When you ask most people what they want to look like, they respond:

“I want to have a long, lean, and tight athletic physique!”

But these same people seem to think they can get that same athletic physique without actually training like an athlete.

These well-intentioned wannabes go “power” walking for hours or they jump on ellipticals and go slow for long thinking they can actually look elite if they train EASY.

Think of the fat-free, sexy bodies that strut the playing fields of stop-and-go sports like soccer, basketball, football, tennis, field hockey, swimming, or rugby.

Now think of the elite bodies of some of the most famous athletes in the world:

David Beckham

Kobe Bryant

Mia Ham

Terrel Owens

The Williams Sisters

These fat-free, sexy bodies were built while playing stop-and-go sports.

These rare athletic physiques were molded through intervals: alternating between bouts of all-out high-intensity effort and recovery periods.

If you want to be EYE CANDY like these celebrity athletes, then you need to get with the program… THE INTERVAL TRAINING PROGRAM!

Workout Muse provides DONE-FOR-YOU tried and proven rapid fat loss workouts that harness the science of interval training and the power of sound.

Our Rapid Fat Loss Music Workout Soundtracks serve as your personal music trainer by telling you when to stop, when to start, and provides strategically placed countdowns and updates to keep you focused on the task at hand.

Plus, our elite team of sound designers create inspiring workout music (techno, latin, rock, hip-hop, and more) and rhythmic audio arrangements from scratch that will have you training with athletic intensity for the best-feeling, result-producing workouts of your life!

For as little as 14.95/month, you can access the same cutting-edge interval training programs used by ELITE athletes with ELITE bodies, without the hefty price tag of their personal trainers!

INTERVAL TRAINING… JUST LIKE ATHLETES DO!

See below for my cardio interval workout yesterday which implemented a ton of athletic movements:

“Are You Ready for Tabatas?”

You will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. Upon being told to “GO!” you will perform each exercise with maximum effort until being told to “STOP!” Every 4 minutes of work is followed by 1-minute of rest. You will repeat this 5-minute sequence 4x for 20 total minutes. Time to melt some serious fat!

Station#1- 5 minutes: Tabata Conditioning

Straights sets of the following conditioning exercise:

Single-Exercise- Single-leg hops over line (alternate legs from round to round)

Station#2- 5 minutes: Tabata Conditioning

Straights sets of the following conditioning exercise:

Single-Exercise- Shadow Boxing Speed Punches

Station#3- 5 minutes: Tabata Conditioning

Straights sets of the following conditioning exercise:

Single-Exercise- Dot Drill

Station#4- 5 minutes: Tabata Conditioning

Straights sets of the following conditioning exercise:

Single-Exercise- Lateral Shuffles with line touch (5-10 yard spacing)

Crank it!

BJ

http://www.workoutmuse.com

What’s the first thing you see those gym meat heads do every Monday:

ENDLESS SETS OF BARBELL BENCH PRESSES LAYING ON THEIR BACK!!!

Now, don’t get me wrong, the bench press is a great upper body strength and muscle builder. However, here’s the problem with only doing barbell bench presses:

1.) There is little to no core involvement

2.) Performing only bilateral movements tends to further exacerbated strength balances between arms

What’s the solution?

The 1-Arm DB Chest Press on a Stability Ball!

Just like this above, but only 1 db held in 1 arm at a time!

Let’s list the benefits of this amazing exercise:

1.) The instability of the stability ball makes the exercise more challenging for thew whole body, particular your core

2.) Being able to work one arm at a time allows you to training single-arm strength and prevent the common imbalances between arms that prevents you from bench pressing maximal weight safely

3.) Performing a 1-arm db bench press forces your core to work hard to offset the extra loading on your work arm so that you don’t fall off the stability ball (yes, I have done this before in a public setting, and it wasn’t pretty)

4.) Using dumbbells allows you to work through a greater range of motion than a barbell allows for which makes it a great muscle building and fat loss movement

Bottom line, the 1-arm db bench press on a stability ball is my favorite bench press variation, and probably the next upper body push exercise alternative to the ultimate total body push exercise: THE PUSH-UP!

Check out my workout today, featuring this awesome chest AND total body builder!

BWT Workout A – “TABATAS”

Exercise Selection and Order:

You will perform 5 total exercises: 1 lower body, 2 upper body, and 2 core exercises.

Exercise Performance:

“Are You Ready for Tabatas?”

You will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. Upon being told to “GO!” you will perform each exercise with maximum effort until being told to “STOP!” Every 4 minutes of work is followed by 1-minute of rest. You will repeat this 5-minute sequence 4x for 20 total minutes. Time to melt some serious fat!

Pre-Workout A- 5 minutes

Station#1- 5 minutes: Tabata Single-Leg Lower Body

Straights sets of the following unilateral knee-dominant exercise:

Single-Exercise- Valslide Lateral Lunges w/ Kettlebell (alternate the lead leg from round to round)

Station#2- 5 minutes: Tabata Upper Body Push

Straights sets of the following unilateral knee-dominant exercise:

Single-Exercise- 1-Arm DB Bench Press on SB (alternate arms from round to round)

Station#3- 5 minutes: Tabata Upper Body Pull

Straights sets of the following unilateral knee-dominant exercise:

Single-Exercise- Single-Leg Kettlebell RDL + Row (alternate legs from round to round)

Station#4- 5 minutes: Tabata Core

Alternating sets of the following core trunk-dominant exercises:

Exercise#1- Back Pillar Variation @ Dynamic Back Pillar
Exercise#2- Crunch Variation @ Weighted Sandbag Curl-up Hold

Finisher A- “30-30’s”

Exercise#1- Single-Leg Wall Sit @ left leg
Exercise#2- Single-Leg Wall Sit @ right leg

Perform this 1-minute round 5x for 5 total minutes

Post-Workout- 5 minutes

Crank it!

BJ

http://www.workoutmuse.com

If you ask a track star what the most difficult running event is, most likely they will reply:

The 400 m dash!

Why? Because usually the 400 m takes 50-70 s for most well conditioned athletes to complete and it is literally a straight sprint all the way through. It is a total gut check of trying to fight all the burning in your muscles from accumulating lactic acid due the growing lack of oxygen from second to second.

From both personal experience and observing my clients, our bodies really only have about a 60 s true sprint in us before we conk out and the intensity drops to the point of diminishing returns.

In addition, 60 s of high-intensity effort completely exhausts your anaerobic system and every second of effort after 60 s has your body shifting towards its aerobic energy pathways. Plus, your body burns the most carbs in the 30-60 s of high-intensity effort, and the key to a rapid fat loss workout is to burn as many carbs during your workout as possible from these 30-60 sec sprinting efforts so that your body is burning fat the rest of the day!

Still not convinced?

Well just look at the ripped, fat-free body below of the most prolific 400 m runner of all time:

In vain, I tried to be like Mike today and did the following killer workout:

These workouts can be completed in 30 minutes or less and consist of 3 separate sections to be performed in the exact order listed:

ADAPTED FROM THE 16-WEEK RAPID FAT LOSS CARDIO PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD BY SIGNING UP FOR THE FREE WORKOUT MUSE NEWSLETTER (UPPER RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS BLOG)

I. Warm-Up : 5 minutes total
II. Intervals : Perform the prescribed number of rounds for 20 minutes total
III. Cool-Down : 5 minutes total

Key Terms:

- Carb-Burning Zone (CBZ) = Perform all-out, high-intensity sprints for the designated period of time. Make sure to work as hard as you possibly can during these sprints for your current fitness level. In other words, you should be working at an Intensity Level of 8-9 on The Perceived Exertion Scale of 1-10 (10 being maximum effort).

- Fat-Burning Zone (FBZ) = Perform low to moderate intensity active recovery for the designated period of time. Make sure to select a pace that allows you to sufficiently recover for the next sprint. In other words, you should be working at an Intensity Level of 3-5 on The Perceived Exertion Scale of 1-10 (10 being maximum effort). In general, this is the same pace you should use for both your warm-up and cool-down.

- 1 Interval = CBZ+FBZ = 1 Round

WORKOUT MUSE: Month#1

Workout B- 1:3 work to rest ratio

- CBZ = 60 s
- FBZ = 180 s
- 1 Interval = 4 minutes = 1 Round
- Perform 5 rounds for a total of 20 minutes of intervals

BE LIKE MIKE… AND SPRINT TO LOOK BETTER NAKED

Listen and Lose Fat,

BJ Gaddour

http://www.workoutmuse.com

HOW TO GET A SEXY METABOLISM IN 21 DAYS!

Day#2, Tip#2- Eat OFTEN to Feed Muscle and Starve Fat! Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours for a total of 4-6 approved meals per day depending on your goals.

“I know I am supposed to eat like 5 or 6 times per day, but I usually skip breakfast because I am so busy and I just don’t have any time to eat anything in the morning. Once I get to work it’s a total rat race and I just never have time to eat anything but a candy bar or some chips from the vending machine during the day. Sometimes I have a small lunch or I’ll swing by a fast-food joint. By the end of the day I am friggin’ starving and I eat a really big dinner before I go to bed.”

Sadly, this statement is a pretty accurate summary of how most people in our country eat on a regular basis:

- We skip breakfast

- We eat the biggest meal of the day as our last meal before bed

Well, the good news is that you now know exactly WHAT NOT TO DO!

Now, I’ll give you this: it’s a bit counterintuitive that eating more often will help you lose weight. I mean seriously, how can eating more get rid of your gut? Here’s how:

It is important to first understand the evolutionary history of our ancestors. Not so long ago food was very scarce and we could go many long hours, days, or even a whole week or more between meals. Essentially, we would starve on a regular basis.

Our body has an amazing ability to adapt to its environment in an effort to survive. Thus, the human body became very efficient at storing as much fat for energy as possible in case another state of famine was right around the corner whenever it would sense imminent starvation.

In addition, when your body is starving it will start to consume muscle protein for energy in an effort to save even more body fat as critical survival energy. The result is a loss of lean muscle mass and body shape and a slow, sluggish metabolism.

So, how long does it take to go without eating before your body enters SUVIVAL MODE?

2-4 hours!

If you haven’t eaten in the last 2-4 hours, this is what’s going on in your body right now:

- It’s storing ugly, unwanted body fat in all those pesky trouble spot areas like your hips, thighs, abs, and lower back!

- It’s slowing your metabolism to a dead halt stopping fat loss in its tracks!

But wait, there’s more bad news! When you don’t eat every 2-4 hours your body will store as many calories as possible at your next meal to stock up for the next hunger strike. In addition, your blood sugar levels will be so low that your body is going to be craving high-carb, high-fat junk foods that will leave you feeling guilty and bloated. In other words, you will overeat junk food and become a fat-storing machine.

Once and for all, let’s say it together:

No more miserable starvation diets that leave us fatter and more frustrated!

ETERNAL#1- Eat OFTEN to Feed Muscle and Starve Fat: Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours for a total of 4-6 approved meals per day depending on your goals.

Bottom Line:

Frequent Feedings Build a Fat-Melting, Muscle-Building Metabolism:

- Increased Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF): Every time you eat you boost your metabolism as your body burns calories chewing, swallowing, and digesting food. If you eat 2-3 meals per day, you will only boost your metabolism 2-3 times. However eating 4-6 meals a day will results in 2-3 extra metabolic boosts per day!

- Feed Muscle and Starve Fat: Your body is programmed to survive periods of famine and starvation due to evolution. Thus, your body will store fat and eat muscle as soon as it senses the slightest signal of starvation. By eating every 2-4 hours you will both provide your body with a steady flow of muscle-building nutrients and allow your body to use fat for fuel. You will also simultaneously increase your body’s natural production of anabolic hormones (good muscle-building and fat-melting hormones) and decrease your body’s natural production of catabolic hormones (bad muscle-wasting and fat-storing hormones).

- Increase Performance and Improve Energy Levels: Eating every 2-4 hours effectively balances your blood sugar levels and provides a steady and consistent flow of energy to your body to maximize your daily performance at school or work and during your workouts.

- Trick Your Body Into Thinking It’s Being Overfed: Unfortunately, your body has no real interest in being lean. However, by eating every 2-4 hours, even when you are in a caloric deficit, you trick your body into thinking that food is always shortly on the way and thus you will avoid the pit falls of starvation-induced muscle loss and fat-storage.

- Avoid the Spillover Effect: When you eat a few big meals each day, the higher caloric and macronutrient content of these meals are more likely to lead to a spillover of nutrients resulting in unwanted fat gain. This is because it is often too difficult for your body to digest large quantities of food. By eating 4-6 smaller, evenly distributed meals each day you are preventing this overflow of nutrients and making it easier for your body to digest and make use of all the nutrient-dense food you are putting into your body.

- A study from Georgia State University concluded that people who opted to eat every 2-3 hours rather than the typical 2-3 meals per day have better blood sugar levels, fewer catabolic hormones, more anabolic hormones, less blood cholesterol, better body composition, and higher metabolic rates! When was the last time you ate?

Expert’s Suggestion: Set Your Metabolic Alarm Clock!

Most of us wake up every day to an alarm clock. It is safe to say that the majority of us would probably not wake-up every morning when we are supposed to if we did not have this alarm clock.

Do you honestly think you are going to eat every 2-4 hours unless your body tells you to? We are all so very busy and there truly never seems to be enough time in the day and that is why it is critical that we give our bodies the incentive to eat as often as possible.

Thus, it is essential to establish a daily eating schedule so that your metabolism has the ideal internal alarm clock to optimize your health, body composition, and performance. If you commit to eating every 2-4 hours for a total of 4-6 approved meals for at least 2 weeks, I promise you that your stomach will be rumbling for that next meal sooner than later. IT’S LIKE CLOCKWORK!

Yours in Fat Loss,

BJ Gaddour, CSCS

http://www.workoutmuse.com

HOW TO GET A SEXY METABOLISM IN 21 DAYS!

Day#1, Tip#1: Drink Water To Look Better Naked!

Be a Hydration Specialist

This one is pretty simple. If you do not drink enough water you will die. Humans can go without food for days, weeks, and even months in some circumstances and survive. However, it only takes a couple of days (and in some instances, a span of only a couple of hours) of dehydration before serious health risks or even death present themselves. Over 60% of your body is made of water and it is absolutely essential for a wide variety of physiological functions. Thus, water is at the top of the ETERNAL EATING Food Pyramid as it is the most essential component of sound nutrition.

Oh yea, for those of you who do not care about your health know this: A DEHYDRATED ORGANISM CANNOT LOSE UNWANTED BODY FAT! Your body is only interested in survival and in maintaining homeostasis. As soon as your body senses that it is dehydrated it will go into survival mode and then your body will have no interest in burning body fat. Thus, in order to maximize fat loss and get sexy you need to trick your body into thinking “everything is okay” so that it can effectively burn fat without ever going into survival mode.

Below is a brief summary of key benefits of being a hydration specialist:

– Water is the most vital component of sound nutrition

– A dehydrated organism cannot effectively lose body fat

– Water is needed to flush toxins and fat out of our bodies

– Adequate water intake increase metabolism, performance, and energy levels

The Expert’s Suggestions:

– Always be prepared: Carry a full water bottle around with you and sip on it all day long

– Make your water bottle your own: Whenever we take ownership of something, we will put more effort into maintaining it if not improving it. Thus, take ownership of your water bottle and make it the best around. Feel free to name your water bottle (e.g. Wilson the volleyball from “Castaway”) and/or add creative designs to your water bottle to enhance its visual appeal. Do not share your water bottle with anyone else and be ready to use physical force if necessary to protect your water bottle.

The Water Bottle Mantra

“This is my water bottle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My water bottle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my water bottle is useless. Without my water bottle, I am useless.”

Hydration Guidelines:

DRINK AT LEAST 8-16 OZ (1-2 CUPS) OF WATER FOR EVERY 1-2 WAKING HOURS AND ELIMINATE ALL CALORIE-CONTAINING* AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

*Besides your approved workout drinks and meal replacement shakes

1.) Drink Immediately Upon Waking to Boost Metabolism and to Keep Your Heart Ticking

– You have just spent the whole night sleeping (ideally 7-8 hours) so you are going to wake up extremely dehydrated. It is critical to hydrate as soon as you roll out of bed so that you rev up your metabolic engine and start your day off on the right note.

– Good Morning Metabolism: German scientists recently discovered that drinking 2 cups of cold water immediately upon waking boosts metabolism by 24% for 90 minutes following this good morning chug. Interestingly enough, a smaller amount of water had NO EFFECT on metabolism!

– Save Your Heart: Researchers at Loma Linda University found that men who drank five 8-ounce glasses of water a day were 54% less likely to suffer from fatal heart attacks than those men who drank two 8-ounce glasses or fewer. By drinking 16 oz of water first thing in the morning you are already out-drinking some of these numbskulls!

– Drink at least 16 oz (2 cups) of CHILLED water

2.) Drink Before Meals to Prevent Overeating AND Between Meals to Stay Full

– Before Meals: Drinking at least 8-16 oz of water before each meal will help prevent overeating because water competes with food for space in the stomach. Thus the more water you drink, the less EXTRA food you will eat. This regulation of caloric intake makes drinking enough water an essential component in optimizing fat loss.

– Between Meals: Drinking at least 8-16 oz of water between each meal will help keep you full all day long. Most of us confuse hunger for dehydration, particularly during the cold, dry winter season. Staying hydrated between feedings will keep your energy levels high and prevent those usual hunger pangs that lead you to the twinkie machine at work or school!

– Drink at least 8-16 oz (1-2 cups) of water

3.) Drink During Activity to Boost Performance and Muscle Growth

– Water is nature’s ULTIMATE performance enhancer. Your muscles are composed of 80% water and even a 1% decrease in body water has a negative effect on both workout performance and recovery. That is why proper pre, mid, and post-workout hydration has been shown to lower exercising heart rate, reduce heat stress, maintain performance, and prevent strength losses typical of dehydration.

– In addition, German researchers recently discovered that there is a higher rate of protein synthesis (muscle growth) in well-hydrated muscle cells.

– Adequate water intake is also critical to minimizing the aging process as it helps prevent the drying up of connective tissues surrounding our muscles and joints. This means less nagging aches and pains both now and down the road!

– Drink at least 8-16 oz (1-2 cups) of CHILLED water for every 15 minutes of activity*

*NOTE: Mineral imbalances may occur during exercise that produces large losses of sweat (particularly in hot environments). That’s why it’s best to consume a workout drink containing protein and/or carbs and minerals (e.g. protein shake or fruit flavored kefir). Please refer to the Workout Nutrition Section for more info.

Yours in Fat Loss,

BJ Gaddour, CSCS

http://www.workoutmuse.com

A lot of new clients ask me what type of ab work I personally do to get a shredded six pack. I proceed to go into the following auto-responder:

1.) I eat like a caveman

My nutrition system ETERNAL EATING focuses on consuming core meals (consisting of lean proteins, healthy fats, and green vegetables) every 2-4 hours for a total of 4-6 meals per day depending on my current goals (fat loss or muscle gain emphasis. I only consume activity meals (consisting of leans proteins, nutrient dense whole grains carbs, and fruits and veggies) after intense exercise and when I am trying to get super ripped, I simply don’t consume activity meals for weeks at a time.

2.) I train my whole body, not just more core

Everybody knows we all have sexy abs underneath that blubbery winter suit. So the key to burning off that protective lard layer is to train your whole body to provide the maximal muscle-building and fat-burning stimulus. Furthermore, when I train my core, I focus on pillar movement that works the shoulder, hips, and core in three planes of movement (see side pillars below) so get as many muscles involved as possible.

3.) I really focus on strengthening and building as much lower body muscle as possible

I take leg training for seriousty because it separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. Leg training is brutal and that’s why most people are too wimpy to do it. However, the majority of your muscle mass is in your lower body and thus strong and muscular legs are the key to building a sexy metabolism that will have your burning fat and building muscle 24-7. That’s why every one of my workouts contains both a double-leg movement and a single-leg movement and I alternated between knee and hip-dominant variations for both on a workout to workout basis to balance my lower body training. So if you want a flat, 6-pack abs, you better focus on getting nice legs first!

Check out my workout for today, it was legit, and it epitomizes my training system for abs:

TOTAL BODY CIRCUIT TRAINING!

Pre-Workout A- 5 minutes

8-Exercise Tabata Circuit

- Perform each exercise for max reps for 20 s, with a 10 s transition to the next exercise in the exact exercise order listed below for 4 straight minutes:

Exercise#1- Bilateral Knee-Dominant @ MB Jump Squats
Exercise#2- Vertical Pull @ Neutral-Grip Pull-ups
Exercise#3- Vertical Push @ Parallel Bar Dips
Exercise#4- Unilateral Hip-Dominant Variation @ Single-Leg Hip Extension with off-leg parallel to floor with arms across chest (left leg)
Exercise#5- Unilateral Hip-Dominant Variation @ Single-Leg Hip Extension with off-leg parallel to floor with arms across chest (right leg)
Exercise#6- Core Hip-Dominant @ Valslide Mountain Climbes
Exercise#7- Core Linear Stabilization @ Left Side Pillar w/ Abduction (top leg raise)
Exercise#8- Core Linear Stabilization @ Right Side Pillar w/ Abduction (top leg raise)

- After completing the last exercise, take a 1-minute rest and transition
- Perform this 5-minute sequence 4x for 20 total minutes

I must admit I had to take a 15 s rest in the middle of the 3rd minute as I crapped out, but I sucked it up and kept going. This was absolutely deadly! I felt like EVERYWHERE… I think I saw God’s face on the last round, ha ha!

Finisher A- “30-30’s”

Exercise#1- Total Body: KB Deadlift to Curl
Exercise#2- Total Body: KB Squat to Press

Perform this 1-minute round 5x for 5 total minutes

Post-Workout- 5 minutes

HELLUVA WAY TO CRANK IT FOR THE WEEKE… GET SEXY MONDAY!

Listen and Lose Fat!

BJ
http://www.workoutmuse.com/

One thing I have learned about training for fat loss is to constantly keep your body guessing by frequently changing up your workouts. You want to prevent your body from adapting to your workouts so that your metabolism is very inefficient. This results in maximal calorie burn both during and after your workouts and also activated your bodies “fight or flight” response. I am convinced that this is the X-Factor in fat loss training for if you make your body feel like it’s exerting the type of energy needed to overcome what it perceives as a potentially deadly stress… YOU FORCE YOUR BODY TO CHANGE!

Another way to do Tabatas that allows you to crank the intensity up a notch with the exercises why still staying true to the brutal fat loss timelines is to perform Tabatas as an 8-Exercise Circuit. Because you have over 4 minutes before you’ll perform each exercise again, this full recovery allows you to choose the most advanced exercises variations for each movement pattern in your workout. Remember the greater intensity, the greater the afterburn, and the more your body changes!

Check out my workout for today:

Pre-Workout A- 5 minutes

8-Exercise Tabata Circuit

- Perform each exercise for max reps for 20 s, with a 10 s transition to the next exercise in the exact exercise order listed below for 4 straight minutes:

Exercise#1- Unilateral Horizontal Push Variation @ Left Arm Incline Push-ups
Exercise#2- Uniliateral Horizontal Push Variation @ Right Arm Incline Push-ups
Exercise#3- Bilateral Hip-Dominant Variation @ KB Swings
Exercise#4- Unilateral Knee-Dominant Variation @ Contralateral Sandbag Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats- Left Lef Fwd
Exercise#5- Unilateral Knee-Dominant Variation @ Contralateral Sandbag Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats- Right Leg Fwd
Exercise#6- Horizontal Pull Variation @ Suspended Rows with Feet Elevated on Stability Ball
Exercise#7- Core-Trunk Dominant Variation @ Med Ball Upper Body Twists
Exercise#8- Core Linear Stabilization Variation @ Valslide Push-Aways

- After completing the last exercise, take a 1-minute rest and transition
- Perform this 5-minute sequence 4x for 20 total minutes

Decided to do a total core finisher. I was literally swimming in my own sweat in drool by the last round, this was friggin’ unreal!!!

Finisher A- “30-30’s”

Exercise#1- Anterior Core: Alternating Opposite Arm-Leg Front Pillar
Exercise#2- Posterior Chain: Airplane Hold

Perform this 1-minute round 5x for 5 total minutes

Post-Workout- 5 minutes

HELLUVA WAY TO CRANK IT FOR THE WEEKEND… GET SEXY FRIDAY!

Listen and Lose Fat!

BJ
http://www.workoutmuse.com/

Decided to do another kamikaze mission and did Tabata Sprints again today. Except I switched it up a bit and alternated between uphill sprints and downhill sprints.

This was cool because you get some resisted running work by fighting gravity uphill and then you get some overspeed work by going downhill on the next sprint. The downhill portion also served as somewhat of a recovery as the nervous system is still primed for the uphill running that preceded hit and you feel like you are going really fast.

Uphill and downhill running are well known for increased running power and stride length respectively, and with the incomplete rest periods of the tabata workouts you also get that incredible metabolic boost and anaerobic conditioning! Be sure to use an incline/decline for your current fitness, level. My suggestion is a 15-20-degree slope for best results and make sure to never slam the brakes on the downhill portion so you don’t risk knee injury (always drop your hips and gradually decelerate).

Here was the workouts for yesterday, a great switch-up!

Tabata Uphill/Downhill Sprints- 20 minutes total

- 5 minute warm-up
- 20 s sprint uphill, 10 s active rest, 20 s sprint downhill, 10 s active rest
- repeat this 60-second round 4x for 4 total minutes followed by a 1-minute rest and transition
- Perform this 5-minute sequence 2x for 10 minutes total (if you are new to this type of training, you might be totally smoked after the first 5-minute sequence)
- 5 minute cool-down

Remeber fast arms equal fast legs. Really drive your arms as you fatigue to keep those legs moving

Crank it!

BJ

http://www.workoutmuse.com

Literally as I am writing this post I am shaking as my muscles are still trembling from this workout!

We already know the importance of performing total body resistance workouts 3x per week for maximal fat loss. But if you are looking for the fastest fat loss possible, then crank up the intensity and calorie burn by performing total body exercises within your total body workouts.

For example, the finisher today is a 1-arm kettlebell squat to press. Every 30 s I switched arms and performed max reps for 5 straight minutes. Yep, that’s right, 5 minutes of straight squatting, not to mention the fact my upper body was involved on the shoulder presses. In addition, my core had to work extra hard to stabilize the uneven loading as only 1 arm was holding the kettlebell at a time.

This is the definition of a total body exercises: my lower body, upper body, AND core were involved the whole time for probably one of the most taxing finishers I have ever done. I laid on the floor screaming “MOMMY!” for about 5 minutes after I was done as I proceeded to trench crawl to the bench where my water bottle was sitting.

Think I’m full of it? Well you wouldn’t be the first, ha ha!

Check out my workout for today:

Pre-Workout A- 5 minutes

Station#1- 5 minutes: Tabata Double-Leg Lower Body

Straights sets of the following bilateral knee-dominant exercise:

Single-Exercise- Squat Variation @ DB Squat-to-Press

Station#2- 5 minutes: Tabata Upper Body (Push-Pull)

Alternating sets of the following vertical push-pull exercises:

Exercise#1- Dip Variation @ Parallel Bar Dips
Exercise#2- Pull-up Variation @ Chin-ups (moved to negatives when could no longer perform the lifting)

Station#3- 5 minutes: Tabata Single-Leg Lower Body

Straights sets of the following unilateral hip-dominant exercise:

Single-Exercise- Single-Leg Hip Extension Variation (alternate legs every set) @ Single-Leg SHELC (SB Hip Extension Leg Curl)

Station#4- 5 minutes: Tabata Core

Straight sets of the following core lateral stabilization exercise:

Single-Exercise: Side Pillar Variation (switch sides every set) @ DB Side Pillar Reach and Rotate

Finisher A- “30-30’s”

Exercise#1- Total Body: 1-Arm Kettlebell Squat to Press- Left Arm @ max reps for 30 s with 0 s rest and transition

Exercise#2- Total Body: 1-Arm Kettlebell Squat to Press- Right Arm @ max reps for 30 s with 0 s rest and transition

Perform this 1-minute round 5x for 5 total minutes

Post-Workout- 5 minutes

YOU KNOW YOU LOVE TABATAS

Crank it!

BJ

http://www.workoutmuse.com