a full-on, fit, athletic looking bad ass in a short time. If you’re committed to sticking with this two workout combo for an extended period of time, feel free to play around with this circuit a little. If you’re performing this multiple times a week, I’d recommend going with VERY light weight on some days and increasing reps 2-3 times for each exercise. Performing high reps is a great way to build strength, especially when combined with heavier/lower rep days.

So there you have it boys and girls, this is an NFL caliber workout designed to get you in the best shape of your life. Just because summer is over and cool weather is on the horizon, doesn’t mean it’s time to let your body slack. You worked hard all summer, get out of the cycle of 3-4 months of hard work, 3-4 months of slacking, and then 3-4 months of ramping back up. Go medium-high intensity all year long and you’ll be so much further along NEXT summer when you’re getting back into that bikini or board shorts.