Bootcamp Workout

Workout time!

This workout should be done at a gym if you have access to these items, if not I will put substitutes in for them. It is a brutal workout and I am sore! :)

Each "station" is 50 seconds in duration. For exercises where you switch legs, do each side for 25 seconds. Your rest is to get to the next station (or about 5-10 seconds) Start with workout #1 for 50 seconds, then repeat #1 and add #2.

The format for this workout is doing stations in this order:

1

1, 2

1, 2, 3

 1, 2, 3, 4, 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Warm Up: run 2 laps, 4 walking push ups, 30 mountain climbers, repeat.

1. Rope: either pulses, slaps, or alternating arms (if no rope is available do front and lateral raises with dumbells) (Or do walking push ups with weights for 25 seconds plus rope or raises for the other 25 seconds)

2. Box Jumps

3. TRX pull ups or upright rows (if no TRX use dumbbells and do rows)

4. On stability ball, put feet on the ball, do push up, In-out, push up, then V-up

5. Burpee with overhead press (use either a bar or weights)

6. Single leg lunge: On Bosu ball, use dumbbells, put one foot on ball, the other on floor 

Cool down: slow run for 2 laps, slow push ups (x4) and slow mountain climbers (x20).

Stretch.

This should last about 45 minutes.

Have fun!

Welcome 2015! A Tabata Workout

Happy New Year!

If your stuck in a state where its negative degrees outside and you don't want to go out to the gym like me you've come to the right place! 

Lets start off this year right with a tabata workout. Tabata is a HITT type of workout (High Intensity Interval Training) which is great for burning calories more efficiently for less time. Tabata is based on 8 rounds of the same exercise for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest for a total of 4 minutes. After the 4 minutes you get a 1 minute rest period before switching exercises. 4 minutes of hard work that's it? It can't be true but it is. Here is the workout I completed today and can be done anywhere. It does not require weight however you can add extra weight to some exercises if you wish.

Start with a 5 minute warm up consisting of lateral lunges, forward luges, jumping jacks, high kicks and butt kickers each will last one minute. 

Do each exercise for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest for 4 minutes straight or 8 rounds. I used a stop watch on my phone but you can find an interval timer app or use a timer like me:

burpees

push up (either full push up or on knees, just keep the back straight and never fully extend elbows)

lunges back with forward kick *kick with right leg only for 20 sec then switch on next round

toe touches

boxing (pretend to punch a punching bag, fast)

front plank on elbows

jumping jacks (faster then warm up)

squat with double pulse below knees if possible

bicycle crunch

side plank (2 minutes or 4 rounds on one side then switch)

cool down:

stretch major muscles used (shoulders, triceps, quads, hamstrings, abs and anything else you feel is needed) hold for 20 seconds each

After the workout, finish with a protein smoothie and enjoy your day!

Ab day!

Sorry for the lack of blogging, school got a little crazy! Anyway, today's workout was abs. This routine can be done just about anywhere, there's only one move I did that involved using a hanging bar or a captains chair, but if one isn't available don't worry about it! Here is what I did: I first started with a warm up:

30 reps of each exercise

-toe touches
-regular crunch
-feet flat crunch
-single leg raise hold for one minute each leg
-penguins
-side crunches
-front plank for one minute (or however long you can go)
-side plank for one minute on each side (or however long you can go)
-In-outs
-leg raises
-cross over crunch
-hanging leg raises to front and to side
-side bends with 30lb weight (if you don't have a weight, substitute for standing opposite arm and leg cross over)

After this workout, I could really feel my hip flexors and my abs being so tired! A great feeling!

Today's Workout

Hello there! Here is what I did for a workout today. I am not a trainer, however I am studying exercise physiology so I'm almost a trainer :) and I am not a power lifter by any means, I'm just a girl who loves working out and who wants to get a little more toned before her wedding :)

 Today was leg day! Before any workout, you want to make sure you warm up first. For my warm up I jogged 1 lap on the track (400m) and did some walking lunges, leg swings, and body squats. Now it's time for the workout! This workout is for gaining muscle and strength. Each workout had 4 sets with 8 repetitions. Make sure you are taking a full rest! 

1. Squat with weight

    Pick a weight that you can get about 8 reps (not too easy, I did 100 lbs today) with any squat you want to make sure you are driving through your heals and to make sure the knee is not going past the toe. Ideally you should be in a 90 degree angle, but if you cannot get down that far, go as far as comfortable!

2. Romanian Dead Lift

    I used the squat bar, make sure you keep the knees bent and the back straight!

3. Weighted Lunge

     With this either use the bar or use 2 dumbbells, I stay on one leg for the 8 reps and then switch legs, but you can switch legs after 1 rep if you want. Pick a weight that is challenging for you. I used a 30 pound weight, or a bar with 2 10 pounds on each side for a total of 65.

4. Single leg dead lift

     Use 1 dumbbell in your left hand and use your right leg, and vise versa. Get the weight as low as possible, remember to keep the knee slightly bent, I used one weight, which was a 30 lb.

5. Weighted calf raises

     With this i used the bar again and did 3 sets of 12 for these with both legs (65 lb, but it was pretty easy)

I also did some hanging abs, I would recommend using a captains chair if one is available to you because I always find my hands hurt at about rep 7,(and I wear lifting gloves, which do help) so with these I do 10 reps and then rest to give my hands a break.

I did 3 sets of 10

I also ran about 1.5 miles at speed 7 on a 1% grade, on a treadmill you want to make sure you run at least on a 1% grade because if not then the treadmill is basically doing all the work for you, and a 1% grade is equivalent to running outside. I then walked until I reached 2 miles. (this was several hours after I lifted) 

Remember to cool down and stretch after each workout! And to drink plenty of water before, during and after your workouts!

This was a great workout and I can feel it in my legs and butt already! Let me know if you try these lifts and how they work for you! Remember to exhale as you power through the lift, usually when we count the rep is when you breath out, its a good reminder!

Have a good one!- Jenna