Push Up Prowess Boils Down to Daily Practice

Push Up Program For Women

Few things scream feminine fortitude and physical prowess like being able to drop and do strict "boy push ups" for reps.  Being able to load those jokers up with a band and only use one leg like a "BOSS" (like our client Patty does in this video) is like telling life, "Take your best shot... I am READY!".  

So if you are struggling to get more than one push up, close your eyes and imagine how you will feel doing push ups with EASE. No REALLY close your eyes... DO IT!  That felt good didn't it?  So now it is time to take that visualization and make it reality.  Here's how...

Daily Push Up Practice to Increase # of Strict Push Ups

You should have conquered your first strict push up before beginning this plan...

Day 1:

Weighted Negative Push Up Practice

Use a weighted vest or dumbbells in a back pack and attached to you to add weight to your body.  Start in the up position and lower yourself SLOWLY to the floor.  Cheat back up and repeat

3 sets of 3-5

NOTE: When you can do sets of 5, it is time to increase the weight and drop back down to 3 reps in order to continue to increase your strength.

Day 2:

Advanced Push Up Practice

Do single leg or elevated feet push ups.  Be sure to go through the FULL RANGE OF MOTION.

3 sets of 3-8

NOTE: When you can do sets of 8, it is time to increase the height of the elevation or progress the push up in any of the following ways, elevate legs on stability ball, place hands on stability ball (start with ball supported by the wall first if you do this), use a resistance band loop around your back and anchored by your hands, OR slow down the tempo to a 3-count down, 2 count hold, 1 count push.

Day 3:

Push Up Endurance Practice

Do as many continuous strict push ups as you can.  You can pause in the resting position (up position of push up with hips piked in the air with majority of weight in your feet) and continue and that still counts as doing continuous push ups.

2 sets of your maximum

Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

YOU CAN DO THESE PRACTICES ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE LOW VOLUME.  IF YOU FEEL EXTREMELY SORE OR YOUR PUSH UP PERFORMANCE IS DECREASING, TAKE A DAY OFF.  MOST PEOPLE WILL NEED A DAY OFF AFTER ENDURANCE PRACTICE.

How to Fit Foam Rolling in Your Life

5 Easy Ways to Sneak in Foam Rolling & Stretching

Foam rolling and stretching have numerous benefits yet so many people struggle to fit them into their daily schedules. Here are 5 optimal times of day to take a foam rolling break. I bet you have many of these opportunities happen every day.

Opportunity #1: While watching TV or reading.

Leave a foam roller or tennis ball in the room where you most often watch TV or read. Do foam rolling exercises for 5-10 minutes during your favorite show. If you are a reader, get book clips to keep the book open to your page and do the face down foam rolling exercises while you read.

Opportunity #2: While cooking.

Instead of snacking or sipping on food and beverages that don’t support your body transformation goal while you cook, foam roll or stretch. You can foam roll while your meat is cooking on the indoor grill, your rice is in the rice cooker or your yams are in the oven. If you are waiting for a pot of water to boil or for your coffee to brew, do some standing stretches instead.

Opportunity #3: When a craving for unsupportive food hits.

When you are craving that sugary or fatty item so badly that you want to cry, grab your foam roller, move to a room far from the kitchen, and put in 10-15 minutes of foam rolling. By the time you are done, you will feel more limber and relaxed and your craving will be gone.

Opportunity #4: When you are stressed or upset.

When stressful things happen, take a foam rolling break. You will give yourself time to calm down before you eat, say or do something you would regret later.

Opportunity #5: While waiting on the phone.

When you find yourself “holding for the next available representative”, grab your foam roller and get to work. You will be much less irritated while holding and much less likely to snack on extra food while you wait as your hands and body will be busy.

If you are doing high intensity boot camp style workouts 2-3 times per week, you should look for these opportunities 1-2 times each day to accumulate 5-10 minutes of foam rolling daily. If you are training 4-5 times per week, you want to accumulate 10-15 minutes of foam rolling daily. If you are training six time per week, you want to accumulate 15-20 minutes of foam rolling daily.

Now that you are armed with these top five foam rolling and stretching opportunities, be prepared. Make sure you have a foam roller and a few tennis balls in your house as well as a tennis ball at your desk. The next time one of these opportunities arises, take advantage. Now there are no more excuses to miss your daily foam rolling and stretching. Which opportunity is your favorite? Did I miss any? When is your favorite time to get in your foam rolling and stretching?

How to Fit In Your Workouts During the Holiday

How to Fit in Workouts During the Holiday Season

You can stick to your action plan to transform your body, mind, and life even during the busiest time of the year. After all, if there is any time you want to feel, look, and function your best, it would be during the busiest (and most likely to be photographed) time of the year. Here are my top three tips on getting workouts in during this busy season.

#1: Get your workout off of the” to do” list and on your calendar.

Schedule a workout appointment to increase the chances of doing your workout. Whether you go to boot camp class, meet with your trainer, or work out with a buddy. Scheduling the number of workouts you want to do in your calendar ensures that there is room for them in your daily plan. For greater chances of success, schedule your workout first thing in the morning even if it means getting up 20 minutes earlier. Very few emergencies will happen before the day gets started so you are more likely to get your workout done.

#2: Experiment with shorter, more intense workouts.

If you are short on time, a quick 5-15 minute workout really can be just enough to get your heart pumping and sweat flowing while keeping you mentally in the transformation game. Getting your workouts in, even if they are super short, can help keep motivation and dietary compliance high so give one of the short workouts at the end of this post a try.

#3: Make it a family affair.

Informal “playercise” with your family is a much better option than skipping your workouts. Play tag, chase, or hide and seek with your children or organize a game of flag football or active Wii game tournament.

Short Holiday Workouts

Start each workout with this shortened warm up.

Short Warm Up:

Repeat this circuit twice with no rest.

10 Bodyweight Squats

10 Pushups

10 Reverse Lunges

Workout #1

Do as many rounds of this each superset as you can in 5 minutes. Rest only as long as needed to catch your breath. If possible, continue for the entire 5 minutes without rest. Rest 60 seconds before going on to the second superset.

Superset #1:

Squat & Press (8 reps)

Deadlifts (12 reps)

Superset #2:

Pushup Row (5 reps each arm)

Hip Bridge and Overhead Press Combo (10 reps)

Workout #2: Equipment Free

Do as many rounds of this each superset as you can in 5 minutes. Rest only as long as needed to catch your breath. If possible, continue for the entire 5 minutes without rest. Rest 60 seconds before going on to the second superset.

Superset#1:

Y-Squats (overhead squats without weight- 12 reps)

Plank Jacks (10 reps)

Superset#2:

Burpees (10 reps)

Alternating Lunge Jumps (5 reps each leg)

NOTE: If you are short on time, do only one of the supersets in the workout for a 5-minute workout. If you have extra time and want a challenge, do all 3 or 4 of the supersets for as much as a 20-minute workout.

How to Avoid and Alleviate Knee Pain

How to Avoid and Alleviate Knee Pain for Exercise Enthusiasts

If you think the throbbing pain in your knees is just part of leading an active lifestyle and transforming your body, think again. Check out my top five tips to avoid and alleviate knee pain.

Tip #1: Pay attention to form on lower body exercises.
In general, when you squat and lunge your knees should stay just above or behind your toes and the heel of your supporting foot or feet should stay in contact with the ground. Allowing your knees to cruise too far forward or taking your heels off the ground (and thereby putting pressure on your toes) puts undue stress on your knee joint and loads the join instead of the muscle. To ensure you are stressing the muscle rather than the joint, stick your hips out and back as if reaching for a chair as you lower yourself toward the ground and press through your heels as you are standing back up to starting position. Keep your toes and knees pointed in the same direction.

Tip #2: Stretch and foam roll DAILY (twice daily if you have time).
When you exercise, you place demand on your muscles that causes micro tears in the muscle. When you recover (take a day off from training that area), those tears are repaired. Sometimes however, you get scar tissue (much like you would from tearing anything else on your body) called adhesions that need to be broken up to ensure that your muscle continues to function as normal. Foam rolling will break up these adhesions which will allow you to get the most out of your static stretching and subsequent exercise sessions. For optimal knee health, foam roll all of the muscles around the joint including your quadriceps, hamstrings, illiotibial band, adductors, adductors, and peroneals (the front, back, outside and inside of your thighs as well as your calves and outside of the lower leg).

Tip #3: Get a deep tissue massage as often as is feasible for you.
If you are very tight and have lots of adhesions, foam rolling and stretching may not be enough at first to regain muscle tissue health and optimal, pain free performance. If you have joint pain but have never had a fall or accident, it is likely that getting a deep tissue massage would expose and eliminate a lot of the tightness and adhesions that may be causing unusual muscular force on your joints which leads to the pain you are experiencing.

Here's an analogy that will probably resonate with most busy women. Most of us have a daily or weekly cleaning regimen that we follow for our house. Now imagine if you neglected that routine for months on end. Did you get a visual of how messy and dirty the house would be? I hope so. Now how many of us would simply restart our old routine with hopes that our house would look and smell great? None of us! You would either take a few days to do a deep cleaning or most likely hire a cleaning crew to give you a "reset". Getting a deep tissue massage by an experienced therapist who specializes in orthopedic body work or Active Release Therapy is the "reset" your body needs to make your daily stretching and foam rolling routine effective.

Tip #4: Use footwear appropriate for your chosen activity and replace them when they are worn out.
For boot camp class, running or cross training shoes are optimal. If you are using fashion sneakers, it is likely that they won't provide adequate foot support. Also you don't want to use "shaping shoes" as they will lift your heels and make it hard to execute lower body exercises with proper form. Those shoes naturally push you forward when you want to be able to place your weight on your heels during lower body exercises. Some of our clients even enjoy training WITHOUT SHOES. There is research that shoes "barefoot training" to be beneficial because there is more proprioceptive feedback from the nerves in the feet thus improving your balance and glute activation during exercises and nonexistent heel lift that could encourage improper form on lower body exercises. In my opinion, it is better to train without shoes than with the wrong type or badly worn shoes.

Tip #5: Follow a balanced training program.
So many people train the muscles they can see and ignore the ones they can't. Many exercise enthusiasts are very quadriceps dominant having strong quads (front of thighs), tight hip flexors and overstretched, weak glutes and hamstrings. Make sure your training program involves exercises that work the back side of the lower body to avoid this muscular imbalance that can cause knee pain. Common exercises that work the glutes and hamstrings are deadlifts, hip bridges, step ups, and swings. At Great Shape Fit Club, we do plenty of exercises each class to work the glutes and hamstrings to ensure our members are just as strong on the back side as they are on the front side... that is also the secret to our signature Fit Club Booty (round, tight, and high).

Use these tips to avoid and alleviate knee pain so that you can stay active and achieve and maintain your body transformation results.

Simple Body Transformation Approach

Making Body Transformation Simple – The Four Factor

If you want to transform your body by losing fat and increasing muscle definition, it can sometimes be challenging to channel all of the advice, excitement, and anxiety into a simple, effective plan of attack. Here are the four areas you need to have nailed down to enjoy a simple and effective body transformation- without the unnecessary stress.

#1: Weekly Regimen
First determine how many strength and cardio workouts you need to complete each week. In general, you will need 2-3 strength workouts and up to 3 interval workouts. Once you determine what your weekly workouts will be, schedule them in your week- ideally with at least a day between strength workouts. Put your workouts on your calendar like any other important appointment and now all you have to do is show up.

#2: Nutrition Approach
How are you going to approach nutrition? Will you be eating 4 meals a day or 6? Will you be having starches with all of your meals or only some? Which meals will you have starch with? How often will you splurge? Define your nutrition plan. Don’t leave anything out. Once you know what your plan is, you won’t have to wonder how you are doing in the area of nutrition. You are either following your plan or you aren’t. The simplest place to start is by eating meals that contain protein and produce every 3-4 hours, eliminating refined starches and added sugar, and drinking plenty of water. Once your results slow down following this approach (our Phase 1 nutrition approach), it may be time to look at carbohydrate timing and other more advanced nutrition strategies.

#3: Food Prep Strategy
Now that you know what you are going to be eating, you have to make sure that you have the right foods available at the right time. Without a food prep strategy, you are destined to fall off the nutrition wagon quickly. There are many food prep strategies that you can employ. A few popular ones are the Sunday ritual, the Twice Weekly Ritual, and the Cook Double Ritual. For the Sunday Ritual you cook all of your meals and snacks for an entire week, package them in individual containers and then store them in the fridge and/or freezer. The Twice Weekly Ritual is similar to the Sunday ritual only you prepare less food since you will complete the ritual twice. The Cook Double Ritual is where you cook twice the amount you need at each dinner and pack the leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Your personality and food preferences will determine which ritual works best for you but the most important thing is to pick one and stick to it. If it doesn’t work for you, pick another.

#4: Tracking Method
To reduce the severity of your ride on the emotional rollercoaster that can sometimes come along with a body transformation, pick at least one tracking method for both your actions and your outcomes. This helps you minimize the amount of times you will find yourself saying, “I don’t know I just FEEL like I’m not doing so well. I mean I haven’t cheated or anything but I just FEEL like I could be making more progress faster”. Tracking what you have done and the results your actions have produced makes it a lot easier to determine if you are getting results and what actions are contributing to your rapid results or lack thereof. You can use a journal to record your meals and workouts to easily assess how closely you stuck to your plan or use our Boot Camp Scorecard to get your total daily points based on your workouts and nutrition. To measure your outcome, you can watch our Self Measurement Video on the member blog and track your circumference measurements and weight or have your boot camp coach take your progress pictures every 4-6 weeks. One of my personal favorite outcome tracking methods is the “jeans method”. Get a pair of jeans that are too tight (preferably ones that don’t button). Try those on every 2 weeks and note how the fit changes. Regardless of what the scale says, you will know you have made progress when you can confidently rock those jeans outside.

Now you see, losing fat and transforming your body can be a simple and manageable task when you use our Four Factor approach.

How to Get More Out of Your Boot Camp Workouts

There is no question that boot camp workouts are highly effective for improving your fitness, blasting unwanted body fat, and increasing your muscle definition. However, even in the best designed boot camp program, the boot camp participant can fast track her results by employing a few simple strategies during each boot camp workout.

 Do more repetitions.
Since the exercises and drills in boot camp workouts are time based, each participant can control how many repetitions of the exercise she gets done in the given time period. Pay attention to how many reps you do in a given time frame- write it down so that you have a record. In the following rounds or even the next time you do the workout, push to get more reps than before- of course with great form.

 Use heavier weights.
Although many run of the mill boot camps will suggest that their participants bring 5-pound weights to class for months on end, sticking to lifting this same load over a period of time is a sure way to stall your progress. As you challenge yourself with heavier weights, your muscles will be challenged more and this will help elevate your metabolism to ensure that you are positioned for the rapid fat loss that most boot camp participants desire. Remember women have significantly less testosterone than men so even when you lift heavy weights, you are likely to get smaller and tighter rather than big and bulky.

 Do the more advanced progression of each exercise.
If you are attending a good boot camp run by a legitimate fitness professional, you will be presented with at least three level options for each exercise in the workout. If you find that you are not maximally challenged with some of the exercise moves, doing the more advanced progression is a way to up the intensity and speed up your results. Besides doing the same movement with more weight, an exercise can be progressed by changing the tempo (slower and faster movement can both increase the challenge depending on the movement), increasing the balance challenge (i.e. doing a pushup with only one foot on the ground), increasing the range of motion (i.e. lunging deeper), or integrating another move with the exercise (i.e. adding a shoulder press to the top of a squat).

It would be irresponsible of me to neglect mentioning how important following a balanced nutrition plan that is supportive of your goal is to getting the best aesthetic results from your boot camp workout. Follow the plan that your coach provides and be sure to communicate openly and honestly about your success or lack thereof in following the plan. Your coach should be able to adjust the plan to make it more feasible for your lifestyle to help you gain the compliance needed to produce aesthetic results. You can not out train poor nutrition even with the hardest boot camp workouts.

As I’ve shared here, there are plenty ways to push yourself in each boot camp workout to get more benefit even if your actual workout is the same for a few weeks. Ideally, your boot camp coach should encourage you to progress your workout but since taking personal responsibility for your results is critical to success, be sure to use at least one of these strategies in your next boot camp workout.

Fitness Model Midsection - Concita's Top 5 Tips

Top 5 Fitness Tips for a Fitness Model Midsection

The hallmark of a fit female is a lean, sleek midsection. It is the testament to consistent training and disciplined nutrition. No wonder it is the most desired aesthetic outcome of a fitness program and the number one goal new training clients list when starting their programs. Since most of us desire a lean mean, midsection (and some of us want a six pack too), I decided to share my top five fitness tips for a fitness model midsection.

Tip #1: Incorporate pressing weight overhead into your workouts.
Pressing weight overhead requires you to strongly contract your abdominal muscles to keep your body stable and prevent your back from hyperextending. Be sure to pick a weight that challenges you but isn’t so heavy that you lose proper form.

Tip #2: Lift heavy weights.
Lifting heavy weight whether you are curling, pulling, pressing, lunging or squatting will require abdominal muscle activity. When you move heavy weights, you will have to brace yourself by tightening your abdominal muscles to maintain a stable core while your extremities move to press or pull the weight. Again go with a weight that is challenging but light enough for you to control.

Tip #3: Include assymetric lifts or carries into your workouts.
When you press, pull, or carry weight on one side of the body, your abdominal muscles contract to provide the counterbalancing force that keeps you upright (rather than leaning to the side that is loaded). You can try some of your favorite traditional moves like overhead presses, lunges, or squats using an offset load (weight on one side). You are sure to feel the work your abs are doing and notice the increase in training intensity.

Tip #4: Incorporate exercises that target your transverse abdominis for a tight waistline.

Doing core stability and dynamic stability moves such as planks, side planks, planks with arm or leg lifts, rotate and reach side planks, and many more will train your transverse abdominis and help tighten your waistline. Your abdominals are a group of muscles that run in multiple directions. Many women mistakenly only train the rectus abdominis (six pack muscles that run vertically between the breast and hips) and wonder why there stomach never gets flatter. The transverse abdominis (TVA) is the only abdominal muscle that runs around your waist like a belt. Training this natural girdle will produce the coveted flat stomach. You contract this muscle by pulling your belly button in toward your spine without flexing your spine (bending your back). The exercises I mentioned above all train your TVA very well and help pull your stomach in rather than just creating the “bricks” that make up your six pack.

Tip #5: Do cardio interval training.

Cardio interval training is a training method that involves alternating bouts of high intensity exercise with bouts of low intensity exercise. This training style has been shown in studies to burn up to 9 times more body fat than traditional steady state cardio. In order to see the beautiful abdominal muscles you have built through proper training, you must shed the fat that covers them and cardio interval training will help get the job done.

Bonus Tip: Be sure to eat balanced meals with appropriate portions.
Even the most effective training plan will not deliver a lean midsection or six pack abs without the support of a proper nutrition plan. Concentrate on small, frequent meals of protein, produce, and unrefined starches in the proper portions (link to portion control article) to reveal your slim, sleek, midsection.

For free body transformation resources including my free reports, “3 Reasons Fitness Programs Fail, Is This Happening to You?”, “Top 5 Fat Burning Boot Camp Exercises”, and a three part Nutrition Crash Course, subscribe to my newsletter at www.GreatShapeFitClub.com.

Top 5 Exercises for Busy Moms

Top 5 Exercises for Busy Moms

May is the month in which we celebrate our mothers. We also celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer at month’s end with Memorial Day cookouts and outside celebrations.

Everyone wants to look and to feel good during this time of the year, but sometimes that can present more of a challenge for mom. In many instances, after mom is adored and spoiled on the second Sunday in May, she is then thrust in the command seat for planning for the rest of the month’s and season’s activities for the family. There is little room for mom to take care of herself.

Everybody has something about their body they wish they could have altered, transformed or magically disappear. Moms are not exempt from this. Concita Thomas, owner and head coach of Great Shape Fit Club, says that the most common “mommy body” complaints she hears are: “I don’t think I will ever get back in my pre-pregnancy jeans.” “I can’t get rid of my pooch.” “What happened to my waistline?” “My rear end is saggy.” “My arms are so jiggly.”
How can moms move forward in the battle of reclaiming a more satisfying physical image? Thomas says moms must build and maintain muscle to effectively address those complaints instead of focusing on spot reduction. She also suggests that moms must follow a cardio conditioning plan and along with sensible, balanced nutrition to help them shed fat to show off the new shape that is built with weight training.

How can that be accomplished when moms are faced with so many responsibilities and challenges and so little time? Thomas suggests using FIVE workout moves that can be done at home, at the park, or on the road. The moves are high intensity exercises that incorporate many large muscle groups that place a high demand on the system to make training more efficient.

THE SQUAT & PRESS
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. Inhale as you lower down into a squat position. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead while you straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat for specified number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Keep your abdominals contracted throughout the entire movement. Stick your hips back as if you are reaching for a chair when you lower yourself, and keep your weight in your heels and press through the heels.

THE BENT OVER ROW
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and lean forward from your waist, keeping your back flat. Drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower the weights to starting position. Repeat for the required number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Keep your shoulders back and hips tilted forward (push your buttocks out) to maintain a flat back position. Keep your knees softly bent to take pressure off of your lower back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to initiate movement to ensure that your back muscles are fully engaged.

THE LUNGE
Stand with your feet staggered- one being approximately 15” – 20” forward from the other. The front foot should be flat on the floor. The heel of the rear foot is raised- only the toes are in contact with the floor. This is the ready position. Push your hips back as you bend both knees to lower yourself until the thigh of your front leg is parallel to the floor. Push through the heel of your front leg while straightening both legs to return to starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions on one side. Switch sides and repeat.
Trainer Tip: Keep your rear heel raised throughout the entire movement. Keep your shoulders back, chest high, and gaze forward. Use your rear leg it as a “kick stand” only. DO NOT push through your toes.

THE PLANK
Get into a tabletop position with your knees and palms on the floor. Walk your hands forward- away from your body until your hips are fully extended (no more bend in your hip). Place your forearms on the ground. Either remain in this position with your knees on the ground (for beginners) or tuck your toes under and extend your knees fully so that your entire body is one straight line (intermediate/ advanced). Hold this position for the required amount of time. seconds.
Trainer tip: Keep your abdominals contracted to maximize effectiveness and avoid lower back discomfort, and keep your buttocks contracted to support the move and to avoid lower back discomfort. DO NOT allow your hips to rise above or sink below the rest of your body.

THE SWING
Stand with your feet wider than hip distance apart with your toes, knees, and hips pointed slightly outwards while holding one dumbbell in your hands directly in front of you just below hip height. (Each hand should be holding one head of the dumbbell.) Lower yourself into a squat position while pushing your hips back and allowing the weight to fall slightly behind your body. Press through your heels and forcefully push your hips forward to return to starting position while swinging the weight up to shoulder height. Repeat for the required number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Use the force from your hips to propel the weight up and forward. Keep your chest up and back flat to avoid lower back discomfort.

For those who may want to go the extra mile, a bonus move is THE BURPEE.
Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder width apart and arms by your side. This is the ready position. Squat down and place the palms of your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Thrust your feet backward and land with your legs fully extended behind you like in the top position of a push up. Thrust your feet forward and land with your feet behind your hands. Stand up to return to the starting position.
Trainer Tip: If jumping bothers your joints or causes other adverse affects, walk your legs out behind you and then back to the forward position one at a time instead of thrusting them both at the same time.

Putting It All Together
Warm up for 5 minutes. Do the first 5 exercises for 50 seconds each. Allow yourself 10 seconds to prepare for the next move. Complete all five exercise back to back for one round. Run through the entire series for two to four times for a ten to twenty minute workout. On days that you really want a challenge, after completing the main circuit, do 50 burpees as quickly as you can. Time yourself and get better each time. You can do this as a “finisher” to your main workout or as a quick stress reliever on the days that your life stressors make you want to run to the cookie jar. Run to the burpees instead and your body will thank you! Follow the workout with a cool down and stretching

Body Transformation - How to Build Your Weekly Training Schedule for Body Transformation

Are You Really Training OR Just Working Out- What’s the Difference?

How to Build a Weekly Training Schedule to Get Body Transformation Results

When your goal is simply to get started with a more active lifestyle, pretty much any exercise or regimen will do. However, when you are ready for serious body transformation results, your weekly training regimen requires a little more thought and planning. To consistently lose fat and increase muscle definition you must abandon random workouts and learn what it means to truly engage in a results driven training program. A training program doesn’t require that you take all of the fun out of your training; it simply means that everything you do has a purpose and moves you closer to your body transformation goal. No more back to back group exercise classes and walking on the treadmill at a pace slow enough to read your favorite magazine. For body transformation, there are four workout categories that can be included in your training plan: strength workouts, high intensity interval workouts (also called conditioning work), moderate intensity cardio (moderate intervals or steady state), and regeneration work that includes foam rolling and stretching. Since the goal of a training plan geared toward body transformation is to cause and maintain an increase in metabolism, the following training hierarchy should be used.

Training Hierarchy

1. Strength Workouts

2. Regeneration Workouts

3. High Intensity Intervals

4. Moderate Cardio

Your strength workouts are your first priority as they will help you build and maintain muscle which is critical to maintaining a high metabolism. Next on the list is foam rolling and stretching. Your regeneration work will help your body recover from the intense workouts that you are doing and insure that you are getting the best results for your efforts as well as staying injury free. Next priority is high intensity intervals. These interval sessions will improve your overall fitness level as well as create an after burn effect that keeps your body burning calories at a higher rate for up to a day and half after the session. High intensity is relative to each person however during interval training, you should be working at near maximal or maximal effort levels in short spurts followed by periods of working at recovery level. See my article on intervals if you need to know how to build an interval training program. Your last priority in your training regimen (and sometimes an unnecessary one depending on your goal and previous exercise history) is moderate cardio. This element can help burn more calories and accelerate results only when you have addressed the higher training priorities and implemented a sound nutrition plan. Unfortunately most of us flip this hierarchy upside down. The tendency to do lots of cardio and eliminate strength training and recovery sessions when your schedule is tight leaves many women on the weight loss rollercoaster losing and gaining the same few pounds repeatedly and never achieving true body transformation. You can not kickbox and spin your way to a tight, athletic figure- hitting the iron is critical. Now that you understand the components of a weekly training schedule, lets get on to the business of building one. A weekly training schedule can vary a lot based on the goal of the person training, their previous exercise history, and the amount of time they have available to dedicate to training. You do not have to spend endless hours in the gym to transform your body. You only have to train smart and eat well. The schedules below are not the final word on training schedules but simply examples to give you an idea of how to build and customize your own weekly schedule.

Sample Weekly Training Schedules

I have helped dozens of women transform their bodies tremendously with as little as two hours per week broken into four weekly workouts. Remember, proper nutrition is really the key to shedding fat to show off all of the hard earned muscle you have gained with your training program.

For your FREE body transformation resources, sign up for our newsletter at http://www.greatshapefitclub.com/.

How To Get a Body Transformation Mindset - Coppell Boot Camp Instructor Explains

Turning on the Mental Switch – Get a Body Transformation Mindset

Part I

How can you go from thinking about transforming your body to successfully doing so? How can you get the best possible results from your training and nutrition efforts? The answer is simple- take the steps to get a “body transformation mindset”. There are SIX CRITICAL STEPS to get your mind prepared to guide your body to its best performance and appearance.

1. Admit that the current state of your body (or something about the current state) is not only not ideal but undesirable to you right now.

This step does not include saying or thinking degrading things about yourself or downplaying recent body transformation success. It simply requires admitting that something about the way you currently look or feel makes you upset, frustrated, or humiliated and that there is still more work to do. Neglecting to admit dissatisfaction with your current state and glossing you’re your goals takes away your motivation to do what it takes to see your transformation through to the intended goal. If how you look and feel now makes you happy (completely) then there is no need to change and believe me when you are faced with decisions to skip out on workouts or indulge in unplanned splurges, you will justify those actions with “I am happy with my body so why not”.

Body Transformation Mindset Action: Take a picture of yourself in a sports bra and shorts or a 2-piece bathing suit and be real about what you see then determine to change it.

2. Accept that your lifestyle choices have created the current body. This step is necessary to help you realize that you have the power to change what you see and what you don’t like. If you blame age, genetics, or circumstances for the current state of your body, you are powerless to change. You will believe you have to wait for circumstances to change or simply accept that this is the best you can have because of your age or genetics (because obviously these things won’t change). However, the truth is that you have the power to change regardless of age, genetics or circumstances. When you embrace this truth, you will find opportunities to improve.

Body Transformation Mindset Action: Admit what YOU have done (or not done) that created the current body and what you can change to get what you want. If you aren’t sure that you know the answers, start your list and send it to me. I will help you with this part of the process if you need help and are serious about getting ready to change.

3. Be willing to get the necessary gear, access, and support to change. This step simply involves a commitment to putting the pieces together that are necessary for your success. The same way you would not try to run a marathon in basketball shoes, you shouldn’t expect to successfully transform your body without the appropriate tools and support. Don’t try to “lone ranger” yourself into your best body “survivor style”- without the necessary tools. If you need some weights- buy or borrow some. If you hate working out alone- get a workout partner, a trainer, or join boot camp. Whatever the obstacle is-jump over it or knock it down but stop staring at it and pointing at it as the reason why you can’t get fit.

Body Transformation Mindset Action: Identify the tools you need and the type of support you want to get in shape. Write a list and get the things on the list. Not sure if your list is complete? Send it to me and I will help. Implement these steps to create a Body Transformation Mindset and stay tuned for the final steps in part two of this article.

Burn Baby Burn- Boot Camp Home Workout

20-Minute Boot Camp Core and Cardio Home Workout

This is a great pre-splurge meal workout. Give it a try and post your scores in the comments section. You will need a Gymboss to time your intervals. Be sure to count your reps and write your scores.

Warm Up- 5 Minutes
Set your timer for 2 intervals- you will work for 20 seconds and transition for 10 seconds. This is called a Tabata interval. You will repeat for 8 rounds (4 minutes). You will do four Tabata intervals using 2 exercise for each Tabata. You will alternate exercises each round. Rest for 1 minute then start all over again with the next superset (pair of exercises).

Superset #1:
Inchworms
Jump Squats

Superset #2:
Mountain Climbers
Alternating Side Kicks

Superset #3:
Plank Jacks
Tuck Jumps

Superset #4:
Repeat Superset #1

FINISHER:
100 Windshield Wipers
Do these as quickly as possible. Time yourself.
Windshield Wipers: Start at the top of a pushup position with your abs and glutes tight. Move your right hand to the right and follow with your left hand. Move your left hand to the left and follow with your right.

Here are my scores:
Superset #1:
Inchworms : 5,5,5,5
Jump Squats : 19,19,20,20

Superset #2:
Mountain Climbers :28, 27, 26, 26
Alternating Side Kicks :12, 12, 12, 12
(left and right counts for 1- not one each left and right)

Superset #3:
Plank Jacks: 15, 15, 13, 15
Tuck Jumps : 10, 10, 10, 10

Superset #4:
Inchworms : 5,5,4,4
Jump Squats : 20,20,20,20

FINISHER: 1 minute, 18 seconds

My shoulders were burning like crazy and yes there were lots of animal sounds. Give it a try!

How to Build Interval Cardio Workouts

Interval Training Made Simple

If you have been a reader of my blog or newsletter for any amount of time, you know that I believe interval training is hands down the more effective form of cardio for improved body composition (getting a lean, athletic appearance). Many research studies as well as personal accounts have been cited to back up the claim that this high intensity, short burst, exercise form creates the optimal metabolic disturbance and hormonal environment to lower body fat while maintaining muscle (thereby keeping your metabolism high). However, many women still believe that they have to exercise at least 45 minutes on some machine or go running to finally fit into those jeans stuffed in the back of the closet. I will say it again….save the marathon cardio sessions (this includes those back to back group exercise classes) for when you are actually training to run a marathon. Excessive, endurance based cardio sessions are more likely to get you burned out or injured before they get you into your favorite pair of jeans. So now that you know why you should be doing interval training, I will share how you can build, simple, effective interval workouts to get fit and lean in the comfort of your own home.

What is an interval?
An interval is simply a period of very hard work followed by easy work. You repeat the interval for a total number of rounds for a complete cardio workout.

How long should my intervals be?
Depending on your level of fitness and the exercise you choose, you can use intervals that are 1 to 4 minutes long. Work periods generally range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and a rest periods between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. A beginner interval would be 1 minutes of work to 3 minutes of rest while an advanced interval (for someone who has done interval training consistently for 3 to 4 months) would be 2 minutes of work to 1 minute of rest.

How long should my total workout be?
This form of exercise is extremely challenging (if done correctly) and a 20-minute session (excluding warm up and cool down) is plenty time to reap the benefits of this form of training. One of the appeals of intervals to many busy women is the ability to increase the challenge for greater fitness gains or increased body composition results by changing the type of exercise you are doing, increasing the intensity or duration of the work period, or decreasing the intensity of the rest period- all without increasing the total time spent working out.

What kind of exercises will I do?
The exercise options for interval training are limitless. You can stick to the more traditional forms of exercise and use a treadmill, elliptical, or stair machine or use bodyweight movements to create a workout that can be done anytime and anywhere.

How often should I do interval training?
If you are just starting, I would suggest adding one session of interval training per week to your current exercise routine. Eventually, if needed for your desired results, you can work up to three sessions per week. Interval training is taxing so it is important to allow time for recovery.

Can I do interval training if I am out of shape?
Interval training can be done by people of all fitness levels since the “hard work” done is relative to each person and the exercise selection can be catered to the individual’s abilities. Someone who is deconditioned may be challenged by doing step jacks (low impact jumping jacks) while an advanced trainee may need advanced jumping jacks variations to be adequately challenged.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If you want to get started with interval training, incorporate the following interval workout into your current exercise routine once per week to start and eventually add more sessions.

Sample Interval Workout:
Choose 4 exercises from the demo videos.
Warm up by doing each exercise in your interval workout for 10 repetitions in a slow and controlled manner. Repeat for a second time.
Do exercise #1 for 30 seconds then march in place for 90 seconds.
Do exercise #2 for 30 seconds and then march in place for 90 seconds.
Do exercise 3 for 30 seconds and then march in place for 90 seconds.
Do exercise #4 for 30 seconds and then march in place for 90 seconds.
Repeat the sequence once more.
Cool down by marching in place for minutes.
Entire workout will take 22-25 minutes. If you have less time, only do the sequence once but do not skip the warm up and cool down!

Low Impact Exercise Options


High Impact Cardio Exercise Options


To make keeping up with the time and number of rounds without being distracted from pushing hard a breeze, order a Gymboss interval timer like the one I'm using in the second video. Click here to get yours:

Have fun and tell me which exercises you chose and how your interval cardio went by clicking on

“comment” and leaving me a comment in the comment section below.

For free body transformation resources including my free reports, “3 Reasons Fitness Programs Fail, Is This Happening to You?”, “Top 5 Fat Burning Boot Camp Exercises”, and a three part Nutrition Crash Course, subscribe to my newsletter at www.GreatShapeFitClub.com.

Holiday Fitness for the Family

Holiday Fitness for the Family



I don't have to tell you that the average American gains 5-12 pounds during the holiday season because you already know that. With presents to buy, decorations to hang, and families to care for, how can you stay on track with your fitness without the guilt? You may be expecting me to tell you to just realize any time you spend working on you really does benefit your family too. That's true but I realize a mental shift like that doesn't happen overnight- especially during a time of year when most of us focus more on being with our families. So today's post is a quick tip about how to make fitness a family affair without your family feeling like they just got drafted to participate in your workout program.

Here is a fun family workout that can be disguised as "play time" or "blow off steam time".

Spend a minute at each station (or doing each activity) and then take a quick water break and switch. Repeat 4 times for a quick 20-minute workout.

Family Workout
#1: Medicine Ball Squat and Toss
This a partner exercise where you squat and then toss a weighted ball between partners. No ball? Then just squat and toss with an "air ball". You will still get the heart pumping effects.

#2: Bob and Weave
Tie a rope at waist height between two objects (two chair work well) and duck under and come up on alternating sides of the rope while travelling the length of the rope and back. You can even add a puch when you come up to make it harder. No rope? Imagine one and still get low when you duck.

#3 Stair Runs
Use an aerobic step and "run" up and down the stair. You can even make a friendly competition to see who can get the most steps in any given round. No aerobic step? Use the first stair on a staircase in your house or just do fast feet over a line.

#4 Jump Rope
No explanantion needed here. No rope? Pretend.

#5Push Up Challenge
Get as many pushups as you can in the minute. Again perfect opportunity for a little friendly competition here. Can't do full pushups? No problem, place your hands on chair to make the exercise less challenging and get it done.

Give this a try with your family and let me know how it goes with your comments below in the comment section.

Fat Burning Boot Camp Cardio Workouts

Boot Camp Cardio Workouts

These are the fat blasting workouts I am doing for the next few weeks. They are kicking my rear and getting my conditioning through the roof. Every Friday, a few brave souls join me in this workout. Follow along at home if you like. Guaranteed to be a fat burning sweat fest. If you are resting more than a minute, that means you need to do a harder version of the exercises.

Workout A

Burpee Variations
Skater Hop Variations
Drop Squat Variations
Mountain Climber Variations

Do up to 10 2-minute rounds. Set your gymboss for 2 minutes and press start or press play on your Workout Muse music. Do 10 of each of the exercises back to back with no rest. Rest for the remainder of the 2 minutes then start again. Do this up to 10 times for a 20 minute workout.

Workout B
Box Jump Variations (if you don't know what these are, do jump squats instead)
Plank Jack Variations (if you don't know what these are, do belly blasters)
Lunge Jump Variations
Tuck Jump Variations (if you don't know what these are, do high knees instead)

Do up to 10 2-minute rounds. Set your gymboss for 2 minutes and press start or press play on your Workout Muse music. Do 10 of each of the exercises back to back with no rest. Rest for the remainder of the 2 minutes then start again. Do this up to 10 times for a 20 minute workout.


If you don't have a Gymboss, order one here.
http://tinyurl.com/lda88t

Trust me, it is no fun trying to watch the stopwatch and do these workouts at the same time. They are hard!

Even better, you can get high intensity boot camp music that will tell you when to start and stop for this exact interval protocol. Get your workout music here:

http://www.greatshapefitclub.workoutmuse.com/music/kettlebell-kaos-continuous-20-minutes-soundtrack-digital-downloads

This soundtrack even comes with free Kettlebell workouts as well. Definitely a great buy!

TRY THE WORKOUT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BELOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

Method Behind the Madness - 20 Minutes Continuous Boot Camp Workout

We have a great month of new bootcamp workouts locked and loaded for you!

As you know, we spend an inordinate amount of team researching and testing exercise variations and workout templates to best ensure that we bring the cream of the fitness crop your way each and every month.

Lots of other bootcamps simply seek to just beat you down and get you tired with no rhyme or reason behind what they do. This results in limited results and lots of unwanted injuries.

However, everything we do at Great Shape Fit Club boot camps is based on sound exercise science and battle-tested, in the trenches real world experience.

I feel that it's important to know why you're doing what you're doing when it comes to fitness because it helps reinforce the implementation of the necessary habits to get into the best shape of your life.

So I just wanted to take the time to briefly explain the method behind the madness of the incredible, cutting-edge Continuous 20-Minute Workouts coming your way this month.

What is it and how do you do it?

Continuous 20-Minutes is a density training bootcamp-style workout where the goal is to perform the same amount of work in less time and/or more work in the same amount of time or less.

Each workout consists of a 4-exercise circuit that works your entire body. Every 2 minutes you will perform 10 reps of each exercise (5 reps/side for unilateral movements) in the circuit as fast as you can with perfect form and technique.

The goal is to complete each circuit within 60-90 seconds and then you rest for the remaining time left in each 2-minute round. In other words, the faster your complete each round the more rest you get and visa versa.

You will perform 10 total rounds for an INSANE 20-minute metabolic workout.

If your completion time is 60 seconds or less then you need to INCREASE the intensity of your workout by increasing loads and/or using more advanced exercise variations

If your completion time is longer than 90 seconds then you need to DECREASE the intensity of your workout by decreasing loads and/or using easier exercise variations

Why does it work?

"Training Density" describes the amount of work completed in a certain period of time. ‘

'Work" describes total training volume which is the number of reps you perform for each exercise times the loads/exercise variation used to do so.

The more work you complete in the same amount of time the greater the calorie burn and the greater the muscular demand resulting in improved fat loss and lean muscle gain.

To take training density to the next level, seek to complete MORE work in the SAME amount of time or LESS.

Since you must perform 10 reps of each exercise in the 4-exercise circuit, this can be accomplished by either increasing the load used or by using a more advanced exercise variation where applicable from week to week.

In other words:

10 reps for each exercise in the circuit X

4 total exercise within each circuit X

10 total rounds =

400 total reps in 20 minutes

For example, if you used a 10 lb dumbbell for all exercises within the circuit, that means you would have performed 4,000 lbs of work in 20 minutes- Not too shabby!

However, if you progressed to using a 15 lbs dumbbell for all exercises within the circuit by the end of the phase that would mean you performed 6,000 lbs of work in 20 minutes- That's 2,000 lbs more than you did in your first workout!

Now the only way your body could meet this increased workload is by boosting lean body mass eliminating unwanted body fat. Plus, since your heart rate will be elevated throughout the entire workout, your overall conditioning will go through the roof this phase.

This progressive overload is the key to making your body change. Simply seek to gradually move from Level I to II to III over the course of this month to best ensure you get the most out of your workouts.

Sneak Peak at Great Shape Fit Club boot camp Workouts of the Month:

Below is an outline of ONE of our workouts of the month.

We will be using a 3-workout rotation with 48-hours between bootcamp workouts for optimal muscle growth and recovery.

Continuous 20 Minutes Density Training

3 Equipment-Free Workouts


Workout A

1- Vertical Jumps Variation- 10 reps (5/side)

2- Spiderman Push-ups Variation- 10 reps (5/side)

3- Rotational 1-Leg Deadlift Variation- 10 reps (5/side)

4- Side Pillar Reach and Rotate Variation- 10 reps (5/side)

As always, we will be powering our bootcamp workouts with WORKOUT MUSE (www.greatshapefitclub.workoutmuse.com).

The music will tell you exactly what to do so we trainers can do what we do best- coach, supervise, and motivate you to the best results-producing workouts of your life!

Concita

Embrace the Burn!

Memorial Day Boot Camp Workouts

I will be spending Memorial Day with my Godson and his family eating great food and playing Wii. I hope I'm good at it because I don't like to lose. I sincerely hope you have an enjoyable, safe holiday as well. Before I head out to the festivities though, I will be sure to get in a nice damage control workout to offset any treats I may enjoy that day. As a matter of fact I've been giving a great effort in my workouts all week so that I can indulge guilt free. Here are a few of the boot camp workouts I've done. Give them a try and see if you like any of them. Even if you don't like them, they will help you keep your waist line tight this Memorial Day weekend.

BOOT CAMP WORKOUT #1 Burpee Cardio
Warm up for 5 minutes and then start your stopwatch. Do 10 burpees and then rest until the top of the next minute. Repeat for 20 minutes. This one is KILLER!

BOOT CAMP WORKOUT #2 Cram Time Strength Circuit
After a 5-minute warm up, do 8 of each of these exercises. Continue this giant circuit for 20 minutes straight resting only enough to hydrate. See how many rounds you can get. We did a similar workout in class this week and one boot camper got 16 ROUNDS. Talk about crazy fit!

Dumbbell Swings
Push Ups
Bent Over Alternating Rows
Sumo Deadlift
Alternating Bicep Curls
Skater Hops

BOOT CAMP WORKOUT #3 Outdoor Conditioning Workout
After a 5 minute warm up, run 1/4 mile.
Stop and do the following exercises:
15 Burpees
15 Forward Lunges (each leg)
10 Band Bicep Curls
40 Band Chest Presses
15 Push Ups
25 Squats
RUN 1/4 MILE
10 Diagonal Lunges
10 Band Squat & Presses
20 Band Rotations (each side - band attached to stop sign)
10 Feet Elevated Pushups
20 Side Lunges
20 Tricep Dips
RUN 1/4 MILE

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! ENJOY YOUR DAMAGE CONTROL BOOT CAMP WORKOUTS AND BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKED THEM IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

Coppell Boot Camp Workout of the Day - 5 MINUTE ABS

Here's a sample of boot camp class today in Coppell. Try it at home...

5 MINUTE ABS
CONTINUOUS CORE CIRCUIT
Side Plank - RIGHT
Front Plank
Side Plank - LEFT
Reverse Plank
Rest

Complete each exercise for 30 seconds and move immediately to the next one. Rest at the end of the circuit (30 seconds) and repeat. This will take 5 minutes and will give you a flat belly fast. 100 crunches a night won't do it!

COPPELL BOOT CAMP SHOUT OUTS

Randee & Andrea for high intensity the entire workout.

Michelle for stellar lunges.

Janice for a great first day.

Randee for bumping up the intensity during the core circuit...WAY TO LEAD!

Nicole & Michelle for following Randee during the core circuit... WORKOUT SOLIDARITY AT IT'S BEST!

Fast Boot Camp Home Workout

Highland Village & Coppell's Best Boot Camp Instructor Presents...

Rapid Boot Camp Style Fat Loss at Home

Are you a busy woman? Do you think you don't have time to exercise? Don't believe that for one moment. YOU DO HAVE TIME! It doesn't take hours, expensive equipment, magic pills, or a gym membership to lose fat and get fit despite what you may have been told. All it takes is a big enough WANT to get it done.

I know this for a fact because I'm busy just like you and even I have to catch myself when I'm tempted to buy in to the 'NO TIME EXCUSE'. It happened today. After taking care of my 5 month old, my hubby who just had oral surgery, my boot campers, and the house, I just didn't feel like getting the workout done. I told myself 'I DON'T HAVE TIME' because I still have so much to do and then I remembered just how much time it REALLY takes to get it done... the same amount of time it takes to talk myself out of it. So here's what I did. You can do it too!

Do the following using a stairway with 15-20 steps. The steps in your house or apartment complex are perfect!

Run up the stairs and walk down 1 stair at a time. 10x
Bicep Curls with weights. 10x
Run up the stairs 2 at a time and walk down. 10x
Bicep Curls with weights. 10x
Step up the stairs 2 at a time with one side leading up going sideways (alternate sides each time)10x.
Bicep Curls with weights 10x
Bunny Hops up stairs 1 at a time. 10x
Hammer Curls with weights 10x
Step up and knee drive up stairs 1 at a time 10x
Hammer Curls with weights 10x
Run up stairs 1 at a time. 10x
Hammer curls with weights. 10x

At the end, I was exhausted and it only took 30 minutes. If you have less time, only do half or go through the exercises until you run out of time. Even if you do 5 minutes, it's better than none.

Remember....'In order for ANYTHING to change, SOMETHING has got to change.'

So go and make that change and remember to 'EMBRACE THE BURN'!

Coppell Pumpkin Boot Camp Workout Sneak Peak

Coppell's Best Boot Camp Instructor Reveals 3 Great Pumpkin Exercises to Burn Belly Fat

Local Coppell fat loss expert and owner of Great Shape Fit Club Boot Camps, Concita Thomas, loves to piggyback on current events to add variety and creativity toher fat loss boot camp workouts.

Concita believes you can approach the fall in one of two ways. The first option is to go nuts with all of the eats and treats. The second is to indulge in moderation and offset any extra caloric consumption with a seasonal pumpkin workout. I recommend the later… it’s a lot more figure-friendly!

Pumpkins can be used just like medicine balls for an unlimited number of exercise options. Concita likes to take it one step further and use total body exercises that combine upper body, lower body, and core movements into one big bang for your buck exercise.

She has provided her top three total body pumpkin exercises that guarantee to help you burn fat and build muscle in minimal time. She recommends performing at least one circuit of the following three pumpkin exercises, with little to no rest between movements, for every festive, fall treat you eat:

1) Pumpkin Swings: Holding a pumpkin in your hands with your arms extended, stay on your heels and push your hips back while bringing the pumpkin underneath your body while keeping your eyes up and chest out. Then push your hips forward and swing the pumpkin up to chest level being sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement. Repeat for 10 total reps.

2) Pumpkin Curl to Squat to Presses: Holding a pumpkin in your hands with your arms extended, curl the pumpkin to your chest as your squat down until your front thighs are parallel to the floor with your eyes up and your weight on your heels. Then simultaneously stand up and press the pumpkin overhead. Repeat for 10 total reps.

3) Pumpkin Burpees: Holding a pumpkin in your hands with your arms extended, squat down to the floor, then jump your legs out to assume a push-up position. Perform a push-up with your hands on the pumpkin and then reverse the movement to stand back up. Repeat for total 10 reps.

Concita will be holding her first annual Fall Festival Charity Boot Camp Workout on Friday, October 30th at 7:30 pm at The Coppell Dance Centre. The registration deadline is Friday, October 23rd. Attendees will also be heading over to a special after party at Guero's Mexican restaurant following the workout. For more information on this event, please go to our event page at http://greatshapefitclub.blogspot.com/2009/10/fall-festival-charity-boot-camp-workout.html . Great Shape Fit Club Boot Camps can also be reached via email at greatshapefitclub@gmail.com and via phone at 214-257-0146.

How To Build The Best Quick Fat Loss Circuit Training Workout

For decades now, most weight training routines are done in straight set format. Straight sets are when you perform a specific number of repetitions fo an exercise and then rest before repeating another set of the same exercise. For fat loss goals, the rest period is typically short at around 30 seconds. For muscle gain emphasis the rest is usually long up to as much as 5 minutes.

This training approach is simple and easy to follow but is it the best possible way to train for rapid fat loss? Absolutely not! While straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see ladies perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the leg extension machine. They crank out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with their girlfriends, watch a couple of minutes of their favorite TV show, and then stroll back to the leg extension machine to start their second set. In general, most people, women in particular, tend to take about 2-3 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the leg extension machine it would take up to 12 minutes to complete only one movement pattern. That means you’d need almost an hour to perform four different exercises. No wonder most women think they don't have time to exercise!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is getting more done in less time which is the cornerstone of any effective fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.) Triple Sets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

While supersets and triple sets are excellent alternating set options, I believe the ultimate fat loss workout is circuit training. Let's look at my favorite circuit training template to understand exactly why circuit training is queen of the fat loss workouts.

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Push Ups

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Bridges

Exercise#4- Bent Over Rows

Exercise#5- Plank

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the leg extension machine you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for an astounding total of 15 sets! The intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

Let's recap here. The key to creating the best hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Let me share the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core


You can start to use this template today to build your own high intensity, fat loss workouts.

Stay tuned for a workout video showing you a great circuit you can perform anywhere.

I will be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come.

EMBRACE THE BURN!

Concita L Thomas

http://www.BoutiqueBootCamp.com