Strickland Fitness

I did Challenge #6 today and it was awesome. My arms were burning, my heart was pumping, and I was sweating! Did you have the same experience? I always keep my workouts intense…no matter what it is I’m doing. When you hit the gym, hit it hard. You really will only get out of what you put in. Always keep your goals in mind!!

The Challenge for today is to rest your arms and hit the intervals hard. We will be doing one workout over the weekend along with a day of rest. I have a feeling everyone is feeling the intensity so let’s raise those heart rates a little. Beginners do workout A and the more advanced do workout B. If you need a reminder on how intervals work, read this: http://stricklandfitness.com/2008/12/15/interval-training/. Go for it!!! Once you have done your intervals, put a check mark in the box for Oct. 9^th. Great job!

 

Workout A:

10 minutes warm up

20-30 minutes intervals with your low heart rate being 50% of your max and your high heart rate being 80%

10 minutes cool down

Workout B:

10 minutes warm up

20-30 minutes intervals with your low heart rate being 60% of your max and your high heart rate being 85%

10 minutes cool down

 

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Ok challengers, it’s time to start shredding the upper body! We are trying to build lean muscle and burn fat. So for the purpose of this challenge, we will be sticking to medium weights, doing more repetitions, and reducing our recovery time between sets to keep the heart rate slightly elevated. If you are trying to build bulk muscle, heavier weights and more rest between sets will be needed. There will not be separate workouts for the beginners and more advanced. Everyone will do the same workout with the amount of weight being the difference. This workout is for the gym. If you do not belong to a gym, you can use anything at home that you can hold in one hand.

You will only get out of this workout what you put into it. Challenge yourself and keep it intense!! Before you start, read this: http://stricklandfitness.com/2009/01/22/intensity/.

Here is a description of all the exercises you will need for the workout:

Push-ups: (works the chest, triceps, and shoulders) Always start on your hands and feet and drop to the knees if needed to complete the set.

Lat Pulls: (works the Lats. See this for more details, http://stricklandfitness.com/2008/10/22/back-not-bis/) The lat pull machine requires you to use your back and biceps. It’s the machine that you sit down on and pull the weight down. Pull the weight down to the front of your chin, not behind your head. As you are pulling the weight down, try and pull your shoulder blades into your back pocket throughout the movement. This ensures you are using your lats and not only your arms. Be sure to keep your back straight. Don’t lean back.

Military Press: (works the shoulders and traps, or top of the shoulders) Sit on a bench with a back support. Start with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing toward you. Press above your head while twisting your palms to face away from you.

Isolated Abdominal Crunches: (works the abs) see challenge #3.

Straight Arm Shoulder Raises: (works the front and side of shoulders) With the dumbbells at your side, palms facing toward your body, raise the weight to your sides until shoulder height and then lower. Keep your arms straight through the entire movement. Raise the weight now to the front and lower. Alternate between the side and front. Keep your back straight.

Tricep Extensions: (works the triceps, or back of the arms) Standing with a straight back and a small bend in the knees, hold a dumbbell with both hands straight above your head. Bending only at the elbows, slowly lower the weight behind your head and then extend back to above your head. Do not move your head forward to let the weight pass behind it.

Bicep Curls: (works the biceps, or front of the arms) Standing with a straight back and a slight bend in the knees, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Imagine that your elbows are pinned to your sides. Starting with the weights down by your waist, slowly bring the weight up to your shoulders by bending at the elbow. Be sure the elbow doesn’t move and your body remains perfectly still throughout the movement.

The Workout

For each exercise, choose a weight that you can do 12-15 repetitions with the last 3 reps being difficult to do while maintaining good form.

10 minute warm-up

In the order mentioned above, do 12-15 repetitions of each exercise with no rest between them. Work hard and intense. Focus on the muscle you are using for each exercise. Make a mind – muscle connection!! After 1 series, rest for 2 minutes. Repeat the series 2-3 more times with 2 minutes rest between each series for a total of 3-4 series.

10 minute cool down

 

Once completed, put a check in the box for Oct. 8^th. Great job!!!

 

 

Use of any knowledge from this website is voluntary. By reading this post, you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the disclaimer in the about section of this website. Thanks for participating!

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Now, it’s time to get back to work. Today will be a workout to knockout the weekend! Emphasis will be on legs and abs…topped off with a little cardio. Workout A is for beginners and workout B is for the more advanced. Here are the exercises and at the bottom you will find the workouts. After you have done it, put a check in the box for Oct. 5^th. Great Job!!!!

1 Leg Squat

This exercise is great for targeting the gluts and quads while working on strength and balance. Raise your left leg out in front of you so your left hip and knee are bent at 90 degrees. Standing only on the right leg, slowly lower yourself bringing your hips behind you. Only go down about a quarter of the way. Press through your heel to raise yourself to the starting position. Concentrate on not letting your right knee collapse in towards your left leg. Your knee should stay directly in line with your foot.

Jump Squats

Starting in a standing position, lower yourself into a squat position with your knees bent no more than 90 degrees. Once you reach your squat depth, immediately explode up jumping up as high as you can. Land softly and immediately lower yourself into the next.

Isolated abdominal crunches

Lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at 45 degrees, place your hands flat on your thighs. Concentrating on contracting your abdominals, use your abs to pull your upper body off the floor while sliding your hands up your thighs towards the top of your knees. Your upper body should only go high enough that your shoulder blades clear the ground. Lower back to the starting position.

Pelvic Lifts

This exercise works the gluts, hamstrings, and the lower back. Lying on your back with both feet on the ground and your legs bent at 45 degrees, press through your feet on the floor raising your pelvis off the ground. You should raise it until you have a straight line from your head to the tip of your bent knees. Lower your pelvis to the ground and then raise again. Concentrate on activating the gluts while going through the motion. You can add intensity to this by extending 1 leg out to straight while holding your pelvis up. The next step would be to raise and lower your pelvis with 1 leg while the other leg is in full extension.

Plank

Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat . Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground. Concentrate on holding yourself up with your abs and not your arms. Always lower yourself to the ground if you feel any pain in your back.

Cardio

20 minute run

 

Workout A

12-15 one leg squats

Rest for 15 seconds

10-12 jump squats

Rest for 15 seconds

20-25 isolated abdominal crunches

Rest for 15 seconds

12-15 pelvic lifts (both legs on the ground)

Rest for 15 seconds

30 second plank

Rest for 1-2 minutes and return to start of series. Do the entire series 3-5 times depending on exhaustion level.

At the end of all the series, do 20 minutes of cardio on your apparatus of choice with your heart rate between 50%-65%.

 

Workout B

Try not to rest between exercises

15 one leg squats

12 jump squats

25 isolated abdominal crunches

15 pelvic lifts (try doing it with one leg)

Plank for as long as you can up to 1 minute

Rest for 1-2 minutes and return to start of series. Do the entire series 4-5 times depending on exhaustion level.

At the end of all the series, do 20 minutes of cardio on your apparatus of choice with your heart rate between 65%-80%.

 

 

Use of any knowledge from this website is voluntary. By reading this post, you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the disclaimer in the about section of this website. Thanks for participating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone wants a nice firm butt. It’s not only about doing the right exercises to tone the gluts, it’s about doing the right exercises right.  For most, the quads and hamstrings do most of the work in these exercises. The key is getting the gluts to fire. I will go over a few butt burning exercises and the important aspects of each one.

1Leg Squat

This exercise is great for targeting the gluts and quads while working on strength and balance. Stand directly in front of a workout bench or chair (for at home workouts) with the back of your legs nearly touching it. Raise your left leg out in front of you so your left hip and knee are bent at 90 degrees. Standing only on the right leg, slowly lower yourself bringing your hips behind you until your butt just touches the bench. Press through your heel to raise yourself to the starting position. Concentrate on not letting your right knee collapse in towards your left leg. Your knee should stay directly in line with your foot. Do 10-12 reps and then switch legs. Do 3 sets.

Walking Lunges

This exercise works the gluts, quads, and hamstrings while helping to stretch the hip flexors. You should have about 20-30 feet of space to do this. Take a big step forward, stop, and then drop your butt straight down. Your front leg and back leg should both be bent 90 degrees at the knee. Keep your back straight and stop lowering yourself when the back knee is a few inches off the ground. Rise up and bring the back leg even with the front and step that leg forward and repeat the lowering and raising. This sequence should be even paced and controlled. Go 20-30 feet and then return the same way. Do this 3 times. You can also hold dumbbells in your hands if you need more resistance.

1 Leg Pelvic Lifts

This exercise works the gluts, hamstrings, and the lower back. Lying on your back with 1 leg extended straight (about 2 feet off the ground) and the other leg bent (knee at about 45 degrees and foot flat on the floor), press through your foot on the floor raising your pelvis off the ground. You should raise it until you have a straight line from your head to the tip of your bent knee. Lower your pelvis to the ground and then raise again. Concentrate on activating the gluts while going through the motion. Do 12 reps and then switch legs. Do 3 sets.

The gluts can be hard muscles to train when you don’t activate them. Concentrate on making them work and they will work for you.

Working out with a partner has many advantages. If you are looking to build muscle, you will need to lift heavy weights. Having a workout partner guarantees you a spot for every rep of every set and they can push you through the exercise when it gets tough. Even if you are lifting light weights trying to get that summer toned body, your partner can be there every step of the way keeping you accountable for a solid workout. Sometimes it’s hard to make to the gym on your own account. If you know there is someone waiting to meet you there, you are more likely to make it every time. The days you don’t feel like going, you will have a buddy to spark the fire you need.

A good workout partner can be your girlfriend or boyfriend, husband or wife, co-worker, or neighborhood friend. I workout with my fiancé and it is a blast. It gives us a chance to spend some time outside of the house and away from all the stresses of daily life. We laugh and have a great time while working towards our fitness goals. Even as a fitness professional, I need a little push. I also can’t see my form while doing an exercise. She is there to push me and help me keep great form.

There is a natural competition that happens between humans. I train individuals and partners. The tendency is for the ones working out together to want to do a little bit better which makes them work out that much harder. You can also have contests to fuel your workouts. If you want to lose weight, see who can lose weight faster. Try slowly making progress on your runs together.

If you don’t make it to the gym as much as you would like or you are not getting the results you want, try adding a partner to your workout. Not one that you spend talking to the whole time, but someone who will push you, help you, and create an exciting and enjoyable workout experience on the way to your goals.