Archive for the ‘Workout Routines’ Category

Fat Loss for Women: A 7 Day Full Body Routine Plus HIIT

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Get Ripped

Originally posted: 1/26/10
Updates:
2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)
3/8/10 added example HIIT routines for days 2, 4, and 6.

Fat Loss for Women
Fat Loss for Women

Many of you are asking for a full body workout routine to burn fat, so here you go.

I have even customized the program for both men and women.

You can skip the details and go straight to the routines if you wish:

The Program

We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.

This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.

Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.

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Werewolf Strength Gain Workout Logs in an Excel Spreadsheet

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Now you can download the Werewolf Training for Strength Gains workout routines in Excel spreadsheet format. You can use these files to print out the routine and take it to the gym on a clipboard, keep track of your progress on the computer, or both.

The routine with 2 days of rest on the weekend and with rest every 4th and 7th days are both there.

Click this link to go to the download section of the post so you can download your spreadsheets!

Other workout logs are coming shortly. I’ll try to whip up some workout logs for the full body routine, 3×5, and some of the other routines too, but right now I’m working on the Project Swole redesign so don’t hold your breath.

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Werewolf Muscle Gain Workout Logs in an Excel Spreadsheet

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Now you can download the Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains workout routines in Excel spreadsheet format. You can use these files to print out the routine and take it to the gym on a clipboard, keep track of your progress on the computer, or both.

The 21 day routine with extra rest and the original 18 day routine are both there.

Click this link to go to the download section of the post so you can download your spreadsheets!

Werewolf Strength Gain workout logs are coming shortly. I’ll try to whip up some workout logs for the full body routine, 3×5, and some of the other routines too.

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Werewolf Training 2: A Weightlifting Routine to Gain Strength

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Werewolf Training
Werewolf Training

Gain Strength

Originally posted: 12/31/09
Updated: 1/20/10 (update rest time on HIRT circuits, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)

This training routine is designed for you to gain strength. That’s it.

So you have already been through two or three Werewolf Training for Muscle Gain cycles. You gained 5-10 pounds of muscle in that time and you got a little stronger. You are psyched about your progress but you’re a little bored with the program.

It is time to change up your training a little bit, but you know you can’t jump right into a strict fat loss phase, or you risk losing most of your new muscle. What to do? What to do?

Use this menu to skip to:

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What is the Best Arms Day Workout Routine?

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Your Questions
Your Questions

I get plenty of questions in various comments throughout the website, but I also get comments and questions via the Project Swole Contact Form.

Generally I address those questions through e-mail, but often I do not have the time to reply to each and every question personally.

The category, Your Health Questions is a more proactive approach to answering your questions so that everyone can benefit from the Q & A.

Scott wrote:

“First off, I would like to say your site is great. I’ve learned a lot reading your articles.

I just had one question: when you say not to have an ‘arms day’, should I just include a few biceps and triceps exercises everyday? And how many different exercises of each should I do?”

(more…)

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Weightlifting Tool to Calculate Your 1 Rep Max

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

1 Rep Max Calculator

I had published this post once before, but recently a couple people have asked for such a tool, so I’m busting it out again for all the new Project Swole readers.

There are many strength training programs that involve calculating your 1 rm or 1 repetition maximum. Some programs want you to use a % of your 1 rm, which is sometimes even harder to calculate.

1 Rep Max Calculator
Calculate Your 1 Rep Max

Most of us do not how how to figure out this number without performing the actual rep itself. Use this easy calculator to get a basic idea of how much weight you can lift once.

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9 Routines for Jumping Rope with Power and Endurance For HIIT

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Woman Jumping RopeEveryone knows how to jump rope. Hold the two ends and whip over your head, under your feet, back over your head, and so-on.

This great exercise is an awesome fat burner, but it can also pretty boring. That boredom must be overcome through, as jump rope is one of the greatest inventions ever for fitness enthusiasts and athletes.

Jumping rope is excellent for conditioning the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, making it perfect for HIIT training. Check out this video of a dude jumping rope specifically for a HIIT workout.

Use some of the techniques listed below to make your jump rope sessions more challenging. Use the highest intensity techniques for your HIIT training.

You also benefit from jumping rope by strengthening your rotator cuffs and shoulders, increasing power in your lower body, developing your calves, and much more.

Most people don’t jump rope because all they just repeat the same tempo and style over and over. Not only is that tiring, it gets boring and then you just don’t want to do it because you feel the boredom is not worth the benefit.

That would be a big mistake. Get yourself a rope, read this article, and you will be in better shape than anyone not jump roping.

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MovNat Gets You Out of the Human Zoo and Back Into the Jungle

Monday, April 13th, 2009
Erwan Le Corre
Erwan Le Corre

I recently read a couple articles about a type of training called MovNat, derived from something called Methode Naturelle. As a training philosophy based on functionality, I found it to be a breath of fresh air.

This, along with some of the principles of CrossFit, odd object training, and strongman training, comprise the recent direction of my training focus. I still primarily lift weights, but this is the type of fitness that is really starting to interest me.

Being able to jump, climb, throw, run, defend, lift, and swim, really makes you feel good about yourself, and this type of functional training is what MovNat is all about.

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20 Pull Ups Program Integrated with a Regular Training Routine

Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Pull Up Routine
Pull Up Routine

There is a neat new program at https://pull-ups-training.com/ that will help you increase your pull ups. Check it out then read this article.

Someone beat me to the punch. I was going to write a program like this based on what I saw at The 100 Push Ups Challenge, but I just didn’t make the time to do it. So what I will do instead, is to explain how to work this 20 Pull Ups program into your regular training routine so as not to sacrifice the rest of your muscles while on this program. Get ready for some 2-a-day workouts!

The premise of 20 Pull Ups is to combine several training methodologies throughout the week by doing several sets of pull ups each day. This is a 6-8 week program for those who can already do at least 5 pull ups. However, if you can’t do 5 pull ups, there is a slightly longer program that you can use, which incorporates assisted pull ups for the first 4 weeks. Either way, you should give this program a try if you want to be able to do more pull ups.

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Take The 100 Pushup Challenge

Friday, July 11th, 2008

100 Push-up Challenge

Introducing the 100 Push-up Challenge

Push-ups are regarding as one of the best tests of physical conditioning. Whether you are an athlete, a powerlifter, an olympic lifter, a martial artist, or a recreational fitness enthusiast… virtually anyone can benefit from this type of training. Not only will it give you a goal and a plan to follow for a couple weeks, but it will also vary up your training and target a type of exercise that you might not normally use.

Push-ups Are Great for Martial Artists

I know for sure this would benefit me, because in kickboxing class we are doing all kinds of one arm sideways pushups and such. As luck would have it, I am about to start a new contract next Monday, so I’m going to need to work out a schedule around my new job. In this case I want to start lifting every Tuesday and Thursday morning before work.

Not sure how the 100 Push-up Challenge will fit into that… I don’t think it will, but I do think I’m going to take this program into kickboxing class and see if the instructors want to work it into their program. It might be a little too complicated to explain to a whole class, but I’ll show it to them anyway.

Will You Take the Challenge?

So, let me know if you’re going to take the 100 Push-Up Challenge. I’d love to know how everyone fares on the program. I have plans to use this concept to create a brand new challenge of my own, which I will reveal in the coming days. The new challenge will be something harder than push-ups, but easier than lifting weights. It will be something men, women, and children can do; but it will also be something that you can really brag about.

Stay tuned…

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How to Recover From Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Question of the Week

This question of the week is a question to me, rather than a question to you. Let me know your thoughts on the subject after reading the article.

Let me tell you about a recent conversation with one of my friends over IM. This guy used to lift with me back in college, but he’s working on his own business right now and hasn’t touched a weight in almost a year. So the guy goes out and gets a gym membership and starts training again last Monday.

This is how the conversation went down…

Sore Musclesmy weightlifting friend: yo wtf
friend: my muscles hurt
friend: so bad
me: bwahaha
friend: chest and tris are killing me
friend: since Monday
friend: I can barely move
me: nasty
me: don’t push it so hard the first week back foo
friend: I can’t help it
friend: and I didn’t push that hard
friend: I just did as much as I could
friend: which is not as much as it used to be
me: yeah
me: you prolly did negative reps
me: and pushed out every last rep out of every set
me: and tried to use the weights you used to use
me: haha
friend: haha
friend: whatever I did
friend: it sucks ass
friend: what can I do to recover faster?

(more…)

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Hey Pencil Legs! Turn Those Calves into Cows

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

Bodybuilder CalfCalves are a weak spot for most weightlifters and athletes. Your average male weightlifter doesn’t put the same effort into his legs as he does into his chest and biceps. Well I am here to tell you that it’s actually easy to develop some meaty ass calves as long as you’re doing your foundation exercises.

Calf Physiology

Bones and Joints

The lower leg is comprised of two long bones, the tibia and fibula. The tibia is the larger of the two and is located toward the middle of the lower leg. The fibula is the smaller bone and it is located on the outside of the lower leg.

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Increase the Number of Pull-Ups You Can Do By 50 Percent in One Day

Friday, May 16th, 2008

Pull ups are hard, but they are one of the few true tests of strength. I say this because some powerlifters can bench 600 or squat 800, but they also weigh 300+ and can barely manage 5 pull ups. This is one of the few exercises where you can measure relative fitness by comparing the ratio of the number of pull ups completed to bodyweight. Some of you might get mad at me, talking about powerlifters training for strength rather than endurance, but the fact of the matter is that when I was powerlifting I could still do 15 pull ups at 195 lbs.

BuzzcutNow, let me take you back to high school gym class… the year was 1993, I was 15 years old. Mr. Buatti the gym teacher, who happens to bare a striking resemblance to Coach Buzzcut, called my name to stand up in front of the class and do an many pull ups as I can. The football jocks each knocked out from 10 to 20 and the wiry tough kid with only 3 fingers on one hand completed 14 of them. I got 3. It was humiliating.

Now we come back to the present. Recently I started doing pull ups again after a year layoff. On my first set, I got 5 reps. A week later I was up to 8 reps. Just yesterday I did a set of 11 reps. But I want more. I’ve done 18 pull ups before; I’ve also done 5 pull ups with a 45 lb plate hanging off a belt. So, how can I get back to that place? How can you get to that place?

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The 300 Workout for Total Body Conditioning

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

By now everyone has heard of the movie 300, and most strength and conditioning athletes know about The 300 Workout. This is how all those ripped actors in the movie got into such great shape. The 300 Workout is well known as a pretty hardcore conditioning program. Not everyone can complete this workout, and those that do have seriously trained for it before attempting the final challenge.

300 Gerard ButlerMost of the actors trained 5 days per week for 8-10 total weeks, while Gerard Butler (the star, King Leonidas) trained for 12 weeks. This is something that anyone reading Project Swole can accomplish, and this is definitely something I can accomplish in 10 weeks. Let’s take a look at the original workout:

The 300 Workout Challenge

  • 25 pull-ups
  • 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
  • 50 push-ups
  • 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
  • 50 “floor wipers” (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
  • 50 “clean and press” at 36 pounds (a weight-lifting exercise)
  • 25 more pull-ups — for a total of 300 reps
  • 300 Total Reps

I have heard of versions of this program where you have to complete the desired number of reps by alternating exercises. For example, you might perform push ups as a superset to pull ups, performing 3 sets of 10 reps each to hit a goal of 30 before moving on to the next exercise. I will incorporate this strategy for my first two sets only.

Some 300 Workout routines consist of bodyweight only exercises, while others are apprised strictly of plyometrics. I have included some bodyweight exercise in my attack strategy, and hope to phase in some plyo movements as I get back into shape.

My 300 200 Workout Challenge

  • 15 Pull Ups on a tree branch
  • 25 Push Ups with push up handles
  • 25 DB Deadlifts with 45 lbs on Powerblocks
  • 25 1-arm clean and press 35 lbs on Powerblocks
  • 25 18-inch bench jumps (box jumps)
  • 25 Burpees
  • 25 1-arm clean and press 35 lbs on Powerblock
  • 20 Jumping jacks
  • 15 Neutral grip chin ups on the tree
  • 200 Total Reps

I have a stopwatch, which will be nice for measuring progress and setting goals. Some goals will be about adding a new exercise, some goals will be about completing more reps or more weight, while yet others will be about beating my previous time record. I also have to force myself to take pictures and measurements both before and after. All of which I suppose will be posted to this blog.

My weekly schedule will consist of The 300 Workout and Thai Kickboxing. The plan is to exercise 5 days a week. On the mornings when I do not have kickboxing the night before, I will complete a 300 Workout. Other mornings will be off. I must make up missed workouts on the weekends. Eventually I will be doing a true 300 rep workout. My 200 workout is just to help get back into shape again.

So, this is the plan and I am going to stick to it for 10 weeks. There is plenty of room for flexibility, so I should be able to get in at minimum, 4 workouts per week, but I will strive to hit 5. Before and after information will be posted. So who’s with me?

The 300 Workout

Caution

If you are not in shape, have a heart condition, or some other serious health ailment, please consult your physician before starting an intense exercise program. You should not attempt to complete the original 300 Challenge if you are not already somewhat in shape from conditioning and exercise.

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What is the Best Form of Cardiovascular Exercise?

Monday, March 17th, 2008

We know cardio is essential to improve the cardiovascular system. This goes without saying. When many people don’t realize, is that cardiovascular exercise can be useful for losing weight as well as gaining weight; for increasing endurance as well as increasing power, size, and strength. The difference is in training energy systems. You can train your anaerobic energy system (builds power and strength) while participating in a cardio workout, just as easily as training you can train your aerobic energy system by performing super-high-rep circuit training on the weight machines (boo).

When trying to determine which form of cardio you should do, you need to evaluate your goals. Are you trying to:

  • Lose as much weight as possible without regard for muscle or strength?
  • Train for a specific athletic event such as track or a marathon?
  • Improve leg power and leg speed along with cardiovascular endurance?
  • Build as much muscle as possible in the shortest amount of time?


Marathon Runner vs. Sprinter

Endurance Cardio

If you want to be skinny and have high endurance but very little muscle you will probably want to do endurance running; long distance cycling; or use the elliptical trainer to prevent wear and tear on your ankles, knees, and hips. Other monotonous exercise equipment includes rowing machines, treadmills, stair climbers, and stationary bikes. These are all OK for burning calories and ‘toning’ but they will not make you stronger, faster, or more muscular.

Intense Cardio

If you want to be thicker, stronger, more powerful, and develop aesthetically pleasing muscle tone, you should give interval sprints or weightlifting complexes a try. When you use maximal force in your cardio workout, as you do with sprints, you are training the anaerobic energy system and facilitating neurological efficiency to those muscles. This will increase speed and strength, and will ultimately help you gain muscle. For you women out there, this will do a better job of ‘toning’ than those treadmills and stationary bikes.

Interval Sprints

With interval sprints, you can sprint on a flat surface, up hills, or up stairs. Sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, repeat 10 times. On your first sprint workout you might want to consider sprinting for 20 seconds, walking for 180 seconds, and repeating only 5 times. Each workout should become progressively harder. At one point in my training, I was sprinting stairs, timed by a stopwatch, for between 50-70 seconds and only resting enough to walk back down the stairs.

Complexes with Weights

With complexes, you will want to string together several compound exercises like deadlift, hang cleans, push press, and back squats, into one constant exercise. Do 5-7 reps with perfect form, rest 30-60 seconds and repeat 5 times. I talk about this complex all the time in this blog. There are about 1000 different exercise combinations that you can turn into complexes so be creative.

If you get tired of all this stuff, give thai kickboxing or jumping rope a try.

Don’t forget to stretch and drink lots of fluids. I recommend Gatorade.

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The Simplest, Easiest Workout Program Ever

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

Why do I need to exercise AT LEAST three days a week?

There are plenty of reasons why you should be exercising and exercising consistently. There is not a single person that cannot gain something from some level of physical activity, whether it is walking around the neighborhood or lifting heavy weights at the gym. Simply put, exercise is an integral part of the journey toward good health; weightlifting helps keep bones and muscles strong, while conditioning helps keep the cardiovascular system healthy. Literally everyone should exercise at least 3 days a week.

The Benefits of Exercise

What kind of benefits should you come to expect from working out three days a week? Exercise can alleviate many problems that some of us may deal with regularly. For instance, regular exercise helps to lower excess blood sugar and improve circulation in order to help with diabetes. Exercise helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and elevate good cholesterol (HDL). Most trainees that I have talk to over the years are in agreement that exercise also helps curb nasty eating habits, helps increase energy levels during the day, and helps them to fall asleep at night. Of course, exercise has noticeable effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and, therefore, heart disease. Exercise effects all aspects of our lives.

For those that think that exercise might be too hard on your joints, exercise can not only strengthen the muscle around the faulty joint but strengthen the tendons and ligaments too so that discomfort is kept to a minimum. Consistency with exercise, especially resistance training, can also lead to higher bone density, which can help keep osteoporosis at bay. A good number of studies have now determined that senior citizens can actually peel the years back with exercise, not to mention strengthening those brittle bones too. Some cases have been so extreme that the most feeble of 85 year olds will begin exercising only to become as fit as an average 55 year old.

So, even if you feel like a lost cause, don’t give up! Now, everyone knows how good it is to be active, but what exactly should you be doing for exercise?

Resistance Training

This could mean bodyweight, dumbbells, weight machines, or surgical tubing. I would recommend spending about 30 minutes at least three days a week performing total body workouts.

Make sure that the pace is challenging, the weight is not too heavy so that your technique deteriorates, or too light so that your workout wasn’t demanding enough. This takes trial and error.

I might suggest to a client or friend 4 simple movements that utilize a push, a pull, a leg exercise, and a functional core strengthener. To keep it simple I would recommend any combination of the following: pushups/bench press/dumbbell press, pulldowns/pull ups/rows, squats/deadlifts, and situps/weighted ab rotations/side bends. For these four movements, I would have them perform 20 repetitions for each movement, then 15 repetitions, then 10, and finally 5. This should be done with as few breaks as you feel you need and with as much passion as you feel you got. Once again, 3 times per week is the goal, but switch it up for each workout.

Cardio Exercise

Cardio is best described as an exercise performed for extended periods of time. This could mean 30-45 minutes of biking at a moderate pace, jogging, elliptical, or stair-climbing. All of these options burn significant calories, but some prove to be more demanding on the joints for some people. It’s all personal preference. Many people choose to perform cardio on two days sandwiched between the three resistance training days.

Just remember that you exercise to make yourself stronger, not to make yourself comfortable. Also, stop reading this article about exercising and just go do it!

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Lifting During Your Lunch Hour

Friday, June 1st, 2007

Do you exercise during your lunch hour?

Sometimes we have to realize when our lives are putting limitations on us, and find a way to work around them. It has dawned on me that there is very little chance that I can continue to train after work with my business and family demands. In order to work around this, I must train either early in the morning or during lunch. Since I can barely lift 5 lbs in the morning, I choose lunch. Basically I will get up at 6 am, get the girl and kids off to school/work, work on Tasen Software projects for an hour or two, be to work by 9 am, step out to train from 1 pm – 3 pm, and work from 3 pm – 6 pm. Somewhere I will have to fit in an additional hour or so per day, but this is not a problem, especially on off days when I can invest my workout time into the extra hours that I need to hit my 40.

The day will come when I will not have to work for an employer!

My first lunchtime training effort went off without a hitch, except that I am at my weakest point in my life right now. Now that my bodyweight is down to 184 and my strength is that of a novice, I should be able to make excellent progress on Project Swole.

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