FitnessBuilder Week5

Notes: Today’s exercises focused on strength building up my core and total body muscle. You would think at this point I would start getting used to being sore. No I am not yet. I guess that is a good thing it means that I am keeping my body challenged.

Workout Time: 49 min 12 sec

Boxing Strength & Endurance: Workout Stength
Squat / Vertical Jumps / Bench Press / Chest Pass / Close Grip Pulldown / Overhead Press / Weighted Crunch / Front Raise / Lying Leg Raise / Dips / Hanging Knee Raise / Bicycle Crunch

Exercise of the Day: Vertical Jumps according to wikipedia is the ability to raise one’s center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one’s own muscles. It is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill. To me its fun and the kids love it.

FitnessBuilder Vertical Jumps

Two Questions this week from Neil and Jeff:

Neil:
I have plateau with my arm exercise routine and I am not seeing any results. Is there anything I can do to improve my workouts and get bigger arms?

Declan:
Well the first thing that jumps out at my is the word routine. If you are using “a routine” it becomes just that, routine. Your workouts need variety otherwise they become stale very quickly and results become harder and harder to achieve. A very easy way to explain this situation albeit with a slightly strange analogy is if you were to eat the same thing lets say grilled chicken for every meal, every day for a week you would be pretty sick of grilled chicken by the end of the week.

You should be constantly changing your workouts so as not to be performing the same workout more than twice in a row. There are a number of ways to add variety. You can change the actual exercises, the equipment, the reps, sets, weight, rest time, times per week etc.

Jeff:
How much equipment do I really need to in order to get a good workout?

Declan:
Personally I would say you can get great workouts and a lot of variety with no equipment, just using your own bodyweight and the great outdoors. This obviously takes some inventiveness and knowledge of program design but it can easily be done. If I was to recommend only a few pieces of equipment I would say some adjustable dumbbells like the ones Nat uses in his videos, a barbell with some rubber weight plates, kettlebells, heavy medicine ball and a study bench. Also what equipment you need does a lot on your fitness goals.

FitnessBuilder Week 5

Notes: Boxing Strength & Endurance is split up into 3 categories: Endurance, Strength and Power.

Today I completed Endurance, the routine got my blood flowing and my heart rate up. I could feel the calories melting off between reps. I would suggest this routine to anyone looking to mix up their exercise regiment.

Boxing Strength & Endurance: Workout Endurance

Jump Rope / Burpee / V-Up / Hanging Side Knee Raise / Jump Rope / Mountain Climber / Decline Sit Up /  Russian Twist/ Side to Side / Alternating Bridge / Bicycle Crunch / Jump Rope

Workout Time: 1 hour 15 mins

Exercise of the Day: The Mountain Climber – conditions your entire body and is great for developing foot and leg muscles. You can increase your  stamina and core strength by doing the mountain climber.

FitnessBuilder Mountain Climber

FitnessBuilder Week 5

Notes: The  Boot Camp Challenge Day 2. Great combination of the exercises that leave you sweating and with muscle burn. I like working out with this type of intensity I really feel  like it is changing my  body and making me stronger.

BootCamp Challenge: Workout 2
Cross Over Step Up / Uni Squat / Squat Thrusts / Chin Up / Hanging Leg Raise / V-Up / Bench Dip / Spiderman Push Up

Workout Time: 40 min

Exercise of the Day: Spiderman Push a chest exercise. A spin on the push up that  will challenge you. It’s nice to get a different perspective on exercise that makes you re – think possibilities of traditional exercises. Try it out.

FitnessBuilder Spiderman Push Up

Summary BootCamp Challenge: Solid routines that will make you sore with no weights. For the pass five weeks of working out with the FitnessBuilder I feel like I have been going to the gym and getting personal attention from a truly involved personal trainer.

FitnessBuilder Week 5

Notes: The  Boot Camp Challenge is circuit training with no weights.  If you have been following my blogs you will notice that I couldn’t complete all the reps while doing any type of circuit training. This time I was able to keep up. Five weeks of working out with the FitnessBuilder and I am not sucking air. Hello results! My older son Miles joined me today he likes being front of the camera looks like my kids may become actors who knows

BootCamp Challenge: Workout 1
Burpee / Foot Up Split Squat / Alternating Bridge / Pull Up / Hanging Side Knee Raise / Jack Knife / Bench Dip /Push Up to T

Workout Time: 43 min

Exercise of the Day: Alternating Bridge a lower back exercise. Trust me after the first three you will feel it, give it a try  yourself.

FitnessBuilder Alternating Bridge