BURN OVER 200 CALORIES FAST! alG Workout Routine
Slim
Trim
and
AT
HOME
THE BEST PART: YOU’RE DONE IN 20 MINUTES OR LESS!
There’s one type of bar you can sidle up to without fear of gaining a beer belly – or the dreaded morning-after headache. Even better, this bar will actually help incinerate any pesky poundage hanging off your frame while toning and strengthening all your stubborn trouble spots. If you want a quick, effective strength workout, look no further than weighted bars. If you’re not familiar with these tools, they are padded bars that weigh anywhere from 3 to 36 pounds. This variety makes them perfect for targeting various parts of your body—heavier bars should be reserved for exercise that recruit large muscle groups, like your lower body and back, while lighter ones should be saved for shoulder, triceps and biceps moves. And although they are designed to increase strength, there are numerous other advantages to using a weighted bar that other equipment can’t match. Your Fat-Blasting Circuit Workout Ready to give weighted bars a try? Then we’ve got the routine for you!
YOUR “BUILD MUSCLE, BLAST” WEIGHTED BAR CIRCUIT
Your workout is made up of four exercises that hit your entire body, and during your routine you will move from one to another with no rest in between. After you’ve completed all the exercises, rest for one to two minutes, then return to the top and repeat the entire workout three to four times total. For best results, do this routine three to four times per week, resting 48 hours between sessions.
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EXERCISE
REPS
BAR WEIGHT
8–10
Heavy
2. Stiff-legged dead lift with row
8–10
Heavy
3. Squat with front raise
12–15
Light/medium
4. Close-grip chest press to skull crusher
12–15
Light/medium
1. Lunge with biceps curl
(each leg)
Programming by Laura Marenco, activelife Guide advisory member
NOVEMBER 2010
|
www.activelifeguide.com
alG Workout Routine
Advanced Option:
1. lunge with A
static lunge with triceps pressback
biceps curl
TARGET MUSCLES: quadriceps, gluteus maximus, biceps brachii SET UP: Stand with your feet hip–width apart, holding a weighted bar in front of your thighs with an
DON’T OVEREXTEND YOUR SHOULDERS.
underhand grip [A]. ACTION: Step one foot forward, bending both legs until your front thigh is parallel with the floor. At the same time, curl the bar up toward your shoulders while keeping your upper arms in the same position [B]. Push through your front heel to bring your body back to the starting position. Repeat, alternating legs.
B
LOOK AHEAD TO KEEP YOUR SPINE NEUTRAL.
TIP
Keeping rest time between moves to a minimum will help increase your overall fat burn.
DON’T LEAN FORWARD FROM YOUR HIPS.
TARGET MUSCLES: quadriceps, gluteus maximus, triceps brachii SET UP: Stand with your feet hipwidth apart, holding a light to medium weighted bar with a shoulder-width grip behind your back, palms facing the wall behind you. Lower into a lunge, keeping your front knee behind your toes, and hold. ACTION: Slowly press the bar up and away from your body. Keep a slight bend in your arms to prevent your
TIP
elbows from locking. Hold for one count at the top of the motion, then slowly lower the bar back of your legs.
When working out with a weighted bar, always ensure that you have enough space around you to accomodate multistep moves such as the ones shown here.
Complete 8 to 10 reps, then switch your forward leg and repeat.
alG www.activelifeguide.com |
NOVEMBER 2010 |
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2. stiff–legged dead lift with row
TARGET MUSCLES: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, latissimus dorsi ACTION: Keeping your knees unlocked, hinge forward at your your feet hip-width hips until your upper body is apart, holding a bar almost parallel to the floor [B]. in front of your thighs Pause, then row the bar toward with a shoulder-width, your body [C]. Hold, then slowly overhand grip [A]. lower the bar before raising your body back to the starting position LEAN FORWARD MORE IF YOU CAN and repeating. SET UP: Stand with
BALANCE.
A
C
B
TIP
Because you are using a lighter weight than you would if you were working with dumbbells, you can move faster. However, you must still use muscle control and always be mindful about proper form in order to prevent injury.
alG
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3. squat with
front raise
TARGET MUSCLES: quadriceps,
PAUSE AT THE TOP BEFORE LOWERING.
A
gluteus maximus, anterior deltoids
B
SET UP: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or wider, toes pointing forward. Grasp a weighted bar with both hands in front of your thighs, palms facing your body [A].
TIP
ACTION: Sink into a squat by bending your knees and hips. As you lower your body, raise
Try these moves at least twice before diving directly into your circuit. This will save you from stopping to learn each move over the course of your workout.
the weighted bar straight up in front of your chest, stopping when both your thighs and your arms are parallel with the floor [B]. Slowly reverse the move to return to standing. Repeat.
4. close–grip chest
SQUEEZE YOUR GLUTES AS YOU LOWER AND RISE.
press to skull crusher TARGET MUSCLES: pectoralis major, triceps brachii
DON’T LET YOUR TOES LIFT FROM THE FLOOR.
SET UP: Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Hold a weighted bar slightly above your chest with a narrow, overhand grip [A].
C
ACTION: Press the bar above your chest, stopping just before your elbows lock [B]. Next, bend your elbows to bring the bar one to two inches above your forehead [C]. Keeping your upper arms stationary, press the bar back up, then lower slowly back toward your chest.
A
TIP KEEP YOUR WRISTS DIRECTLY ABOVE YOUR SHOULDERS.
B
Store your bars in a closet or under a bed where they won’t fall over or become a tripping hazard.
alG www.activelifeguide.com |
NOVEMBER 2010 |
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