It takes lot of effort for you to commit to exercising 3-5 times per week. With your hectic schedule and busy personal life, squeezing in that ONE HOUR for fitness is really tough sometimes. But you just do it!
You may feel tired and unmotivated, but just getting started is half the battle. Think about it this way, you burn 7 calories per minute on a low intensity work out versus 14 calories per minute on a high intensity work out. You would then assume that working out on a low intensity is better than not working out at all! That alone should be encouraging enough to exercise. But look at it another way, if we make that commitment to start (which is already half the battle), why wouldn't we push ourselves further onto a high intensity work out and maximize that time spent? Let's be realistic...TIME is MONEY. Your boss doesn't pay us to just show up to work, we need to earn that money and push beyond what is required! The same thing goes with the desire to have a rock hard sexy body and/or just to live a healthy lifestyle. We need to earn it!
Now, let's say that you are past that step and are exercising on a regular basis. You are set on your goals and have been training really hard...then the dreaded plateau hits. You are bored of your training routines and are not motivated. You labor through your workouts and aren't really present while your doing them. That's alright! We all go through it. What you need to do is constantly change it up. Keep shocking your muscles by adding different variations to your workout. This, in turn, will give you more motivation and energy, while improving your body's muscle and growth.
For example, I made a 6 week program for myself. I work out 5 days a week, Days 1, 3 & 5 are strength training days. Heavier weights with less reps. Days 2 & 4 are circuit training days, which includes lifting lighter weights with more reps. Day 2 I focus on my upper body, while on Day 4 the focus is moved to my lower body. In addition to my strength training, I also train my abs every other day. This ensures that I build strength but don't lose any definition.
Working out needs to be regimented, but only to a certain extent. You can have a couple of exercise regimens on the go simultaneouly....change it up and keep it fun!
The training program I am currently on:
* Credit to mensfitness.com for the strength building program on days 1, 3, & 5. Here is the link to the program titled "6 Weeks to a Big Number Deadlift": http://www.mensfitness.com/
WORKOUT: Day 1
1. Barbell Deadlift
Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Bend down by pushing your hips back and keeping your chest up. Your shins should be perpendicular to the floor and close to the bar. Grab the bar with an alternating grip. Pull yourself tall by putting tension on the bar and pulling your back tall. Take a deep breath in and keep your core tight as you squeeze the bar off the ground and push your hips underneath you to stand up tall.
2A. Barbell Good Mornings
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Load a barbell on your shoulders, pulling your shoulder blades back to form a rack similar to a back squat. Keep your core tight and your knees slightly bent. Push your hips back as you hinge at the hip
2B. Pull-ups
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your core tight and drive your shoulder blades down as you pull your chin over the bar. Slowly lower.
3A. Dumbbell Overhead Press
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
From a standing position, brace your core and press the weights from shoulder level to overhead.
3B. T-Bar Row
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
With your chest pressed against the pad, grab the handles with an overhead grip and row the weight back squeezing your shoulders together.
4A. Pallof Press
Sets: 3 Time: 30-45 seconds
Stand perpendicular to a cable attachment. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your shoulders back and your core tight. Grab the handle and extend it out in front of you. Avoid allowing it to rotate you back towards the machine.
4B. Farmer’s Walks
Sets: 3 Distance: 75-100ft
Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk for the specified distance.
WORKOUT: Day 2
Circuit training - upper body
One exercise after another since we are using less weight and need less time to rest. I only indicated the muscle group that I emphasize with each work out since I change the type of work out that I do every time I perform circuit training.
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Chest and biceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Chest and biceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Shoulders and triceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Shoulders and triceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Back and traps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Back and traps
WORKOUT: Day 3
1. Front Squat
Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Grab the barbell with a clean grip keeping your upper arm parallel to the ground. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Push your hips back and sit back down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
2A. Rack Pull
Sets: 4 Reps: 3
Set the safety bars at knee height. With the bar resting on the safety bars, grab it with an alternating grip. Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you lift the bar off the rack to a standing position.
2B. Reverse Lunges
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 (each side)
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip. Take a large step back and lower down so that your front knee gets to 90-degrees. Your front knee should be behind your toe. Drive off your front heel to return to a standing position.
3A. Barbell Bench Press
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Hold the bar with an overhand, outside shoulder- width grip. Your shoulder blades should be squeezed together with your entire back arched. Take the bar out of the rack. Lower it to just below your sternum, then push your feet hard into the floor to help you press the weight up.
3B. Seated Row
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Sit on a seated row machine with your chest up and shoulders pulled back. With a neutral grip, drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
4A. Ab Wheel Roll-outs
Sets: 3 Reps: 8
Hold the axle of an ab wheel and kneel on the floor. Roll forward just until you can no longer maintain a neutral spine. Roll it back until it’s under your shoulders.
4B. Plank
Sets: 3 Time: 30-45 seconds
Plant your elbows and toes on the ground. Raise your hips and keep your back flat as you squeeze your core throughout the entire move.
WORKOUT: Day 4
Circuit training - lower body
One exercise after another since we are using less weight and need less time to rest. I only indicated the muscle group that I emphasize with each work out since I change the type of work out that I do every time I perform circuit training.
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Glutes and calves
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Glutes and calves
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Lower back and calves
WORKOUT: Day 5
1. Sumo Deadlifts
Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Start with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and slightly pointed out. Bend down by pushing your hips back and keeping your chest up. Grab the bar with an alternating grip. Pull yourself tall by putting tension on the bar and pulling your back tall. Take a deep breath in and keep your core tight as you squeeze the bar off the ground and push your hips underneath you to stand up tall.
2A. Glute Ham Raise
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Lock your feet in the glute ham raise machine and rest your thighs on the rollers. Extend your knees as you bend forward. Pull from your hamstrings as you bend your knees and drive yourself back up.
2B. Chin-ups
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your core tight and drive your shoulder blades down as you pull your chin over the bar. Slowly lower.
3A. Incline Dumbbell Press
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your feet pressed firmly into the ground. Press the weight out in front as you squeeze your chest.
3B. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab two dumbbells with a neutral grip (palm facing in). While keeping your knees soft, hinge at the hips until your spine forms a 90-degree angle with the ground. Drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
4. Turkish Get-up
Sets: 4 Reps: 3
Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in one hand extended in front of you. Keep your arm straight and your core tight as you bring yourself to a standing position.
