Week 2 Work Outs

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!

Work out 1

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Work Out

· Bike, Treadmill/track, Elliptical

· Active Phase: 30 seconds go as hard as you can (increase resistance and/or speed)

· Recovery Phase: 90 seconds active rest (keep moving)

· 20 minutes total time (Active + Recovery)

· Alternatives: shorter (eg. 15 seconds) active phase, or longer recovery, or to challenge you more shorter recovery and/or longer active phases

Work out 2

Push/Pull:

· For time (go as fast as you safely can, with good form) 3 rounds of “Thrusters” and Lat Pull Downs (wide bar)

o Round 1- 21 Reps Round 2- 15 Reps Round 3- 9 reps

· Thrusters: Start in the squat position with dumbbell at should height as you stand up, extend arms over head until your arms are straight above you (go further higher than last picture shown). If you can, increase weight each round. Pick a weight where you struggle on the last few reps of each round.

· o Alternatvies: Decrease reps each round do (eg, 15-12-9), If you want to challenge yourself do Pull-ups(assisted or unassisted) instead of lat pull down

Work out 3

Deadlifts/Sit-ups

· 3 rounds for time (Go as fast as you safely can, and time it)

· 1 round equals: 10 repetitions (reps) of Deadlift followed by 20 Sit-ups

· Sit-ups

o Lie on your Back on the ground. Have your knees bent and the balls of your feet and heels placed flat on the ground.

o Place your hands on opposing shoulders, so that your arms are crossed over your chest

o Tighten your abdominal muscles gently by drawing in your belly button to your spine.

o Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, slowly and gently lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades. Focus your eyes on your bent knees, all the while gently contracting the abdominal muscles. Pull up from the floor until you are at a ninety-degree angle, or when the elbows are on, or past, the knees. If you have a hard time keeping heels on ground have a friend hold them or underneath an anchor (couch, or other heavy object that has space for your toes)

o Hold the position for a second. Slowly bring the torso back to the floor but try to keep it slightly elevated off the ground. This means not to place your back flat to the ground but to keep a slight, yet relaxed, arch.

o Alternatives: Crunches, same move as a sit-up, except you only go to just past the point where shoulder blades are off the ground.

· Deadlift

o Use a weight that can be done for 10 reps (last couple should be a struggle without losing form)

§ If you are new to Deadlifts use a lighter weight and maintain good form.

§ Use the barbell (the big bar) if you can, if not use dumbbells.

Start with feet slight wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest and head up to keep your back flat (do not arch/round/hunch your back), shoulders back (pinch shoulder blades together), start from the squatting position and stand straight up.

Don’t be afraid of the deadlift, it is probably one of the best, but most underrated lifts to increase strength and muscle tone. It is a full body exercise that works not only the legs but back, forearms, abdominals.

Week 1 Work Outs

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!
Work out 1
Incline treadmill:
· Set treadmill at a comfortable walking pace (3-4mph)
· Every minute increase the incline 1%, go all the way up (15%) and all the way down if you can. Total of 30 minutes.
· Alternatives: walk at a slower pace, go up on incline every 2 or 3 minutes instead, or go for a shorter time.
Work out 2
Machine Circuit:
· For time (go as fast as you safely can, with good form) 4 rounds around the weight machine
· Hit the bench press, shoulder press, leg press, lat pull down
· 15 reps each exercise
· At the end of 4 rounds if finished before 30 minutes (you should) do some easy cardio (walk on treadmill/elliptical)
o Alternatvies: Try to do the 4 rounds (if you can’t, that’s ok!), pick a weight that you can do 15 of, the last 2-3 reps should be a struggle, not too easy and not to failure. Go up or down in weight if you find too easy on next round
Work out 3
Body-Weight Push/Pull
· Five rounds for max reps (each round go to failure on exercise)
· Push-ups and Pull ups
o Alternatives: If you can only do 2 or 3 rounds, that’s ok! Write it down and try more next time around!
§ If you can’t do push-ups do modified pushups; try one of these alternatives (progressively gets easier)
· Modified push-ups (girl push-up)
· Incline push-up (feet on ground while pushing up against a chair/bench)
· Wall pushes ( stand upright facing 2-3 feet away from wall “fall into wall” and push back to up right)
§ If you can’t do pull-ups try one of these alternatives (progressively gets easier)
· Cheater pull up (swing your feet to give momentum)
· Jump pull-up (start with feet planted on ground hands in pull up position, jump up to chin over bar and slowly lower self down)
· Chair assisted (put your feet on a chair and use you legs to help yourself up)
§ Machine lat-pull downs
· If you have enough left in you cool down on treadmill/elliptical for several minutes (5-15 minutes, what ever your comfortable with)

A little motivation

Ask yourself what you would be doing if you wouldn't be working out. Watching TV? Drinking? Eating snacks? Out with friends doing a combination of the above?

While any of the above leisure activities can be enjoyed in moderation, if they are a substitute for working out, that's not good. The fact is we all have time to workout, so time cannot be an issue.

If time isn't an issue, what else could it be? The only other thing it could be is laziness. Now we all know sitting down watching TV and eating snacks is much easier than going to the gym, but think of how you feel afterwards. After sitting down for hours munching on chips do you feel good? Nope. After going to the gym and improving your body do you feel good? Yes.

Let's go even further to the next day. The next day after eating chips and watching TV how do you feel? Probably the same as always, just a little fatter. On the other hand how do you feel the next day after a hard workout in the gym? Probably sore, but in a good way. Sore that constantly reminds you of your progress. You also feel energized and happier than usual.

It may be easier to sit down all day. However this sitting down gets you no where. It makes you feel unhappy in the long run, whereas working out makes you feel great.

So just think of this, a year from now what will you gain the most pleasure from... being lazy or working out? A year from now you won't remember that bag of chips you ate, that reality TV show, or that bottle of Jack. On the other hand, if you are consistent with working out, you will remember your body being in shape because you will reap the benefits of a fit body 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It's something that never stops pleasing you.

Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw62.htm

New Years Resolution Weight Loss Competition

Rules, Guidelines and FYI

• 1st weigh-in will be Monday, January 17th at 6pm
• 12 week competition (final weigh-in will be April 11th)
• 4 mandatory weigh-ins (initial, month 1 (2/7), month 2 (3/14), and final)
• With weekly “motivation” weigh-ins
• Will follow “Biggest Loser” type of rules
• Percentage of weight loss
• No eliminations
• We will keep weight confidential, but we will post weekly percentage lost in the weight room with your initials.
• The competition is “choose your own adventure”
• You are responsible for your weight loss (no Bob and Jillian yelling at you)
• Set your own goals (Be specific & realistic)
• Go at your own pace
• Work-outs of the week (suggestions) will be posted
• Nutritional tip of the week will be posted
• Each competitor will fill out our "exercise readiness questionnaire" to turn in. If there is any question regarding health, you will be recommended to see their doctor.
• Prizes: 1^st place 1 year membership, 2^nd place 3 month, 3^rd place 1 month

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) the minimum recommended weekly exercise for an adult is: 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

There are many philosophies when it comes to fitness and exercise.

· Working out with in your target heart rate

· Bodybuilding

· Endurance training (aerobics, running, circuit training)

· Phasing (muscle building phase, cutting phase)

· Functional Fitness (Crossfit)

· Many, many more

All have pros and cons. It is a matter of finding what works best for you.

Me and my journey

Hello Everyone. I have created this blog in order to help those who are a part of the Delaware County Recreation Center family. Those who are interested in fitness and health are welcome to read, redistribute and hopefully take away something useful.

I have always been an active person, from high-school sports, to pursuing a degree in Health & Human Performance, to living in Colorado, enjoying the outdoors. However, recently I have hit a rut. My motivation has suffered and it shows. Over the past 10 months I have gained 20 lbs. When I created this blog I weighed in at 225lbs. I knew that I need to change the path that I was on. So this is away for me not only be accountable to you, but also to share my knowledge, insight and resources so that we can make this journey together.