Sunday, August 24, 2008

August 24, 2008

After being MIA for a few weeks, here's a brand spanking new workout (finally!).

Just like the previous workouts, this is also intended to be done circuit-style up to 3 times a week, with a day of rest in between. Just try one set of 10 reps for each exercise if you are a beginner, and int./adv girls can do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Use a weight that is challenging to complete all of the reps for that set (beginners start out super light and can work their way up, after trying the workout one time).

As always, please honor your body and your injuries. If something hurts, or is injured, don't work it out!!! Like I've said before: you can't enjoy your superfit bod from a hospital bed! Please be careful.

Workout #3

1. Side squat and lunge- this works inner and outer things (adductors and abductors), hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes

020  Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, on foot on a small (stable) bench and a medicine or keetle ball in your hannds

021  Squat down, keeping your knees from extending past your toes, engaging your glutes

022  Using your raised leg as support, press down lifting the other leg; return leg to the ground (step one) and continue the squat and lift pattern

2. Stability ball chest press-- this works chest and shoulders (pectorals and deltoids)

023

024  Remember to squeeze your chest as you bring the weights up

3. Lateral to horizontal raise-- this works shoulders (deltoids)

Starting position: feet hip width apart, shoulders down, abs engaged025

026  Bring the weights up to shoulder height

027  And out to the sides-- remember not to bring the weights higher than your shoulders. Back down to starting position and repeat.

4. Stability ball calf raise-- this works your calves

Start holding two dumbbells. Position yourself against a wall with the stability ball and then wrap one leg around the back of the other.

028

029 Lift onto your supporting toe and squeeze your calf-- return to starting position and repeat.

5. Frog crunch-- this works the abdominals

030

Remember to exhale as you crunch up and squeeze your stomach muscles:

031

6. X-file (I got this one from Women's Health)-- this works obliques

033

034

033

036

7. Prone stability ball tuck and pike-- this works primarily abs, but I consider it an entire body workout

037  Start with your body in a straight line, shins on top of the stability ball

038  Crunch your abs as you bring the ball in towards your body

039  Push the ball back out and bring your booty as high as you can, keeping your legs straight

8. Overhead V-rope tricep press-- this works the back of your arms (or as some say "chicken wings")

Starting with feet staggered, elbows at a 90 degree angle and close to your ears

040

041  Extend your arms (without locking your elbows), squeezing your triceps

9. Dual arm row and kick -- this works your back (latissimus dorsi) and glutes

Take a few feet away from the cable machine and use a fairly challenging weight

042

Squeeze your shoulder blades 044 together as you bring the weight back and lifting one leg

045

046

10. Incline hammer curl-- this works your biceps

047  By using an incline bench, your arms have further to go and have to work against more gravity... making this bicep curl a little more intense

048

That's it!! I really hope you enjoy it :D

Please let me know if any of you give it a try and what you think!!! Thank you so very much for reading.. I appreciate it more than you know!!

Happy training,

Gina

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE pike-ups on the stability ball! They rock. I try to do ten, then hold the pike position upright for the 11th rep for 10 seconds, then do 10 seconds of pulses. hard stuff. I want to try to do the pike-up in some sorta twisty way to work obliques but haven't quite figured out how it would be good. any ideas?

Unknown said...

hey suzanne- i love what you do with the pike-- the pulses sound pretty crazy, i'm totally gonna try it. i have a move that's more of a tuck than a pike that will work the obliques.. write the letters of the alphabet using the stability ball by tucking your feet in and moving it around. it's a toughy (which i know you can do) but it totally works :D

VeganCowGirl said...

ohhh you added another routine! Thanks loads!

kirsten said...

Hi Gina,
I just came across your blog and I am loving your routines! I am going to try the first one out today. I have a question for you, what personal training certification would you recommend? I am currently in school to become a holistic nutrition counselor and I want to become a trainer as well so I can kind of combine the two things with future clients. I am trying to figure out which certification would be best to pursue. Thanks very much !!

Fitnessista said...

hey kirsten! thanks so much for checking it out and i'd love to hear what you think about the workout!! i definitely suggest AFAA certification because it's internationally recognized-- it's a very reputable organization and anywhere you go, they'll definitely accept this certification and view it in high standards. (www.afaa.com)

Glow Girl said...

I love these exercises! I like how your workouts have variety and aren't the same as what you find in every single fitness magazine. Thanks so much for these workouts!

fittingbackin said...

These workouts are awesome! I'm all for multi-tasking so I love how you gave great exercises that work out more than one body part. Can't wait to try them - thanks!

Annie said...

I am so glad I found your blog! Great ideas...
I am currently trying to strengthen my leg muscles to help my knee which I sprained about 9 weeks ago. I have a sprained MCL and a bruised bone.
I was going to therapy but missed this week. The side squat and lunge looks like something that I did in therapy. I don't have a medicine or keetle ball. Could I use regular weights?
Btw, I can't wait to check out your other blogs, we seem to have similar tastes from what I read in your profile! Annie :0)

Lisa said...

I loved this workout! If you're ever bored and in the mood to design a workout, email me, haha. I think your workouts are really brilliant!
lisa

Nabeela said...

I'm loving your complete workout blog posts. Would love to see more. I've only recently started doing strength training to reduce my body fat percentage and I'm loving it. The calorie counting is the part that I'm finding harder to follow through though :(

Char said...

i like the stability ball workouts you posted, I have one that I never seem to use. I need to make use of it when I am home!