Monday 6 May 2013

Legs & Lungs Workout in the Gym (5)

It's about time we had another short and sweet (yet challenging) workout in the gym :)  Ladies your gonna love this one, Summer is coming, so it's time to get beach ready!  So this one is going to focus on butt and arms.  And while its true these are areas sometimes we want to cover up, I say NO, be loud and proud, put on your shortest pair of shorts and WORK IT GIRL!

So your going to do 4 exercises, 2 for your arms and 2 for your butt and thighs.  Perform 1 arm exercise, then go straight in to the lower body exercise.  Working this way is also known as PHA training or Peripheral Heart Action training.  This means the body has to work quite hard shunting blood from one area of the body to the other.  It's a way or combining both resistance exercise and aerobic exercise.  And because you move to a different part of the body, the muscles previously used get recovery while your working a different muscle group.  Remember to do a 5 - 10 minute mobility and warm up prior to this routine, rest when required and drink plenty of water throughout. 
Your exercises are:

1st Combination
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Sumo Squats with or without a Medicine Ball

2nd Combination
Supine French Press (or Triceps Extension)
Curtsey Lunge to Hip Drive

Now I'm usually all for increasing the weight but this time your going to find a moderate weight so you can do each exercise 16 - 20 times.  Then doing multiple rounds, so were going very much for endurance here but also with an element of strength.  You can rest for 20 - 45 seconds between combinations.  Obviously take more if needed.

Teaching points - Bicep Curls
From standing, feet hip width apart, core switched on.  Hold onto your dumbbells with your elbows underneath shoulders and at 90 degrees, palms facing upwards.  Now angle your arm just a fraction away from the side of your ribs but still keeping the inside of your elbow in contact. 
Action - breathe in as you allow the weights to go down to thigh level, full extension of your arms.  Now breathe out as you bring them up towards your collar bone, do this on a count of 1 second, now breathe in as you slowly lower under control on a count of 4 seconds.  Repeat this for 16 - 20 reps.

Teaching points - Sumo Squats
If possible find a medicine ball to hold (you'll burn a few more calories).  Also try and remember in a squat to lead with the hips (rather than the knees) think of sitting back into a chair if that helps.  So grab your medicine ball and hug it by your chest, take your legs wider than shoulder width apart, then angle your toes out slightly.  Action - breathe in as you sit back, lead with the hips, soften the knees and squat down, if you can get thighs parallel to floor, great, if you can touch your elbows to your thighs, even better:)  Now throw your hips forward, squeeze your butt as you stand fully.  Tempo here, lower yourself down to a count of 3 seconds, pause for 1 second at the bottom, then stand on 1 second.

Teaching points - Supine French Press
This exercise can be performed on a bench or on a stability ball (click http://mw-pt.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/stability-ball-workout.html on how to do a stability ball supine bridge).  The first arm exercise was focusing on the biceps (front of arm) and this one is the triceps (back of the arm).  Action - find your weights, (warning, you may want a slightly lighter one than the one used for your biceps unless of course you are an advanced user), safely lie down face up on a bench or ball.  When happy, take your arms fully locked straight up above your head, your palms should be facing each other and your arms close to your ears.  With control bend your elbows so the weights come down towards your head.  As soon as you feel that contraction in the back of your arm, straighten them and repeat for the allotted reps.  Tempo - 2 seconds down, 1 second up.

Teaching points - Curtsey Lunge to Hip Drive

From standing, feet hip width apart, core switched on.  Take your right leg slightly around and behind you, drop down into a curtsey, then bring that leg back in front straight into a knee raise.  Repeat reps on this side before swapping sides.  You should experience a nice burn in both cheeks, and I don't mean the ones on your face!

This exercise is quite challenging especially for your balance, so by all means if you are wobbly, take out the knee raise.  It can always be added back at a later date.  This exercise can also be progresses by holding dumbbells.

So there you go, I reckon this workout done at least twice per week, progressing how many rounds you do should pay dividends over 4 weeks.  Enjoy the workout then enjoy strutting yourself on the beach :)

Till next time, all the best
Amanda

www.mw-pt.co.uk

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