Cardio Training Article Archive

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?

If you like this and want more help, guidance, and other fitness plans to help you achieve your goals, come check out ShareItFitness.com. We recently launched our full site and are still giving away free premium memberships to all of our exclusive content, including hundreds of full-length group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts in our OnDemand library. Streaming to any smartphone, tablet, computer, or wifi-enabled television, get all the benefits of group fitness or expensive DVD programs with the convenience and mobility of choosing when and where you get your work out in. Come check us out, we’re changing the way fitness instruction is being delivered forever!

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.

Like Share It Fitness Workouts? How Does Hundreds of Share It Fitness VIDEO Fitness Classes OnDemand Sound?

Join hunderds of other SIF’ers who are using our OnDemand fitness classes to totally transform their bodies, inside and out. Head over to the full Share It Fitness site or just click HERE to get your free premium membership. We’re still offering free premium memberships which will give you access to all of our OnDemand fitness classes and other premium content…so come on over and get started today!

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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Spring Clean Your Diet By Cleaning Out Your House

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Dr. P.K. Newby Posted in Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Weight loss Leave a comment

This is the third post in my series on dieting, weight loss, and healthy eating, as we continue to look forward with anticipation (dread?) to warmer weather and smaller clothes. Now, jut to be very clear, these articles are not just for people trying to lose weight. You see, many of the strategies for successful weight loss I discuss are general tactics designed to improve the healthfulness of anyone’s diet. Also remember that you can be skinny and still have a host of metabolic risk factors you can’t see on the outside.

In the first two posts I encouraged you to recalibrate the way you think about your diet and gain a better handle on what you’re eating by measuring your diet using a food record. Whether you did these or not, today’s piece is my first specific strategy for healthy eating and weight loss: Clean House. In other words, do not keep tempting, high-energy/low-nutrient foods in your home (or desk … or car… or pocket …). Whatever your vice, tasty treats are often eaten in large portions and contribute substantial calories with very little nutritional value. And guess what? You wouldn’t eat this stuff nearly as often if it weren’t at your fingertips. Obvious, perhaps, yet many people don’t take this seriously – or follow the wrong advice about what is “healthy” – and thus their cupboards and offices are filled with nutritional land mines.

Let’s begin by defining generally what kinds of foods I’m talking about expunging from your home.

Cookies, granola bars, and other cookie-like things (low/no-fat and -sugar varieties count)
Desserts such as cakes, pies, puddings, and so forth (same notes on fat and sugar as above)
Salty snacks including potato chips/crisps, pretzels, doodles, crackers, or funyuns – anything of that ilk (even if baked or low-fat, and especially if it has a name and ingredient list that scream “This isn’t food!”)
Frozen desserts like ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc. (includes dairy and non-dairy versions of any fat or sugar content)
Candy or chocolate (Need I say more? Yes, actually, and I’ll do so shortly.)
Food(s) you know you should be eating less frequently that contribute excess calories to your diet. (You know what these are for you and can gain an even greater understanding if you actually measure your diet...)

I think why I’ve highlighted the above food groups is fairly obvious, but the world is full of dietary advice and anecdotes that do not reflect the latest nutrition science. Here’s the full article for more details and research-based nutritional advice and behavioral strategies where I debunk a few of the popular nutrition mythunderstandings out there.

(That’s a horrible, horrible pun, I know. If any of you are Buffy fans, you’ll recognize the reference.)

A serious cook and obvious Joss Whedon fan, Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator who writes about food, cooking, health, science, and sustainability on her blog Play a Good Knife and Fork. You can follow her on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or check out her food porn on Pinterest.

The EXPLOSION Workout

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Training, Weight loss 2 Comments

Have you ever looked at the variety of bodies you see in the gym and wondered why some people look the way they do? Ever wonder what they are doing to achieve (for better or worse) their physique? For an extreme example, and with the Olympics coming up, take a look at the bodies of the competing athletes. It’s easy to see how certain types of training affect the body. These people are the extremes, but provide a very good glimpse into how specific training formats will shape and define you. The body of a shot putter is much different from the body of a gymnast, which is much different from the body of a distance runner. All three of these individuals train in vastly different ways, which is what we are going to quickly look at now.

For you regular Share It Fitness blog readers, you should know by now, when we develop a new workout, we like to give you a little science behind it so you understand the how and why of what you’re doing. For a second, take a look at the two images below..

On the left, we can clearly see the image of a toned, tight, and fit woman. On the right is an incredibly skinny and loose ~~skeleton~~ body. The fit, healthy, and sexy body is that of a sprinter. The one on the right, is quite obviously, that of a marathon runner. It’s not rocket science to guess how each of these athletes train. The sprinter is doing short, explosive movements, while the marathon runner is doing long bouts of steady-state (running at one speed) cardio.

You see, when you jump on a treadmill, bike, elliptical, etc. and do your cardio at one speed, you end up eating through your muscle. Training like this, day in, day out, is not only a bad way to develop a killer bod, it also wreaks havoc on your joints; your knees in particular. As you may have already known, your body is highly skilled at adapting to a stimulus. If you’re running 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week, your body is going to get used to this stimulus and become more efficient. By increasing efficiency, your body thereby requires less energy to do the same 60 minute run over time. What does this mean for you? This means, the longer you do your same, boring, steady-state run, the less calories you burn.

One other thing I’d like to touch on; there is a huge misconception about working out in the “fat burning zone”. To stay in the fat burning zone, you perform your cardio at a relaxed pace. Sure, it sounds great, but who really cares what zone you’re in when you’re burning calories so slooowllly? Right now, as you’re reading this blog post, you’re sitting on the low-end of your “fat burning zone”. If it were that easy to burn fat, the leanest people would be the ones who constantly stayed in the fat burning zone; i.e. those who didn’t do a whole lot of hard work. This obviously is not the case. Obviously, marathon runners are not fat people. When you are doing as much steady-state cardio a week (upwards of 80 miles a week when training) as they are, you’re of course going to burn through all your fat (and muscle). But for our purposes, there aren’t many of us who have the time to do 80 miles every week.

One last point; when your body gets used to doing cardio in the “fat burning zone”, it begins storing fat in anticipation of these long slow bouts of cardio. From a physiological standpoint, this is ideal, because you have a steady supply of fuel (fat) readily available during your long, slow runs. But you’re doing cardio to burn fat, not retain it, right? Thought so.

So, what does all this mean to you? What this means is, you need to start training like an explosive, lean, mean, athletic machine. You want to look like a sprinter or other explosive athlete? All you need to do is train like one. If you want to look like the other moms on the elliptical, chugging along at a snail’s pace…go ahead and do what they do.

With that, let’s get on to the workout. This workout should take no more than 70 minutes depending on the pace you keep. It’s a great routine to work into another full program. Just substitute this workout for a cardio day or an off day. Like I always say, fitness is not a science. It’s okay to deviate a bit from a prescribed routine. For those of you on the Total Body Blitz plan, this workout can be easily incorporated on a Saturday or Sunday if you don’t want to replace any of your current workouts.

While you’re doing the exercises listed below, really concentrate on EXPLODING. Go hard through your jumps. Try to really go as fast as you possibly can. Get as high off the ground as possible. Move your feet as swiftly as you’re able. This workout will develop killer muscles in your lower body, help improve speed, endurance, foot work, and most importantly, help you shed massive amounts of calories so you start developing that lean, mean, athletic physique. Leave the steady-state cardio to the US weekly readers and people who simply workout and go through the motions to feel good, not to make actual progress. Above all, remember to Train. Like. An. Athlete.

5 minutes jump rope (40 seconds jump/20 seconds rest/repeat)
3 sets of 20 Squat Jacks/20 Box Jumps (24″+ box)/20 Med Ball Twist Jumps/rest 30 seconds
3 sets of 12 Bulgarian Squat Jumps (per leg)/10 Barbell Squat Jumps/1 minute 180 Planks/rest 45 seconds
5 minutes jump rope (40 seconds jump/20 seconds rest/repeat)

This is the end of part one of this workout. If you’re maintaining a good pace, this should have taken no more than 25 minutes. With part two, you’ll want to move outside or to a treadmill to complete the sprint portion.

10 minutes HIIT sprinting (30 second sprint/1:30 jog)
5 minutes run in reverse at 4 mph
10 minutes HIIT sprinting (15 second sprint/45 second jog) *Bump the speed 10%-20% faster than your first HIIT set.
16 minute progressive sprinting (starting at 5 mph, increase speed .5 mph every minute until you reach 9 mph. Begin to decrease .5 mph every minute until you return to 5 mph

Helpful tips: When doing your HIIT sprinting on a treadmill and it’s time to move from a sprint to a jog, hop off the moving tread (put your feet to the sides of it), and lower the speed. This will allow you to better stick to your times. Make sure to hold the handles as you jump back on. NEVER jump on at sprint pace.

The guidelines above are what most people would consider challenging. If you are ready for an extra challenge, feel free to bump the times, speeds, or heights of your box. On the flipside, if you need to scale back, don’t be afraid to go slower, shorter, etc.

When incorporated into a full plan, this explosion workout is guaranteed to produce results. Keep mixing up what you’re doing. Get outside and do some 5 yard sprints, shuttle runs, etc. Train like you are training for a sporting event or competition. Think EXPLOSION and high intensity. You stick to that and there is simply no way you’re going to fail.

Spice Up an Exercise Staple: Look at Stairs in a Whole New Way

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Training 1 Comment

Running stairs, whether in the gym on a Stairmaster or outside, is a GREAT way to burn calories and build lower body definition. As such, the stair machine is a staple for a lot of gym-goers. At least at my gym, it’s almost always filled. Predominately used by women, sometimes the occasional guy will venture away from the pack, exit the free weight section, and give it a whirl. I’m not going to lie, doing stairs are a real pain. I distinctly recall waking up at 6AM on Sunday mornings, and being forced to run up and down four flights of stairs in the back hallways of my high school for hours on end by a sadistic high school wrestling coach. Stairs will always hold a place in my heart, although I can’t say I think about them fondly.

A strenuous stair workout is going to leave you absolutely sapped of energy. To top it off, your entire lower body is going to be on fire and walking may be quite difficult the next day. Quickly notice I said “strenuous”. I’m not talking about the lazy pace some of the people (who shall remain nameless) at my gym take when they get on their stair machine. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; if you’re able to casually flip through your US Weekly magazine and actually do more than just look at pictures and headlines, you’re not working out hard enough.

Like most things in life (and exercise) variety is the spice. Don’t let your body get too used to doing the same exercise or routine over and over. Maintain variety, keep your body guessing, and you’ll be amazed at how much progress you continually make. Contrary to popular belief, keeping things fresh doesn’t involve much effort, especially in this case. Below we’re going to look at four tips to spice up this common exercise machine, and help you keep making that progress.

Leg Kick Outs

While using the stair machine, make a point to kick each leg out and up as you’re walking. Straighten the leg, point the toe, and raise your league vertically as high as you can. By doing so, you’ll be giving your upper hamstring and glutes a serious blast. Do this regularly and expect soreness and a nice butt to follow suit.

Skip a Step

Pretty simple and straight forward. Instead of stepping on every stair, skip a stair so you are doing every other. This may not seem like much, but it’s enough to mix a workout up and confuse your body. The human body is great at adapting to a given stimulus, so any variations requires more time to adapt. As an added bonus, the larger step will require more muscle fibers in the quadriceps to fire, improving the muscle building effects of the stair machine.

Intervals

Like other forms of cardio, the stair machine completely conforms to interval training and/or HIIT. While a little extra care should be taken not to overdo it on the stair machine since the potential to fall is greater, it is still something that can be done carefully. Try alternating between 30 seconds of fast steps/30 seconds of your regular pace. If you feel comfortable, try increasing the intervals times and/or speeds. This is a great way to give your metabolism a boost and increase your cardiovascular endurance.

Side or Back Steps

Instead of only walking the up the stair machine forwards, try changing your direction. When you take side steps, or even back steps, you hit different parts of your legs and glutes, giving you a more efficient workout. Try something like 15 minutes forward, 15 minutes to both sides, and finally 15 minutes backwards for a full hour of work and some very sore glutes, hamstrings, quads the next day.

Here’s a quick stair workout to get you going. Next time you’re at the gym and ready to push yourself just a little harder, pull up this article and follow along for a guaranteed massive calorie burn AND muscle-building goodness.

* This workout can be accomplished on a regular flight of stairs outside the gym too. Instead of going for time, go for flights. 1 minute = 2 flights.

0-2 minutes: warm up, regular pace

2-6 minutes: Leg kick out

6-10 minutes: Skip a step

10-14 minutes: Leg kick out

14-18 minutes: Skip a step

18-26 minutes: Intervals (use a 30 second fast/30 second slow format)

26-30: Leg kick out

30-40: Backsteps

40-50 minutes: Intervals (use a 30 second fast/30 second slow format)

50-54 minutes: Skip a step

54-60 minutes: Backsteps

Osama Bin Laden Killers: Work Out Like Elite Navy SEALS

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

A year ago today, Osama Bin Laden was brought to justice. The people who personally brought that justice were some of the most skilled, physically fit, and professional soldiers on the planet; the Navy SEALS. In honor of this anniversary and as another chance to recognize our military, I thought I’d take a small look at what it takes to be a Navy SEAL. Below is a workout routine used by actual Navy SEALS to keep themselves in top shape. This isn’t to say if you use their workout regimen you’ll be ready to become a Navy SEAL. There is a lot more that goes into being a SEAL just being physically fit…but I’m sure you already knew that.

That said, this workout routine is obviously very tough. Whether you use their program to give yourself a kick in the butt and finally increase the intensities of your own workouts, or you simply want to put yourself to the ultimate test and see how you stack up, utilizing this workout will reap serious benefits. Expect a total body workout, improved cardiovascular function, and a lean, healthy, and fit body. Man or woman, it doesn’t matter. If you want to seriously improve the function of your heart, lungs, and muscles, this workout is for you.

A good friend of mine served as a Navy SEAL just before and after 9/11. Seeing as he was the right person to turn to, I asked him for a little insight into what a Navy SEAL does to get, and keep, in top shape. While there is no “Official Navy SEAL Workout Program” (despite what some unscrupulous bloggers may have you believe), he did fill me in on the training methods, philosophies, and workouts that he and his fellow SEALS used. Navy SEALS workout in a way that is different from most of us; they don’t necessarily workout to look good, they work out to PERFORM to the best of their abilities. Their functional training philosophies aim to stress muscle in their body, while improving cardiovascular endurance, and strengthening large muscle groups through compound exercises. Their goal isn’t to develop big, bulky muscle. Having a physique like that is great when you are trying to pick up girls on the beach, but when you are running, swimming, and climbing in a war zone, it is rather impractical.

I’ll say it again, this is a workout program used by actual Navy SEALS; it is obviously very hard. At the end of this, I’ll offer some ways to make things easier until you can work your way up. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t do pull ups, or run as fast, or swim as far as they recommend. This plan is a total body transformer; keep at it and you WILL work your way up to their levels. How fast is dependent on how much work you put in. Just know that with time and effort, you will progress.

First off, lets look at the standards of the Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Test. In order to score highly, you must hit the following marks:

Swim 500 yards: 8:00-9:00 minutes; rest 10 minutes
Max Push Ups in 2 minutes: 90+; rest 2 minutes
Max Sit Ups in 2 minutes: 90+; rest 2 minutes
Max Pull Ups – no time limit: 15; rest 10 minutes
Run 1.5 miles: 9 minutes or less

Those times and reps are tough to hit. Below is a plan to follow to help you reach the ideal standards of the Navy SEALS fitness test. Based on your current fitness levels it may take you longer than someone with a better foundation. Whether you use the workout below until you can pass the SEALS fitness test or simply include these workouts here or there to keep things fresh, you’re going to be doing your body a world of good, and burn a ton of fat in the process.

Week 1

Monday/Wed/Friday: Run 3 miles a day; 8:30 pace
Tuesday/Thursday: Swim continuously 20 minutes
Saturday: Max pull ups, max sit ups in 2 minutes, max push ups in 2 minutes, 100 box jumps. repeat 3 times.

Week 2

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Run 4 miles a day; 8:30 pace
Tuesday/Thursday: Swim continuously 22.5 minutes
Saturday: 5 x 15 bench press, military press, wide grip pull ups, close grip bench press. 5 x 30 sit ups.

Week 3

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Run 5 miles a day; 9:00 pace
Tuesday/Thursday: Swim continuously 25 minutes
Saturday: Max pull ups, max sit ups in 2 minutes, max push ups in 2 minutes, 75 burpees. repeat 3 times.

Week 4

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 20 x 2 minute continuous jump rope, 1 minute rest between sets.
Tuesday/Thursday: Swim continuously 27.5 minutes
Saturday: 8 x 12 bench press, military press, wide grip pull ups, close grip bench press. 10 x 30 sit ups.

Week 5

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Run 6.5 miles a day; 8:00 pace
Tuesday/Thursday: Swim continuously 30 minutes
Saturday: Perform the Navy SEALS Physical Fitness Test

Week 6

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Run 7 miles a day; 7:50 pace
Tuesday/Thursday: 20 x 2 minutes jump rope, 1 minute rest between sets
Saturday: Perform the Navy SEALS Physical Fitness Test

This will take you through a month and a half’s worth of work. This workout is largely cardio-based, but the compound strength exercises, swimming, and core work will help develop strength and definition in your muscles. Unless you were already at a high fitness level, six weeks is probably not enough time to get you into Navy SEAL shape. Feel free to continue cycling through this program, increasing intensities as you progress. If you have a hard time with push ups, pull ups, or anything really, there is no shame in using the pull up assistance at your gym, or performing push ups from your knees. The point of this workout is to make PROGRESS. There will come a time where you don’t need to be on your knees to do push ups, and the weight used on the pull up assistance becomes less and less. Keep pushing on, and one day, you’ll be as physically fit as a Navy SEAL.