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by Rachel Cosgrove


  Workout 1

  First do the Get Moving RAMP exercises. Then perform the following exercises as described in the chart.

  Exercise

  Sets

  Reps

  Speed

  Rest

  CORE

  1 Wood Chop

  1-2

  12

  each

  side

  Mod

  45 secs

  POWER

  2 Box Jump/

  Jump Squat

  1-2

  5-6

  Fast

  1 min

  STRENGTH

  3A Deadlift

  2-3

  12

  Mod

  1 min

  3B T-Pushup

  2-3

  6

  each

  side

  Mod

  None

  3C Rear-Foot

  Elevated Split Squat

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Mod

  None

  3D Open

  Half-Kneeling with

  Thoracic Reach

  2-3

  5

  each

  side

  Slow

  None

  4A Single Arm

  Push Press

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Slow

  1 min

  4B Single Leg

  Romanian

  Deadlift with

  Single Arm Row

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Slow

  None

  4C Half-Kneeling

  Hip Flexor Stretch

  with Rotation and

  Rear Foot Elevated

  2-3

  30

  secs

  each

  side

  Slow

  None

  FINISHER

  5 Jump Squat

  2-4

  20

  On the minute

  1 min

  1 Wood Chop

  Including a rotational movement as part of your workout is extremely important and often forgotten. The Wood Chop is an excellent full body exercise working the rotational movement.

  START: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you have a band to use, hook it under one of your feet and grab the handles, or if you have a dumbbell, grasp the dumbbell with both hands. Both hands will be clasped and to the side of your leg.

  MOVEMENT: Keeping your arms straight, pull the weight straight across your body at a diagonal. Keep your eyes on your hands as you do the movement. Return to the start position under control and repeat. Think about bending your legs from side to side, shifting your weight back and forth as you pull across your body, making this a whole-body exercise. Your shoulders and eyes should follow your hands as you twist, and your knees should be bent slightly.

  2 Box Jump/Jump Squat

  This exercise is as much a mind-set exercise as it is a physical exercise. Start with a small box that you know you can land on top of and remember the words, “I can jump on this box.” As soon as you doubt yourself, you’ll be less likely to land on the box.

  START: Stand in front of a sturdy step or box that can hold your body weight.

  MOVEMENT: Bend both knees and jump, landing on the box with both feet at the same time with a soft landing (think “catlike”). As you land, your knees should not buckle in but should instead stay tracking over your toes while you support your landing by engaging your glutes and core. Step back down off the box one foot at a time; do not jump off the box. Repeat. If you don’t have a box to jump on to, then perform Jump Squats.

  OPTION: If you are unable to maintain a neutral spine with full range of motion, set the weights on a small box or step instead of trying to reach for the floor.

  3 A Deadlift

  START: Place dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell on the floor right in front of your toes. Bend your knees so that your thighs are slightly above parallel to the floor, but keep your shoulders directly over your hands in front of you. Keep your head in neutral alignment and grab the dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbell.

  MOVEMENT: Keeping a normal arch in your lower back, stand straight up and bring your hips forward. At the top you should be standing straight up with your chest tall, legs straight, and your arms in front of your thighs. Think about pushing the earth away from you, like a jumping action rather than a lifting action. Lower under control to the floor (by flexing your hips and then your knees) to complete the repetition.

  3 B T-Pushup

  START: Assume a standard pushup position.

  MOVEMENT: Perform a pushup, then transfer all your weight to one hand as you rotate your body to reach up and behind you with the opposite hand. Keep both feet on the floor while pivoting to turn. Your arms should be in a straight line so that your body forms a T shape. Alternate sides. Once this becomes easy, lift both your arm and the foot on the same side off the floor after each pushup, so you make an X shape with your arms and legs. Holding hexagon-shaped dumbbells in your hands can also increase the intensity, or wear a weight vest.

  3 C Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat

  Perform as previously described . Last phase, you performed this exercise with your foot on a stable surface. You can repeat that again or place your foot in a TRX strap, creating instability and making you work even harder. You got this!

  3 D Open Half-Kneeling with Thoracic Reach

  START: Kneel on your left knee with your right foot flat on the floor and turned out from your body, forming a 90-degree angle with your left leg. Place your left hand just in front of your left leg and reach your right arm toward the ceiling.

  MOVEMENT: Bring your right arm down and through your left arm and left leg and then reach back up toward the ceiling. Repeat. Then switch sides.

  4 A Single Arm Push Press

  Perform as previously described .

  4 B Single Leg Romanian Deadlift with Single Arm Row

  Perform as previously described , but as you are coming back up, stop when your back is neutral and the weight is hanging straight down and row the weight up. Lower the weight and then stand up. Repeat. Switch sides.

  4 C Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch with Rotation and Rear Foot Elevated

  Perform as previously described .

  5 Jump Squat

  Perform a Body Weight Speed Squat , except from the bottom of the squat generate enough power to jump off the floor into the air. As you land, return to the squat position and repeat.

  PHASE 3:

  Strength

  Workout 2

  First do the Get Moving RAMP exercises. Then perform the following exercises as described in the chart.

  Exercise

  Sets

  Reps

  Speed

  Rest

  CORE

  1 Body Saw

  1-2

  8

  Mod

  45 secs

  POWER

  2 Jump Lunge

  1-2

  8

  each

  side

  Fast

  1 min

  STRENGTH

  3A Front Squat

  with Dumbbells

  or Barbell

  2-3

  12

  Mod

  1 min

  3B Chinup

  with Band

  2-3

  12

  Slow

  None

  3C Cross-Over

  Stepup

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Mod

  None

  3D

  Open Half-Kneeling with

  Ankle Mobilization

  2-3

  5

  each

  side

  Slow

  None

  4A Two-Point />
  Dumbbell Row

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Slow

  None

  4B Lateral

  Lunge with

  Contra Load and

  Overhead Press

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Mod

  None

  4C Hip/Thigh

  Extension

  2-3

  12

  each

  side

  Mod

  None

  FINISHER

  5 Single

  Arm Swing

  2-4

  20

  (10 each

  side)

  On the minute

  Rest until min is up

  1 Body Saw

  START: Place your feet in the TRX and get on your elbows in a plank position.

  MOVEMENT: Start with a very small move-ment pushing your body back toward the TRX by opening up the angle under your arm and putting an increased demand on your core. Return to the start position and repeat. Each time you do this exercise, you can try to get a little more range.

  OPTION: You can also do this exercise with your body weight, with your feet on the ground.

  2 Jump Lunge

  START: Stand at the top of a lunge with your feet split apart.

  MOVEMENT: Lower yourself to the bottom of a lunge and then explosively launch yourself into the air, exchanging your legs in midair. Upon landing (your feet will be opposite of where they were at the start), go into another lunge and repeat for the required time period.

  OPTION: Hold on to a TRX while performing this exercise to make it easier.

  3 A Front Squat with Dumbbells or Barbell

  START: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and either hold dumbbells at shoulder height or hold a barbell on your back (use a squat rack to safely load the bar). Your chest should be up, hips underneath your shoulders, and core engaged.

  MOVEMENT: Bending at your knees and hips and pushing your knees out, lower into a full squat position, keeping your torso as upright as possible. Try to get your hips below parallel so that you can achieve maximum range of motion. Use your legs and hips to drive yourself back up to the start position and repeat.

  3 B Chinup with Band

  Women can do chinups—we just need to work at them! They are a great example of how much strength you have compared to your weight.

  START: If you’re a beginner, 6 to 8 unassisted chinups might not be doable—yet. So you can use a band for assistance, or do Negative Chinups. As you get stronger, use a thinner and thinner band until you’re doing chinups without the band. To use a band for assistance, hang from a chinup bar with a band looped around the bar and around one knee. Your hands should be facing you and fully extended. To perform Negative Chinups: You'll need a step high enough to give you a boost up to the top of the chinup, where you'll start the exercise. Very slowly, lower yourself down, going as slowly and as controlled as possible.

  MOVEMENT: Pull yourself up to the bar until your chin is over the bar and then return to the start position. Think about bringing your elbows to your sides, which will ensure that you’re using your back to pull yourself up. The band should act as support to help lift you up. The thicker the band, the easier it will be for you to pull your body weight up. Don’t swing your legs or kick to cheat your way up. As you get stronger, eventually ditch the band and do chinups on your own.

  3 C Cross-Over Stepup

  This move takes the stepup and turns you sideways, switching on your outer thighs more and working in a different plane of motion. You'll really feel this in your butt!

  START: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand alongside a bench or step that can support your body weight. Place your outside foot flat on the step, crossing over your body while keeping your hips square, sideways to the step.

  MOVEMENT: Shift your weight onto the foot on the step, driving yourself up onto the step and balancing on the working leg. Slowly lower yourself back down to the start position and repeat. Then switch sides.

  3 D Open Half-Kneeling with Ankle Mobilization

  Perform this exercise as previously described .

  4 A Two-Point Dumbbell Row

  This is a progression from the Three-Point Dumbbell Row you did in Phase One.

  4 B Lateral Lunge with Contra Load and Overhead Press

  Perform as previously described , except as you finish the lateral lunge and bring your feet together, bring the dumbbell up to shoulder height and press it overhead. Repeat on the same side for the prescribed number of reps. Switch sides.

  START: Bend over at your hips, holding one dumbbell straight down. Your back should be flat and your spine in a straight line.

  MOVEMENT: Row the dumbbell up to your side by squeezing your shoulder blades back and together. Then return to the start position and repeat.

  4 C Hip/Thigh Extension

  Perform this exercise as previously described .

  5 Single Arm Swing

  Perform this exercise as previously described .

  PHASE 3:

  Countdown

  Metabolic

  Workout

  Start with 10 reps of each exercise and only do evens this phase—after 10 reps, do 8 reps, then 6, 4, 2. Next time you perform the Countdown Metabolic Workout, add one tier, doing 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2. The third time you’ll perform 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2.

  Sprint or jump rope for 40 seconds one time at the end of each round. Rest for 2 minutes and repeat for 8 reps, 6 reps, etc.

  Exercise

  Sets

  Reps

  Speed

  Rest

  CIRCUIT

  1A

  Jump Squat

  5

  10*

  Fast

  None

  1B

  Deadlift

  with High Pull

  5

  10*

  Fast

  None

  1C

  Super Plank

  5

  10*

  Fast

  None

  1D

  Alternating

  Dumbbell

  or Kettlebell Clean

  5

  10*

  Fast

  None

  1E

  Alternating

  Reverse Lunge with

  Overhead Reach

  5

  10

  each

  side*

  Fast

  None

  CARDIO

  Jump Rope

  40 secs

  after each round

  REST

  Active

  Recovery

  Rest for 2 min

  * Perform 10 reps of each (in set 1), 8 reps of each (in set 2), 6 reps of each (in set 3), 4 reps of each (in set 4), 2 reps of each (in set 5)

  1 A Jump Squat

  Perform a Body Weight Speed Squat , except from the bottom of the squat generate enough power to jump off the floor into the air. As you land, return to the squat position and repeat.

  1 B Deadlift with High Pull

  Perform a Deadlift with lighter dumbbells or a bar, but as you lift the weight, generate enough power to "High Pull " the weight. Return to the start position and repeat.

  1 C Super Plank

  START: Get into a plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your head, upper back, hips, and ankles all in one straight line.

  MOVEMENT: Walk up onto one hand and then the other hand so you are in a pushup position. Then lower back to the start position by placing one elbow down and then the other. Alternate the arm you go up on first and lower to first.

  1 D Alternating Dumbbell or Kettlebell Clean

  Perform the Kettlebell Clean as previously described. This exercise can be per-formed with a kettlebell or dumbbell.

  1 E Alternating Reverse Lunge with Overhead Rea
ch

  START: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

  MOVEMENT: Step back into a lunge while reaching both arms overhead. Drive off your front leg and return to the start position while lowering your arms. Repeat on the other side. Feel free to hold on to a medicine ball or dumbbell to increase the difficulty.

  PHASE 3:

  Complex

  Metabolic

  Workout

  First do the Get Moving RAMP exercises. Then perform 8 of each of the following exercises one after the other, moving as fast as possible. Rest for 90 seconds and then repeat. Perform the circuit four times.

  Exercise

  Sets

  Reps

  Speed

  Rest

  CIRCUIT

  1A Left Arm

  Dumbbell Deadlift

  1*

  8

  Fast

  None

  1B Left Arm

  Dumbbell Clean

  1

  8

  Fast

  None

  1C Left Arm

  Offset Dumbbell

  Goblet Squat

  1

  8

  Fast

  None

  1D Left Arm

  Push Press

  1

  8

  Fast

  None

  2A Right Arm

  Dumbbell Deadlift

  1

  8

  Fast

  None

  2B Right Arm

 

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