Disclaimer: If you are a female body builder, you can probably stop reading now. True or false: If you want to burn fat and tone your body, you need to burn the most calories possible during your workouts. This statement is obviously true, yet it is astonishing how many people are unable to grasp this concept. Let me put it this way, if you own a house and you are running just the air conditioner, you are using a certain amount of energy, however, if you are running the air conditioner, the oven, the washer, the dryer, and the refrigerator, the total energy required to power your house drastically increases. What you will accomplish through this exercise is maximal calorie burn due to the fact that each exercise requires the recruitment of several muscle groups, as opposed to isolated exercises that focus on a single muscle group. By super-setting (doing exercises back to back with no rest between) and intelligently selecting your exercises, you can increase the total amount of energy (calories) your body must consume to get through the workout. In essence, we want to pick the most inefficient movements possible so that your body has to work harder to complete them. For example, instead of doing a plain old curl, which isolates the bicep, you will do a curl to an overhead press while doing a step up on the bench. Now, not only are you working your bicep, but you are working your traps and delts with the overhead press and throwing in some lower body with the step ups. Oh yeah, and since you are requiring greater muscle recruitment, you will also get a significant cardio component out of this workout as your heart is forced to keep pace with the workout and supply blood to all of the muscles being used.
The way you need to approach this workout plan is to do each cycle back to back without rest (superset). Meaning, for cycle one, you will do the leaning lunge w/ press, Rounded back deadlift, and chest fly all back to back to back without resting in between. Once you have finished all three, you have completed a cycle. Rest for a minute, and then move to cycle two and so on. You want to do each cycle 2-3 times, so your layout becomes:
Set 1 of cycle 1
Minute rest
Set 1 of cycle 2
Minute rest
Set 1 of cycle 3
Minute rest
Set 1 of cycle 4
Minute rest
Set 2 of cycle 1
Minute rest
Set 2 of cycle 2
Minute rest
Set 2 of cycle 3
Minute rest
Set 2 of cycle 4
Minute rest
Once your body is able to handle 2 sets of each cycle, than challenge yourself and do 3 sets of each cycle. It is IMPERATIVE not to do this workout 2 days in a row, as your body requires the day of rest to grow. So do this workout Monday, Wed, Friday, and then on your rest days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) do 30 minutes of some form of cardio to keep your metabolism going and to keep your body burning fat.
At the bottom of this Article, you will find a video which will walk you through each individual exercise.
First Cycle:
Leaning Lunge w/ Press - The goal here is to do 15 reps to each side. A leaning lunge w/ press is performed by lunging to the right, leaning forward, and pressing the weight above your head, then moving back to start, and lunging to the other side and doing the same. (see attached video)
Repetition Goal: Continue back and fourth until you have reached 15 on each side.
Recommended starting weight:
Beginner: 1-5 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 10+ lb dumbbells
Rounded-Back Deadlift - The way to perform this exercise is to grab a dumbbell, hold it by its sides. Reach down so as that the weight touches the ground, and your legs stay straight. Raise the weight above your head, then stand up. (See attached Video)
Repetition Goal: Use the appropriate weight so that you can get 15 reps in each set.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 1-5 lb dumbbell
Intermediate: 5-10 lb dumbbell
Advanced: 10+ lb dumbbell
Chest Fly - Lay flat on a bench, push the dumbbells up so they are straight above your chest. Lower your arms towards the sides, not letting them go below your body so as not to stretch your shoulder out too much. Then bring them back together. The movement is as if you are trying to fly, thus the name. (See attached Video)
Repetition Goal: Use the appropriate weight so that you can get 10-15 reps in each set.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbells
Second Cycle:
Step up, Curl, Press - In this exercise, you will have a dumbbell in each hand. Standing in front of a bench, place one foot on the bench, then step up and stay balanced on that one foot. As you step up, curl the weight, then press it over your head. (see attached Video)
Repetition Goal: Repeat until you have reached 20 step ups on each leg.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbells
Toe Touches - for this exercise, stand feet together. Then elevate one foot so it is about an inch off of the ground, making sure it is next to, but not touching your other foot, reach down and touch your toes, then stand up. (See attached Video)
Repetition Goal: Do 25 reps, then switch to the other foot.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 1-5 lb dumbbell
Intermediate: 5-10 lb dumbbell
Advanced: 10+ lb dumbbell
Squat w/ Lateral Raise - Stand with your feet just slightly wider than hip width and toes pointed just slightly out. Hole a dumbbell in each hand at your side. Drop into a full squat, pause for a moment, and then do a lateral raise.
Repetition Goal: Do 20 reps.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 1-5 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 10+ lb dumbbells
Third Cycle:
Lunge w/ Tricep Kickback, Bicep Curl, and Overhead Press – This will be one of the most difficult exercises you will perform. Grab your dumbells, making sure you are in an area where you have room to walk a little. Go into a lunge, while still in the lunge, lean forward, hold your arms at 90 degree angle, and then push back on the weight, next lean your upper body back to being straight (all the while still in the lunge) curl the weight, the press it over your head, lower the weight, then reverse curl it to your sides, then stand up. That is one rep. Then step forward with your other leg into a lunge, and do it all again. It will be tough, but push through the pain.
Repetition Goal: Do 15, alternating reps on each leg.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbells
Squat Core Twist - For this exercise, grab one dumbbell. Standing with your feet together, holding the one dumbbell by it’s sides, reach down as to touch the weight down next to your right foot, then stand up, pulling the weight upward and moving it over your head on the opposite side of your body (so as if to pick something up off the ground from the right side, and put it on a shelf over your left shoulder).
Repetition Goal: Do 15 on one side, then 15 on the other.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbell
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbell
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbell
Yoga ball mountain climbers - for this exercise, you will need a yoga ball. Place the your hands on the yoga ball so that you are almost in pushup position, then while holding your hands on the ball, do mountain climbers, bringing one knee towards your chest, then back to the ground, followed by the other knee, and back and forth until you reach 50 total.
Repetition Goal: Do 15 on one side, then 15 on the other.
Recommended Starting weight:
No weight needed.
Fourth Cycle:
Back Fly’s - This is a pretty cut and dry exercise, find a light set of dumbbells and lean forward so that your legs and upper body make a 90 degree angle, make sure your back is straight, have your arms holding the dumbbells dropped in front of you. Then extend your arms straight out to your sides in a flying motion and pinch your shoulder blades together.
Repetition Goal: If you are using a lighter weight, 15 reps. If you are using a heavier weight, 10 reps.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbells
One Armed Row w/ Leg extension – See the video at the bottom for description.
Repetition Goal: If you are using a lighter weight, 15 reps. If you are using a heavier weight, 10 reps.
Recommended Starting weight:
Beginner: 5-10 lb dumbbells
Intermediate: 10-15 lb dumbbells
Advanced: 15+ lb dumbbells
Squat jumps- This is the last exercise of the day, so push through!! Stand, feet slightly wider than hip width. Squat down, touching the ground with your hands, jump upward, and reach towards the ceiling.
Repetition Goal: Do 25 reps.
Recommended Starting weight:
No weight needed.
YOU FINISHED!!! Well the weight training part at least. Now, you still have to complete the AB workout.
Ab exercises are difficult to describe, so I will show what you need to do in the video below.
Bicycles- 25 each set
Reverse Bicycles- 25 each set
Knee to Chest- 25 each set
Russian Twists- 25 each side
This Video will show you how to do each exercise. Watch it multiple times if you need and make sure to be careful while exercising. Always focus on form to make sure you don’t get hurt.
