Category Archives: Weight loss

The EXPLOSION Workout

Posted on by 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..

marathonsprint11

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.  javelin

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. 

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.

Osama Bin Laden Killers: Work Out Like Elite Navy SEALS

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

seals

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.

INTENSE At Home Fat Burning Cardio Workout: No Equipment Required!

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 63 Comments

at home workout

 

For whatever the reason, you aren’t working out in a gym.  While I do think there are some benefits only a gym can provide, it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t get fit, doing things from home.   In particular,  if you’ve got some body fat to lose and really just want to slim down and tighten up, an effective at home cardio program can certainly get you there.

To take that a bit further, a cardio workout that additionally provides muscle resistance is even better.  Working your muscles WHILE doing your cardio is a great way to supercharge your metabolism, which in turn, will help burn loads of calories.  By working out in this format, you’ll slowly see your muscles becoming harder and more toned, while you cut that body fat and slim down.

With that in mind, this cardio workout program is designed to give you a heart-pumping workout, while targeting the major muscle groups in your body.  To make things even more challenging, explosive plyometric exercises are thrown into the mix at key points to really help elevate your heart rate and maximize your caloric burn.

These workouts are done for time, NOT reps.  Set a timer, look at a clock, do whatever you have to do, just make sure you follow the time given for each exercise.  Rest breaks and times are listed.  Do your best to keep pace with this routine and break only when instructed.  I’m not going to lie, this program is tough, but the efforts you put in now will pay you back ten-fold in the way you look at feel.

This cardio workout plan breaks exercises into various circuits; typically three exercises per circuit.  All circuits have elements of strength and cardio movements, but they are more heavily geared towards one or the other.  This strict grouping will keep your body on its toes and prevent the workout from becoming a jumbled list of exercises performed with no rhyme or reason.  During Cardio Explosion circuits, really focus on EXPLODING through each movement.  Generate power in your lower body and perform each rep to your full potential.  During Power Cardio Circuits, focus on engaging your core, utilizing your muscles, and doing full repetitions.  Speed Cardio Circuits are done to jack your heart rate up and maximize burnt calories.  Do these movements as fast as your abilities allow, without sacrificing your form.  Breaking this workout down in this way makes things easier and more efficient in the long run.

*When done according to the times listed, each workout should take just about 1 hour to complete.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Tips: Perform each circuit 3 total times.  For example, 3 x 1 minute walking push ups/1 minute jumping jacks/ 1 minute plank/30 second rest.  You would perform 1 minute of walking push ups, immediately followed by 1 minute of jumping jacks, immediately followed by a 1 minute plank, then rest for 30 seconds.  After the rest is up, you repeat exactly what you did above, two more times total.

 

Tuesday/Thursday

 

And that will about do it.  Stick with this cardio workout, possibly add in a day of HIIT running/biking on the weekend, and you’ll develop that lean, mean, athletic build in no time.  Remember to eat right, get ample protein, and keep pushing through even on days you swear you aren’t making any progress.  Success comes to those with determination..don’t give up, and don’t let ANYONE tell you that you can’t get fit just because you don’t belong to a gym.  Any questions, feel free to ask.

Total Body Blitz Workout Part III

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Weight loss 35 Comments

fitgirl21

You’ve made it to the home stretch.  If you’re reading this, hopefully you’ve made it through the first two parts of this Total Body Blitz workout without too many troubles.  Hope you’re ready for a serious challenge because we’re about to close things out with a bang.  Part III incorporates a healthy mix of compound lifts interspersed with bouts of high-intensity cardio.  This format departs from the standard weightlifting one day, cardio the next, that made up parts I and II.  We’ll still separate things here and there to give you a break, but for the most part, be ready to do your weightlifting and cardio in one intense workout.

We’ve successfully mixed things up over the past 2 months to keep your body guessing what’s coming next.  If you’ve been maintaining a good diet, you should have easily dropped significant body fat, as well as added muscle to your frame.  Part III really maximizes your fat burning potential, both during AND after the workout.  You probably have a good idea about how we’ll zap calories DURING the workout, but have you considered this type of workout can help you maximize caloric burn AFTER your workout?  Meet EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption).  EPOC is your new best friend.  It represents how many additional calories your body burns after your workout has ended.

Your body wants to return to its pre-exercise state as soon as a period of exercise end.  After a boring, 30 minute jog, or simple weight lifting session, returning to this state isn’t very hard.  After completing a workout that combines the right intensity and exercises, your body is going to struggle to return to its pre-exericse state.  This is a good thing.  EPOC means, your body is using more energy, and burning more calories, as it tries to adjust itself to your resting state.  To maximize EPOC, and the calories you burn throughout the day, you will want to focus on lifting heavy weights (this elevates heart rate, which is great for increasing EPOC), limiting rest periods (I’ll let you know when to rest and for how long), and doing short but intense bursts of cardio.

If all of this sounds confusing, relax.  Part III of this workout plan is very easy to plan and everything is laid out for you.  Just follow along with the exercises and rest times, and you’ll be fine.  So what those nuggets of knowledge safely tucked away in your brain…on to the workout…

Week 1/2

Tips: Whenever you you see a combo with a slash (/) between exercises like this: 3 x 8 lat pulldowns/ 3 x 12 burpees/45 second rest… you will want to do 1 set of 8 lat pulldowns, immediately followed by 1 set of 12 burpees, followed by 45 seconds rest.  You will then repeat for the additional two sets in the combo.  Make sure to use heavy weight so the 8th repetition is very difficult on sets 1 and 2, and near impossible on set 3.

Monday

  • 3 x 8 Lat pulldowns/3 x 12 burpees/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 reverse pushups/4 x 20 mountain climbers/30 second rest
  • 3 x 8 barbell curls/3 x 15 side squat jumps (squat, jump as far as you can to one side, repeat)/45 seconds rest
  • 4 x 8 bentover barbell rows/4 x 30 twist jumps (squat, jump and do a 180 degree twist, repeat)/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 close grip rows/3 x 20 box jumps/30 second rest
  • 3 x 25 crunches, 3 x 25 bicycle crunches, 3 x 25 dumbbell crunches (hold dumbbell over head with straight arms and crunch up).

Tuesday

  • 3 x 10 bench press/3 x 30 flutter kicks/45 second rest
  • 4 x 8 barbell skullcrushers/4 x 50 jumping jacks/30 second rest
  • 3 x 10 dumbbell military press/3 x 30 med ball woodchoppers (15 to each side)/45 second rest
  • 4 x 15 bench dips/4 x 15 dumbbell bench step ups/30 second rest
  • 3 x 10 barbell clean and press/3 x 10 burpees/60 seconds rest
  • 4 x 10 incline bench press/4 x 30 mountain climbers/45 second rest
Wednesday
  • 3 x 10 barbell or smith machine squats/3 x 45 second jump rope/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 deadlifts/4 x 20 horizontal jacks (In plank position, jump your feet off the ground and spread feet wide, jump feet off the body and bring your feet together so you’ve returned to plank position, repeat)/60 second rest
  • 3 x 10 dumbbell lunges/3 x 25 lunge jumps (lunge, jump up, and switch legs in mid-air and land on other foot forward)/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 reverse dumbbell lunges/4 x 45 second jump rope/45 second rest
  • 3 x 12 box or bench jumps/30 second jump rope/3 x 20 mountain climbers/30 second plank/60 second rest

Thursday

  • 30 minutes HIIT (:30/1:30)cycling, 30 minutes (:30/1:30) HIIT running, 15 minutes (jump :40/rest :40) HIIT jump rope
Friday
  • 3 x 10 dumbbell bench press/3 x 30 flutter kicks/45 second rest.
  • 3 x 8 barbell skullcrushers/3 x 50 jumping jacks/30 second rest.
  • 4 x 10 barbell upright row/4 x 30 med ball woodchoppers (15 to each side)/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 overhead dumbbell tricep press/3 x 15 dumbbell bench step ups/30 second rest
  • 4 x 10 barbell clean and press/4 x 10 burpees/60 second rest
  • 3 x 10 incline dumbbell flys/3 x 35 mountain climbers/45 second rest
Week 3/4
Monday
  • 4 x 10 close grip lat pulldowns/4 x 45 seconds jump rope/45 second rest
  • 3 x 8 wide grip rows/3 x 100 light toe taps (lightly tap tip of foot on a low object, switch foot mid-air, use fast feet)/30 second rest
  • 3 x 10 cable rope curls/3 x 12 burpees/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 T-bar rows/4 x 30 side jumps (lay bar down, jump back and forth over bar)/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 single arm dumbbell rows/3 x 50 speed skaters/45 second rest
  • 3 x 30 dumbbell crunches, 3 x 30 scissor kicks, 3 x 1 minute planks.
Tuesday
  • 4 x 45 second jump rope/4 x 8 burpees/4 x 20 mountain climbers/4 x 30 second plank/75 second rest
  • 3 x 10 bench press/3 x 25 box jumps/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 incline dumbbell bench press/3 x 20 dumbbell bench step ups/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 close grip bench press/4 x 50 jumping jacks/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 lateral raise/3 x 10 knee tuck jumps/45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 tricep rope pushdowns/3 x 10 front raise/30 second rest
Wednesday
  • 4 x 10 squats/4 x 20 box jumps/rest 60 seconds
  • 3 x 10 deadlifts/3 x 20 lateral bench hops (keep one foot on bench, hop side to side with foot on ground. switch at 10)/rest 60 seconds
  • 3 x 10 quad extensions/3 x 10 hamstring curls/3 x 25 bodyweight squats
  • 3 x 10 bulgarian squat/3 x 10 reverse dumbbell side squats (step at a 45 degree angle instead of directly behind you)/30 second rest
  • 3 x 20 knee tuck jumps/3 x 10 burpees/45 second rest
  • 5 x 1 minute jump rope/5 x 30 second plank/5 x 25 bicycle crunches/75 second rest

Thursday

  • 20 Trifecta’s (Kick your legs out and drop down as if you are doing a burpee, do a pushup, pop yourself up, jump up and do a pull up.  If you can’t do a pull up do a hanging pull up, then repeat.)  Perform all 20 as quickly as possible.
  • 2 x 25 box jumps/ 2 x 25 jumping jacks/2 x 25 mountain climbers/2 x 25 crunches/rest 60 seconds
  • 15 minute HIIT cycling (20 second sprint/40 second relaxed pace)
  • 15 minute HIIT sprinting (:20 sprint/:40 jog)
Friday
  • 3 x 10 lat pull downs/1 minute side planks (per side)/3 x 10 hammer curls/ 45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 reverse plate curls/3 x 10 bent over plate rows/3 x 40 mountain climbers/ 45 second rest
  • 3 x 10 lat pushdown/3 x 40 twist jumps/45 second rest
  • 4 x 10 wide grip curls/4 x 12 dumbbell shrugs/4 x 20 tuck jumps/60 second rest
  • 3 x 10 close grip rows/3 x 10 lying dumbbell curls/3 x 30 box or bench jumps/rest 60 seconds
  • 100 crunches/100 bicycle crunches/100 hanging knee raises (perform all 100 reps for each exercise before moving on.  Complete as quickly as possible).
Completing the above routine will bring you through the 12th week of this Total Body Blitz workout plan.  Of course, this doesn’t mean you are finished.  Achieving a healthy mind and body (both inside and out) is accomplished by making consistent fitness a part of your life.  One of the most key concepts in all of this, is to make sure you are constantly mixing things up every 4-6 weeks.  Maybe find a different 12-week plan once you are finished with this.  Maybe start taking pilates, spin, or kickboxing classes in addition to your regular workout routine.  Maybe you start doing swimming workouts.  Maybe you want to try some boxing workouts for 4-6 weeks.  Maybe you want to go through this plan again, but increase the sets, order of exercises, cardio intervals, etc.  This is the beauty of fitness.  As long as your workout is pushing yourself to reach new levels, you can’t go wrong.
For those who follow this path, progress will be steady and sustained.  By the end of this 12-week period you should already be looking and feel world’s better than you were 3 months ago.  Continue pushing yourself for another 12 weeks and you’ll no doubt be amazed with the progress you’ve made.  Take things day by day.  Get through one workout, then focus on the next.  If you looked ahead to part III while you were still in week 1 of part I, you would likely have been intimidated and overwhelmed by what lay ahead.  The healthiest and most fit bodies belong to the people who take things one day at a time.  Do all you can for that one workout, eat right, take care of yourself, and all your goals will be realized.  Simple as that.
 Stay connected to the Share It Fitness launch by signing up here, and be sure to subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss any of our other workout series or expertly written health and fitness content.

Total Body Blitz Workout Part II

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Weight loss 66 Comments

fitgirl

Hopefully if you guys are reading this, you’ve already made it through the first part of this workout series.  If not, refer back to this post and give it a read.  It’s always best to start from the beginning of a plan, rather than jump right in at another point.  Things have been designed to build upon one another which taxes your body in a specific way.  The order in which you follow this, in my humble opinion, is very important.  Order and structure will lead to gains.  So fight the urge to jump right in if this is the first time you’ve seen this workout and start with Part I.

From all the feedback we’ve been getting it seems like this workout is absolutely KILLER and, more importantly, helping you guys make progress.  It has been so great to hear about all your successes in the first month.  Keep it up, stick to the plan, and good things are sure to follow.

As I mentioned in the previous post, part II begins increasing the TUT (time under tension) your muscles will endure.  This is an advanced technique which requires you to lift and lower the weight slooowlly.  I’ll get to just how slowly in a few minutes.  To accomplish this, we’re going to completely switch things up and lower the weight you’re lifting.  This is a great way to ensure your gains continue as your body isn’t going to know what to do.  When your body doesn’t know what to do, it can’t adapt to the stimulus, thereby leading towards consistent gains.  There is nothing worse than putting the time and energy into doing the same routine day in, day out, for months on end, only to realize minimized gains at best.  If you’re going to put the effort in, might as well follow a plan that makes it worthwhile.  Part II makes things extremely worthwhile…

Now, when you see (+TUT) next to a workout day, it means every exercise should be performed using the technique described below.  This technique will be increasing the total time under tension your muscle experiences.  To do this properly, I want you to do two things: 1) On the lift (concentric) portion of a lift, count to 4 in your head.  When you reach 4, you should have completely lifted the weight.  2)On the lower (eccentric) portion of a lift give it a full 2 count in your head.  When you reach 2, you should have completely lowered the weight.

Working out in this format will result in a 6 second TUT for each repetition.  Studies have shown that for each exercise, TUT between 40-70 seconds is most effective.  I believe the higher end of this scale is best.  That being said, most TUT exercises will be done for 8-12 reps.  The exact number of repetitions isn’t as important; you want to be feeling the burn and enducing failure on your last rep.  Whether that is rep 8 or rep 12 is less of a difference.  You be the judge of where you are at, and if you need to increase/decrease the weight used, go for it.  Biggest thing to make sure of, is you are doing full 4/2 counts (lift/lower), for a total of 6 seconds per repetition.

In addition, we’re going to be introducing you to a variety of cardio elements on cardio days.  By cross-training, we’re going to continue to push the body and get you to burn off those stubborn LBs of body fat.

Week 1

  • Monday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, skullcrushers, dumbbell military press, barbell upright row, barbell preacher curls.  100 crunches/100 bicycle crunches (perform crunches as you normally would, not with the TUT technique)
  • Tuesday -  30 min HIIT cycling (20 seconds 100% intensity/40seconds 60% intensity, repeat for 30 minutes).  30 minutes jogging at a steady pace.
  • Wednesday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Squats, deadlifts, leg press machine, calve raises, hamstring curls.
  • Thursday – 100 squat jumps/100 bodyweight squats/100 russian lunges/200 line jumps/50 burpees
  • Friday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, skullcrushers, dumbbell military press, barbell upright row, barbell preacher curls.  100 crunches/100 bicycle crunches (perform crunches as you normally would, not with the TUT technique)

Tips: On Thursday, perform each set of exercises in as few sets as possible.  For weight days, you will want to lower the weight used so you can perform 8-12 reps with the TUT technique.  You will want to completely fatigue by the last rep or two on your 2nd/3rd sets.

Week 2

  • Monday – 5 minutes of weighted speedskaters/rest 90 seconds/5 minutes high knees/rest 90 seconds/5 minutes jump rope.  Repeat 3 more times.
  • Tuesday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Squats, bulgarian squats, reverse dumbbell lunges, calve raises, quad extension, hamstring curls. 100 box jumps.
  • Wednesday – 20 minutes HIIT row machine (:20/1:00 format), 20 minutes HIIT sprinting (jog for .1, sprint for .1, repeat)
  • Thursday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Lat pulldowns, close grip rows, hammer curls, military press, dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell flys, dips, front dumbbell raises, dumbbell shrugs.
  • Friday – 60 minutes HIIT jump roping (:45 jumping/45 seconds resting)

Tips: Continue to focus on counting slowly in your head.  If you feel you are able to bump the weight up and still maintain the 4/2 lift/lower technique, feel free.

Week 3

  • Monday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Bent over barbell rows, bench press, incline bench press, lateral dumbbell raises, incline bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, tricep rope pushdown, barbell upright rows. 100 leg raises/100 flutter kicks.
  • Tuesday – Jump rope 30 minutes (2 minutes jumping/30 seconds rest.  Repeat 15 times.) 20 minutes HIIT cycling (:30/1:30 format)
  • Wednesday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Leg press, deadlifts, squats, side barbell squats, sumo squats
  • Thursday – Share It Fitness Challenge Workout Challenge: Black Diamond
  • Friday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Wide grip seated rows, lying dumbbell curls, barbell shrugs, arnold press, rear delt dumbbel flys, face pulls, cable rope curls, single arm dumbbell rows on bench

Tips: This week, we’ve included a Share It Fitness workout challenge.  Give this a try to see how you stack up.  These are very strenuous workouts, so don’t feel bad if you can’t make it all the way through.  It’s a good way to gauge your progress.

Week 4

  • Monday – Share It Fitness Workout Challenge: Cross Eyes
  • Tuesday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Narrow stance leg press, wide stance leg press, dumbbell squats. In as few sets as possible: 150 box jumps, 50 step ups (Per leg.  Hold dumbbells in each hand), 50 reverse step ups (ditto).
  • Wednesday: 30 minutes HIIT row machine (:30/1 minute format), 30 minutes HIIT cycling (:40/1:20 format)
  • Thursday – 3 sets of 8-12 using TUT format: Dumbbell bench press, skull crushers, incline dumbbell flys, lateral dumbbell raise, dumbbell pullovers, close grip bench press, dumbbell military press
  • Friday - 45 minutes HIIT sprinting (:30/1:15 format), 15 minutes walking backwards at ~2.5 mph pace.

So there you have part II of this Total Body Blitz workout plan.  Things have definitely increased in intensity from part 1, but you guys should easily be able to handle it, especially if you stuck with every workout in part I.  As always, any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to leave a note and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Part III of the Total Body Blitz Workout Series found here.

Like This Workout?  We’ve Got Hundreds of OnDemand Fitness Classes on Video…Come Take the Ultimate Share It Fitness Challenge…

Have questions about the Total Body Blitz workout or want to connect with other people on this plan? Head over to the full Share It Fitness site and claim your FREE membership HERE.  We’re offering FREE premium memberships for a limited time which will give you access to all of our OnDemand fitness classes and other premium content.  Total Body Blitz is just the tip of the iceberg..come check out Share It Fitness and see how we’ve made getting fit and healthy the easiest, most convenient, and most effective its ever been!

 

The “Point” Workout: Insanely Effective Total Body Workout Plan

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Weight loss 5 Comments

girlmotivation1

                                 ^ Want to look like her?  You gotta work out like her.

Finding a total body workout plan that helps you reach your goals is just as much about finding something that works for your lifestyle as it is finding something that is well designed.  For some people, a highly structured plan that tells them precisely what to do every day of the week is exactly what they need.  But for others, this will only lead to burnout.  You know what kind of person you are.  No matter how much you want to make a change and are committed to following along with a prescribed routine, we both know if that’s not your style, you’re going to get sick of “having” to do a certain workout on a given day, and quit.  Workouts shouldn’t feel like a chore.  They should give you the feeling of motivation, empowerment, and hope that you are making positive changes in your body and health.

Some of you may find success by having a little more autonomy in your workout routine, and that’s alright.  Unfortunately, 99.9% of fitness bloggers, websites, “experts”, don’t create routines that allow for choice.  They give you a set of exercises to complete, when to complete them, and set you off on your merry way.  While this isn’t inherently bad, it doesn’t take into account the people who don’t/can’t stick to this method of training.  For that reason, I’ve created a point-based total body workout system whereby various workouts have been assigned different point totals.  Each week your only goal is to hit a specific number of points.  Assigned points, total points required, and a few other key variables have been precisely calculated throughout trial and error with real-life clients.  Rest assured, by sticking to the very general structure of this workout, you WILL make progress, you WILL develop the body you want, and you WILL improve your health.

The only structure you need to follow for this workout to be a success is as follows:

  1. Use the workouts  listed for each point category, as these have been found to be most effective
  2. Don’t repeat the same workout back-to-back days
  3. Two days of rest a week is generally a good idea

The “Point” Total Body Workout Plan

1 Point Workouts – Good for days you are feeling less motivated, lack time for a full workout, or need a break but don’t want to skip working out completely.  These workouts typically focus on one element of fitness, i.e. cardio, weight training, and are relatively simple in nature.  You will not want to rely on these workouts too often as they are beginner in nature and a heavy emphasis on 1-pointers will not get you to your goals.

  • 30-minute jog at a steady pace
  • Weight training one body part, i.e. performing all chest exercises, all bicep exercises, etc.
  • Bodyweight Blast Workout – 100 bodyweight squats/100 crunches/100 burpees
  • 15 minutes HIIT (high intensity interval training) jump roping
  • 1 hour of yoga
  • 45 minutes cycling at a steady pace
  • 20 minutes row machine
  • Jumper – 25 box jumps/ 25 jump squats/ 25 jump jacks.  Do 4 rounds total.

2 Point Workouts – These workouts bump the intensity.  Filling this into your weekly routine will certainly help you begin advancing towards your goals.  Mixing 2-pointers in with higher point workouts is a good formula to ensure you are getting proper rest and not overtraining, if you are a relatively new exerciser.  if you are more advanced, use 2-pointers on days you are feeling a bit sluggish.

  • Weight training – push/pull format , pick one of the following groups per day: back/biceps, chest/triceps/ shoulders, legs/abs.  You decide the exercises, just aim for failure on your last rep or two of your final set.
  • 60 minutes jog, steady pace
  • 30 minute swim
  • 60 minutes cycling, steady pace
  • Power Lift Workout - 3 sets of 10 -squats, deadlifts, wide grip pullups (w/assistance if needed), military press, bench press, incline bench press, leg press
  • 30 minutes HIIT (45 seconds work/45 seconds rest) jump roping
  • 30 minutes HIIT (30 seconds elevated pace/45 seconds slower pace) rowing
  • The Longest Mile workout
  • The Slow Burn workout
  • 1 hour spin class/pilates class/intense yoga/group fitness class of your choice
  • The Black Diamond workout

3 Point Workouts – These workouts are no joke.  Incorporating these into your weekly schedule is going to get you to your goals fast.  As your fitness levels progress, you will likely be able to include more and more of these into your routine.  Just be careful not to overdo it if you are still relatively new.  These workouts will include advanced cardio and strength based elements into one routine to create  a serious workout.  Others will provide advanced HIIT only training which will fully exhaust your body.

  • 60 minutes HIIT spriting, i.e. 30 seconds sprint/1:30 jog, repeat.
  • Power HIIT workout - 3 x 10 Bench Press, HIIT (30 second work/30 second rest) burpees 10 minutes, 3 x 10 Military Press, HIIT (30 second work/30 second rest) mountain climbers 10 minutes, 3 x 10 Lat Pulldown,  HIIT (30 second sprint/30 second cool down) cycling 10 minutes, 3 x 10 deadlifts,  HIIT (30 second sprint/1:30 minute jog) sprinting 10 minutes.  60 seconds rest between weight exercises.  Upon finish third set of weight exercise, go directly into HIIT exercise.  Rest 1 minute after completing each HIIT exercise.
  • The Heart Pounder workout
  • The Dash Workout
  • The Max Effect workout
  • HIIT combo – 20 minutes HIIT cycling, 20 minutes HIIT jump rope, 20 minutes HIIT running
  • Power cycling workout – 60 minutes stationary cycling with dumbbells.  Over the course of an hour, perform 60 lateral raises, 60 front raises, 60 bicep curls, 60 military presses. 60 cross punches.
  • Ab Effect – 500 crunches, 5 minutes planking (break up into as few sets as possible), 500 flutter kicks, 1000 jumps on the jump rope.
  • 25 x 100 workout – Sprint 100 meters, rest 10 seconds, repeat 24 more times.

 

the point workout male

A total body workout plan that gives you variety is key to avoiding burn out.

So looking at what we’ve got, I’ve given you 28 different workouts to follow along with.  You may notice that not all of these options are total body workouts.  However, when combined together to form a complete routine, the Point workout will deliver a total body workout that will deliver results fast.  Most people settle into a routine of 5-6 different workouts and repeat those.  That is fine, but if you plan on doing this long-term, make sure to continually include new workouts into your standard routine.  One of the key concepts to any successful training plan is something that is unique to Share It Fitness and what we’ve built our name on; Body Diversity Training.  Simply put, individuals who incorporate various forms of exercise into their routine (weight training, HIIT, yoga, bootcamp style workouts, plyometrics, pilates, cycling) are far more successful, fit, and healthy than those who focus almost exclusively on weight training or cardio training alone.  The Point Workout relies on BDT to help you achieve your goals.  Get diverse when picking your workouts and create your own total body routine that hits your muscles and cardiovascular system in different ways.

You may be wondering, what do I do with the points I accumulate?  Well, it’s quite simple.  Each week, you want to hit a total point value.  If you go over that value, good for you!  However, make sure you aren’t overtraining because that will have a reverse effect on your progress.  Since this workout is customizable to any fitness level point totals are based on your current fitness ability.  You know where you’re at, don’t underachieve, and find the category that is best for you.

Your Point Goals

  • 7 (beginner)
  • 9 (intermediate)
  • 11 (advanced)

At the start of every 5th week on this plan, add 2 points to your weekly goal and go all out for that ONE week.  This will be your Challenge Week.  If you feel you can easily handle the additional 2 points, you know it’s time to push up to the next level, i.e. beginner to intermediate, intermediate to advanced.  For advanced exercisers, think about adding an extra training day to your routine.  For the most advanced exercisers, you should never be going beyond 18 points in a given week.  Anything more than this will lead to over training and possible injury

So there you have it guys; a very simple and easy to follow routine that breaks away from the traditional structure that you’ve probably been used to seeing.  I’ve seen real-life clients make HUGE gains on their own training in this format.  There’s no reason anyone reading this can’t realize the same results.  Keep up the good work, maintain your focus, and good things are sure to follow.

Like This Workout Plan?

If so, you’ll love what we’ve got going on at ShareItFitness.com.  We’ve got tons of other workout plans, as well as hundreds of full-length fitness classes and DVD-style worouts streaming in OnDemand video.  Get muscle building and calorie blasting workouts directly on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or wifi-TV at the push of a button.  We’re still giving away free premium memberships, so hurry over and come check us out!

Total Body Blitz Workout Part I

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Featured, Strength Training, Weight loss 341 Comments

athlete

Fitness is simple..it really is.  Most trainers, websites, exercise DVD makers, etc, want to make it seem like there’s some exact, and hard to comprehend, scientific formula to getting in shape.  They all claim to have figured it out, and purport that THEIR method is the best, and likely, only way to get in shape.  The whole game is designed to confuse you, so you become reliant on them for their advice and/or workouts.  The game is up; this simply isn’t the way fitness works.

Certainly, there are some elements of any successful workout program that must be followed.  We aren’t saying you can just go out, casually lift some weights, run a few miles a week, and develop a killer bod.  It’s not quite that simple.  Problem with so many exercise programs out there today is they take bits and pieces of the three basic elements of a great workout.  P90x, for example, is great at utilizing muscle confusion techniques…but only for a limited period of time.  These workouts aren’t geared for a lifelong body transformation..rather, a 90 day change, at which point, your body has gotten so used to the workout cycle, it stops making progress.

I’ve been in the exercise biz many a year now, and have created Share It Fitness to bring top quality exercise programming to the masses.  I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.  I know women don’t want to look like men, they simply want to develop that lean, mean, athletic look.  Being fit and sexy isn’t about being deathly skinny and starving yourself.  It’s about having a lean, toned upper body, a strong core, and a powerful and explosive lower body.  Developing this is very simple.  All it takes is self-discipline and a well-crafted plan.  If you stick to the plan below, to a T, I guarantee you will discover the body you’ve always wanted (provided you are eating a healthy diet as well).

It’s time to stop messing around with trends and fads, and start training to change your body and life, permanently.

For each week, each bullet point corresponds to one day.  It is best to do these in order (first bullet point = Monday, second bullet point = Tuesday, etc.) as the routine has been carefully designed to allow your muscles to rest effectively.

Week 1

  • Monday – 60 minutes HIIT cycling (30 seconds 100% intensity, 1:30 60% intensity, repeat for an hour)
  • Tuesday – 5 sets of 8: squats, barbell deadlifts, sumo squats, walking lunges, reverse lunges. 100 box jumps.
  • Wednesday – 30 minutes HIIT jump rope (we recommend this one) (45 seconds jump, 30 seconds rest. repeat for half-hour)/15 minutes row machine
  • Thursday – 5 sets of 8: bench press, military press, barbell curls, skull crushers, snatch, lat pulldowns. 250 ab reps ( you pick the type of exercises)
  • Friday – 60 minute jog

Tips: Try to complete this Mon-Fri, allowing yourself a full two days off on the weekend.  On weight days, make sure the weight is heavy enough that the 7th and 8th rep are VERY tough to complete.  Training heavy at the beginning of this program is key for establishing  your base.

Week 2:

  • Monday – 5 sets of 8: deadlifts, bulgarian squats, lunges. 5 sets of 50: squat jumps,  calve raises.  Plank for 3 minutes, 60 reverse crunches, 60 hanging knee raises.
  • Tuesday – 60 minutes HIIT cycling (:30/1:30 format)
  • Wednesday – 5 sets of 8: incline bench press, clean and press, overhead tricep extension, bent over barbell row, concentration curls, upright row.
  • Thursday – 60 minutes HIIT running (sprint for 30 seconds/jog for 1:30 minutes)
  • Friday – 5 sets of 8: deadlifts, bulgarian squats, lunges. 50 squat jumps, 50 calve raises.  Plank for 3 minutes, 60 reverse crunches, 60 hanging knee raises

Tips: When there aren’t any sets listed for squat jumps, calve raises, planks, and any ab exercises, complete the number of reps/time in as few sets as possible. i.e. 50 squats as fast as possible, before moving on to the 50 calve raises.  Continue to go heavy on the weight during resistance training.

Week 3:

  • Monday – Super Sets: jump rope 45 seconds/12 box jumps/rest 1 minute.  Repeat 20 times.
  • Tuesday – 5 sets of 8: close grip lat pulldowns, single arm dumbbell rows, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell curls, standing barbell curls, lat pulldown burnout (100 reps on light weight).
  • Wednesday – Super Sets: jump rope 45 seconds/12 box jumps/rest 1 minute.  Repeat 20 times.
  • Thursday – 100 body weight squats, 60 crunches, 100 alternating lunges, 60 bicycle crunches, 100 knee tucks, 100 flutter kicks, 3 minutes plank.
  • Friday – 30 minutes HIIT cycling (:20/1:00 format), 30 minutes HIIT running (sprint every other .2 miles, i.e. 0-.2 jog, .2-.4 sprint, .4-.6 jog, .6-.8 sprint, .8-1 mile sprint)

Tips: Super sets involve no rest between exercises; only rest when indicated.  Last week of heavy resistance, go hard and heavy.  Make sure you’ve increased the weight on each exercise from Week 1, if only slightly.

Week 4

  • Monday – 3 sets of 20: leg press machine, squats, deadlifts, calve raises, hamstring curl machine, box jumps
  • Tuesday – 20 minutes HIIT cycling (:20/1 min), 20 minutes HIIT rowing (:20/1 min), 20 minutes HIIT jump rope (:30 jump/:30 rest)
  • Wednesday – 3 sets of 20: lat pulldowns, bench press, incline bench press, tricep pushdown, concentration curls, upright rows, bicycle crunches, decline sit ups, hanging leg raises
  • Thursday – 60 minutes casual jog
  • Friday – 3 sets of 20: leg press machine, squats, deadlifts, calve raises, hamstring curl machine, box jumps

Tips: Use light weight on resistance training days.  Do these exercises slow.  Count to a full 4 seconds on the lift, and a full 2 seconds on the lower.

The above routine is part one, of a 12-week total body makeover.  You should already be seeing results after only 4 weeks of training.  As we previewed in week 4, part 2 focuses on increasing total time under tension (TUT) resistance training, which is a departure from the high sets/low rep heavy training that made up weeks 1-3.  Cardio training begins to include more cross-training principles and explosive movements to really develop your lower body while maximizing fat loss at the same time.  Part 3 will introduce complex lift formats such as step sets, drop sets, etc. while combining short, intense bouts of cardio to give you a couple more extreme workouts each week.

Part II of this workout found here.

After 12-weeks, we break down how to continue to push your body over the remaining 40 weeks of the year, to  ensure you are continually making progress and avoiding burnout.

Like This Workout?  How’s Hundreds of OnDemand Fitness Classes on Video Sound?

Have questions about the Total Body Blitz workout or want to connect with other people on this plan?  Head over to the full Share It Fitness site and get your free premium membership HERE.  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!

Secrets to a Supercharged Workout: Burn More Fat, Build More Muscle, Spend Less Time

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Weight loss 10 Comments

Think about the last time you walked into a gym.  Odds are you saw the same thing you’ve seen a hundred times before.  The bench press and free weight section is packed to the brim with men, boys lifting for 15 seconds, resting (read: flexing, talking, ogling girls, etc.) for 2 minutes.  Then you’ve got your elliptical and treadmill ladies who spend 40, 50, 60+ minutes plodding along on their machine, the only thing changing is the pages of their US Weekly magazine as they casually flip through.  Throw in a healthy portion of fillers, the people who just kind of mill around, check their phone, text their friends, wait in line for the water fountain, and you’ve got a pretty standard gym anywhere in America.

These people mentioned above usually spend more time at the gym than I do.  This makes sense as most people think more time spent at the gym means they’ve worked harder.  But like almost all things in life, it’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it.

You’ve absolutely got to get yourself out of this cycle if you’re one of these people.  The purpose of going to the gym is to make progress; there is no other reason to be at the gym.  If you aren’t doing yourself any good, you’re simply wasting your time.  Mentally, you may feel you are doing something right by going to the gym for 90 minutes a day, but if you look at yourself in the mirror and look pretty much the same as you did 6 months ago, you ain’t doing something right!

Check it out…if you want to look like Sally from accounting, do a Sally from accounting workout (you’ll find these scattered all over the internet).  If you want to look like Ironwoman, Lokelani McMichael (or for you guys, Adrian Peterson) then you’ve got to do short, high-intensity, explosive workouts that replicate the training of professional athletes.  Because you are going to be training at an elevated level, the amount of time spent in the gym can be drastically cut.  IF you are going hard enough, workouts should never go beyond 45 minutes, and in many cases, 30 minutes is all you need.  Think of every infomercial you’ve ever seen….they’re all promising better results in less time.  Well, now you’ve got a non-gimmicky, sure-fire way to achieve better results in less time.  Leave the 5 minute workout DVDs and thigh master for the wannabe’s.

Now, lets get into the nuts and bolts of this format of training.  This type of workout will rely on three pillars; high- intensity interval training, explosive plyometric resistance training, and full-body supersets.  The combination of all three results in a chemical response in your body that provides benefits unseen by standard training methods.  The chemicals involved in this release are HGH (Human Growth Hormone), Testosterone, and IGF-1.

HIIT

marathoner vs sprinter female 300x209

Many of you have submitted questions in the past about running long and slow, as you’ve heard that your body uses fat for fuel during long-duration exercise.  While this is technically true, it doesn’t paint the full picture.  For one, when you stop your long and slow training, your body instantly stops burning fat.  This is because your heart rate hasn’t been elevated enough to raise your metabolism significantly enough to continue to burn calories.  Even more alarming, long slow bouts of cardio signal the release of the hormone cortisol.  Cortisol is a muscle killing chemical that eats up your lean muscle mass.  Think about long-distance runners for a minute…they don’t exactly have muscular physiques, do they?

The key here is to train at an intensity that elevates your heart rate, so your metabolism continues to burn calories well after your workout has ended.  During the workout you will be burning carbohydrates for energy.  Afterwards, your body will switch to burning fat.  As your heart rate soars, you begin to struggle, and your oxygen demands sky-rocket.  As you inhale more air to meet the needs of your body, your metabolism begins to rise.  This phenomenon is known as EPOC, or post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Since your carb stores have been depleted during your workout, your body turns to fat stores after your workout to bring your body back to a normal resting state.  The amount of work required to take your body from all out exertion to a normal resting rate is significant, which is why your body continues to burn calories well after you are finished working out.  Some studies suggest that EPOC will cause your body to keep an elevated fat-burning potential for up to 48 hours.

Want to make use of EPOC and HIIT?  Try either of our jump rope workouts for maximum effect! Found here and here.  If running/biking/swimming/etc is more your thing…try to perform your activity for 20-30 seconds at maximum effort followed by 45 seconds at half-speed.  Repeat this for 20-30 minutes total.

Explosive Plyometric Resistance Training

When I look at an athlete like Adrian Peterson, or UFC fighter Georges St. Pierre, I see a lean, explosive individual.  Their muscle fibers look like they are just itching to explode out of their bodies.  Comparatively, when I look at a powerlifter like Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, I see insane size, but I don’t get the same feeling of speed, athleticism, and explosion that the bodies of the other two convey.  Since I’m guessing most of our readers are more concerned with building a lean, athletic appearance, and not so concerned with building 22 inch biceps, training in a way that lends itself towards your goals, is paramount.

With that said, the old format of lifting as heavy as possible, then resting for minutes on end before repeating is great if you want to look like Mr. Jay Cutler.  Bodybuilders use this technique to add massive size gains to their frames.  If you want to look like a lean, mean, fighting machine, try supersetting standard movements with explosive plyometric exercises.

Use heavy weights (3-4 sets, 6-8 reps) with this technique and limit your rest time (hopefully to nothing!) between the secondary exercise in the pair.

Some examples of training combos would include:

  • Barbell Incline Bench Press supersetted with explosive 20 Mountain Climbers
  • Bentover Barbell Row supersetted with 15 Squat Jumps
  • Lat Pulldowns supersetted with 12 Burpees
  • Front Barbell Squats supersetted with 10 Plyometric Pushups

Make a concerted effort to put maximum effort into the plyometric portion of the superset.  Go about completing these exercises in a calculated, methodical manner.  Think explosive.  Think max intensity.

This type of training will cause your body to wonder what the heck is going on.  Your heart rate is going to soar, hormones are going to be released in far greater quantity, and EPOC is going to come on in full effect. All in all, you’ve just done more for your body than any of those other people spending three times as long in the gym.

Full-Body Supersets

2annlf 300x297

This next piece of advice is great for both men and women, but all you brodies out there, pay special attention.  Whenever I see guys at the gym, they are often supersetting between two exercises, hitting the same body part.  Think, military press and front dumbbell raises.  This is a fantastic way to add size and strength, and is a technique used by many bodybuilders.  However, as I mentioned earlier, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess most of you aren’t body builders.  This type of supersetting doesn’t do much for your metabolism.  In order to continue to build that muscle, while at the same time burning fat, go for full-body supersets.

By combining upper and lower body movements, with adequate intensity, you will cause your body to release greater amounts of HGH, testosterone, and IGF-1, than if you were to stick to the same body part supersetting you’re probably used to.

The release of these chemicals does wonders for those wanting to add lean muscle mass to their frames.  As an added bonus, the fat burning effects of EPOC (which you will experience if you are maintaining the right intensity between upper/lower body movements) is going to shred you up at the same time.  No more weight training PLUS cardio days at the gym.  Knock it all out in one intense workout.

To get the full benefits from this type of training, make sure you go heavy on the weights.  Aim for 6-8 reps per exercise and use compound movements whenever possible.  A good full-body routine would include the following:

  • Wide Grip Pullups supersetted with Pushups
  • Military Press supersetted with Deadlifts
  • Bench Press supersetted with Barbell Squats
  • Close Grip Bench Press supersetted with Barbell Clean and Press
  • Dumbbell Snatch supersetted with Box Jumps

boxjumps 300x217

In closing, standard isolation exercises, long and low-intensity cardio, and long rest periods are great for bodybuilders.  However, the fact is, 99.9% of you aren’t bodybuilders.  You’re regular people who simply want to add muscle, lose fat, and look great under your clothes.  Long, lean, and athletic.    I know exactly how you feel. In order to look that way, you must train that way.  Get yourself in gear and begin using the methods laid out in this article.  Stay tuned, because our next write-up is going to feature more advanced technique which combines all three methods into one insane workout.  Happy lifting!

A Brand New Life with 3 Easy Tips

Posted on by Posted in General Health, Nutrition, Weight loss

1. Eat 8 ounces of food every 3 hours

2. No sugary drinks

3. Do not skip meals.

The result for Anita Mills? 

anita

A weight loss of 232 pounds.

Weight loss can be so simple! There is no need to over think it.  Anna never deprived herself of her favorite foods, she merely showed self-control and only ate what she alloted for herself in that meal.  If she went out to eat, she would order a doggie bag right away to save half her meal.  After a few months into Anita’s new diet, her body started craving healthy foods. Diet is where 85% of weight loss comes from, add some exercise with your healthy diet and you are good to go. Anita never went crazy with her workouts.  She walked about 5 times a week and also engaged in some light cardio.

Anita is loving every minute of her new healthy, thinner life.  She is trying new things that she never thought were possible.

It took a trip to the doctor with Anita’s diabetic mother for her to realize it was time for a change. She was finally ready and determined to improve her life.  She snapped a picture of herself and saved it on her phone.  That picture was the first step Anita took in holding herself accountable for her weight loss journey. 

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Commit to a healthy lifestyle today.

Check out the full story here.

Body Diversity Training: The Key to Lifelong Health and Well-Being

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, General Health, Strength Training, Weight loss 7 Comments

fitforlife 11

First off, this is not another article where I rant and rave about the benefits of muscle confusion.  For those of you that may not follow this blog religiously, I often preach the importance of confusing your muscles during any long-term weight training program.  The reasoning behind this is muscle confusion is a sure-fire way to keep your muscles on their toes, and helps you avoid the dreaded plateaus.

Body diversity, which does draw on some ideas of the muscle confusion theory,  is so much more than that.  Simply changing up weights, exercises, and the manner in which we lift weights is great for individuals trying to continue gaining strength and adding muscle mass.  Adding muscle mass is great because it will help speed up your metabolism, but unlocking total body health and wellness is about more than just adding muscle and increasing your metabolism.

While working as a personal trainer several years ago I would regularly come across three different type of clients.  Client A was the person who simply wanted to hit the weights and pack on muscle.  Client B was the person who wanted to lose weight and thought doing as much running as possible was the best way to achieve that goal. Client C was the person who did a little bit of everything; weight training, yoga, biking, bootcamp classes, pilates, etc.  Client C lifted less often than Client A and did less overall cardio than Client B, but you know what?  Client C was by FAR the most fit of the bunch.

Now, I already know what most of you are thinking.  ‘First, how do I have time to bike, take cardio classes, take yoga classes, do pilates, AND lift weights?  Second, how do I afford to take all these classes?  Achieving a fit lifestyle must only be for the well off.’  My goal, and the reason I started Share It Fitness was to show that reaching your fitness goals wasn’t about spending massive amounts of time or money in gyms and studios.

body diversity training

Body Diversity Training is the foundation that Share It Fitness was built.  We wanted to create a database of full-length exercise and fitness classes that was bigger and more robust than anything that could be found on the internet.  Imagine being able to wake up on Monday and take a yoga class focusing on cardio training  from your living room, then hit the gym after work for some weight training with a workout specifically designed for you by one of our live professionals.  Tuesday, maybe you are taking a cardio based class with light dumbbells from home.  Wednesday you do a plyometric class in your backyard while following along with the instructor leading the class.  Thursday, you’re back in the gym, but your taking a 60 second interval training class  instead of doing the same boring routine you’ve always done.  Friday, you decide to take an early morning relaxation yoga class to start your day.  That evening, you decide you want to get some mat pilates in, so you fire up a class and get your workout in right in front of the TV in your living room.  You get the idea.

This is Body Diversity Training.  By incorporating many different disciplines of fitness into your life, you are hitting your muscles, cardiovascular system, and mind in a way it has never experienced before.  This ever-changing fitness lifestyle throws your body into disarray.  You are going to force your body to grow, build, and become stronger.  Your mental well-being should also improve as a result.  We are going for the total body make-over, not just the physical aspect.  Not only will you look better from the outside, your internal organs are going to function better, and you will likely receive the mental benefits that come with gaining and maintaining a lean body and a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Our muscles stand to benefit by being hit from various angles, in different formats, and with varying weights.  Our cardiovascular system stands to benefit by the varying amounts and intensities of cardio we are doing.  By combining different types of cardio into your lifestyle, you will exponentially increase your CV ability and strength.  Doing the same running routine over and over not only gets old, but loses its effectiveness over time.  Keep things fresh by trying lots of different classes that keep you moving and sweating.  Classes on Share It Fitness were systematically designed for individuals of all levels.  What this means is that you can progressively take harder and harder classes as your fitness levels progress.  We have workouts designed by, and for, professional athletes that are down right HARD.  We have workouts geared towards absolute beginners.  Progressively up the difficult in your routines, and you will experience the full benefits of Body Diversity Training.

With the concerns I know many of you have, we created our website to eliminate the most common excuses; time and affordability.  Our classes range from 10-90 minutes in length.  Find something that works for you, and do it.  Something else to keep in mind, many of these classes can be done at home.  Save time by not driving to and from the gym.  This is fitness on your own time schedule.

Ready to Transform Your Body and Life with Body Diversity Training?

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