Results Conditioning » Circuit training

WBW #2: Speed ladder challenge

richb — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:43:47 +0000

This times WBW is a short but intense challenge that can be completed in less than 10 minutes. This makes it a perfect finisher for your workout, or if you’re really pushed for time then why not do it on its own. The challenge involves burpees, clean and presses and medicine ball crunches, you start off by completing 2 reps of each and then increasing each time by 2 reps all the way up to 12. This is why I called it the “speed ladder” since the reps goes up all the time and the aim is to complete it all in your quickest time, it has nothing to do with a plastic ladder used for footwork drills as you may have thought!

Exercises used:

Burpee with vertical jump

Barbell clean and press

Medicine ball crunch (Lie on your back and hold a medicine ball above your head. With your legs straight in the air, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and reach the ball towards your feet).

How to do the challenge:

Start off by performing 2 reps of each of the exercises and then 4 and 6 and so on all the way up to 12 reps. once you have finished 12 med ball crunches stop the clock and record your time.

Advanced version:

Perform the same challenge but for the burpee complete a press up at the bottom of the movement and a vertical jump at the top.

Tips:

For the barbell clean and press use a weight that would normally challenge you for 8-10 reps so by the end the last few reps will push you to your limits.

For clients I have been using 2-4kg medicine balls.

Whole body workouts #1 (WBW)

richb — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:05:37 +0000

Each week I will be posting a whole body workout (WBW) for you to try. Some will be short and sweet and can be done as part of your normal workout while others can be done as an alternative to your current training routine. Some of these WBW’s will be done as challengers while others will just be for fun (if that’s the right word)! Check out the first one below and give it a go.

Warm up:

Perform the below as a circuit with no rest in between each exercise. Rest at the end for 1-2 minutes and then repeat completing 3 full circuits.

Press ups x20

Dumbbell step ups x20

Bench hops x30 seconds

Dumbbell bent over rows x12

Alternating leg dumbbell lunges x20

Alternating leg squat thrusts x30 seconds

Dumbbell Russian twists x10 each side

Aims:

For each of the resistance exercises use a weight that will allow you to perform correct technique but will challenge you over the 3 circuits.

If you would like to see a WBW that uses specific equipment then please get in touch and we can post one up for you.

Fitness challenge #44: 25

richb — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:39:38 +0000

Here is a workout I put together today for a client who was short of time but wanted a challenging workout that hit everything. The entire session lasted for just over 30 minutes including warming up and cooling down. The aim of the workout was simple, complete as many sets of the following 9 exercise circuit as you can within a 25 minute time limit. Rest was taken as and when but the clock never stopped. Check out the circuit below.

Barbell bench press x10 reps

TRX rows x10

Powerbag clean and press x10

Powerbag walking lunges x2 lengths of the studio (approx 10 metres long)

Powerbag pushes x2 lengths of studio (Push the bag along the floor staying as low as you can and maintaining a flat back).

Medicine ball sprinter sit-ups x20

Close hand press ups x10

Resistance band bicep curls x10

Medicine ball Russian twists x10

Scoring:

Aim to keep working for the entire 25 minutes. If by the end you have completed 4 complete sets and are part way through the press ups of the 5^th set then your score would be 4.7.

Aims:

First target should be 4 full sets and then look at getting your score up to 5 sets or more.

Use weights that allow you to use a good technique but will challenge you.

Fitness challenge #42: Powerbag 20

richb — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:53:42 +0000

Here is the first challenge of 2012 and we kick of the year with a 20 minute Powerbag challenge. The format of the challenge is the same as both the Torturous 20 and VIPR 20 and involves completing as many sets of an 8 exercise circuit within a 20 minute time limit. All that is needed is a single Powerbag and plenty of stamina and endurance! Check out the 8 exercises used below.

Bent over rows x20

Hang cleans x12

Lunge with shoulder to shoulder press x12 (Start with the bag on your right shoulder and step forward with your left leg and perform a lunge. From the lunge position press the bag over your head to the other shoulder before stepping back and repeating on the opposite leg).

High pull x12

Floor press x20

Seated bag twists x10 per side

Alternating squat thrusts x40 (20 per leg)

Squat jumps x20

Scoring:

If after 20 minutes you have completed 4 sets then you score is 4, if you have done 4 sets and are on the Floor press of the 5^th set then your score is 4.5.

Aims:

First target should be to complete 4 full sets.

Men should start off with a 15-20kg bag and for women 5-10kg.

Focus pad and powerbag workout

richb — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:48:35 +0000

Here is a workout I have been doing recently with my clients that combines focus pad work, bodyweight and powerbag exercises and finishes with a tough challenge that is bound to send your heart rate through the roof! After warming up doing speed and agility work using mini hurdles and cones you start the workout with a 5 minute round doing focus pad drills and bodyweight exercises. The 5 minute round is split into 30 second blocks of work with 10 second rest periods in between. The first 30 seconds is spent throwing punch combinations on the focus pads, after the 10 second rest you then perform a bodyweight exercise. This is repeated over the 5 minute round so you will complete 5 rounds on the pads and 5 bodyweight exercises. Some of the exercises that have used are listed below.

Bodyweight exercises:

Press up variations such as: Close hand, knees to chest, shoulder taps, feet elevated.

Abdominal exercises such as: Crunch, oblique twists, v-ups, plank, sprinter sit ups.

Lower body exercises such as: Lunge. Side lunge, reverse lunge, squats.

Cardio exercises such as: Burpee, squat thrusts, jumping jacks.

After this round and a short rest period it is time for a 5 minute powerbag round. You complete 30 seconds of the below exercises again resting for 10 seconds in between. The circuit is completed twice through.

Bent over row

Upright row

Walking lunge with shoulder press

Chest press

Press up position knees to chest

Check out a sample of this workout below.

After the powerbag round you complete another Focus pad round using a different set of bodyweight exercises followed by 1 more powerbag round. The workout is then finished with the below challenge.

Shuttle runs challenge:

This time we are mixing a 1 minute pad round with shuttle runs up and down the studio which is approximately 10 metres long. Again start out with your minutes pad work and then complete 2 shuttle runs (up and down the room counts as 1 lap). You have again 1 minute to complete the shuttles in so the faster you run the more time you get to recover. Once the minute is up start the next pad round, after each pad round increase the shuttles by 2 laps but keep the time to complete them in to 1 minute. This means less and less recovery time as you progress through. The maximum I would work up to given the length of a lap is 10 shuttle runs. This would mean 5 rounds on the pads. If the client fails to meet the target numbers of shuttle runs within the minute then stop the drill.

VIPR Movement drills

richb — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:29:56 +0000

The VIPR is one of the most used pieces of equipment down at the Results studio as well as being one of the most liked by my clients (apart from when they can’t walk after a VIPR session!) This workout uses exercises that will have you moving up and down the Results studio in many different ways helping to give you a great whole body session. Check out the workout below along with a video showing a sample of each of the exercises.

Perform the below exercises back to back with little or no rest in between each one.

Warm up: 5 minutes

Squat lifts with forward and backward walks. X3 Sets

Side crawl over VIPR with side shuffle and step back. X4 sets

Walking lunge with shoulder to shoulder press and Ice skater combo x3 sets

Burpee with drag through x3 laps (There and back counts as 1 lap)

Rest for 2 minutes and then repeat the circuit. Aim to complete 3 full circuits.

Bodyweight training

richb — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:48:28 +0000

Here is a bodyweight workout that I put together for one of my circuit class members who is going away on holiday and wanted something they could do without any equipment. The aim of the session is to complete all of the below exercises back to back without any rest. Spend 30 seconds of each of the exercises and at the end of the circuit rest for 1-2 minutes and then repeat completing 3 full circuits.

Abdominal crunch legs up

Bicycle oblique twists

Plank

Knee lifts from press up position: (Get into a full press up position and from here lift one knee up into your chest while keeping your back flat and abdominals tight. Lower the leg back down and repeat on opposite side).

Press up

Close hand press up

Alternating front lunge

Alternating side lunge

Alternating reverse lunge

Squat

Jump squats

Burpee

Alternating squat trusts

Tips:

Each circuit will take 6 and a half minutes to complete which means the entire workout can be completed in as little as 20 minutes.

Once the workout becomes comfy then look at building up to 45-60 seconds for each exercise.

Dumbbell circuit

richb — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:12:05 +0000

This whole body dumbbell circuit is great for improving muscular strength and endurance as well as burning plenty of calories. The workout is ideal for those wanting to train at home since you can do it with just a single pair of dumbbells and a bench or step box. Move between one exercise to the next with little rest and then once the whole circuit is complete then rest for 1-2 minutes. See if you can complete 3-4 full circuits.

Below are the exercises used within the circuit and a video showing a sample round.

Chest press x20

Bent over rows x20

Single arm snatch x10 per arm

Renegade rows x20

Jump lunge to press x10 per arm

Squat to rotation x12 per side

Burpee to press x10

Aims:

If you have only one pair of dumbbells available to you then increase the number of reps performed once an exercise becomes comfortable. If you have a selection of dumbbells then pick a weight that is challenging for each exercise.

Fitness challenge #40: 3 Round VIPR

richb — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:25:40 +0000

Here is a VIPR challenge that uses 7 whole body movements. The challenge came about after putting a client through this workout today. For the last round of the circuit I set her a time limit of 8 minutes to complete it all which she did with 20 seconds to spare. For the challenge though the aim is to complete 3 rounds of the 7 exercise circuit in your fastest time. In between rounds, rest for 2 minutes before starting again. Below are the 7 exercises used along with the reps.

Side lunge with rotation x10 reps per side

Deadlift to uppercut lunge x12 reps (6 per leg)

High to low rotational press x10 per side

Woodchops x12 per side

Explosive lunge press x12 reps (Hold the VIPR at chest height. Bend both knees and perform a small jump, as you do so drive one leg back and land in a lunge position. As you jump back press the VIPR above your head. Step your leg back in and repeat jumping your opposite leg back).

Side shuffle with catch x20 (If you drop the VIPR then that rep does not count).

Forward shuffle with side jump x20 (Each side jump counts as 1 rep)

Here is a link where you can see most of the exercises used within this challenge in action.

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/1559

Target:

First target should be to complete all 3 rounds in less than 25 minutes and then see if you can get each round down to less than 7 minutes and a total challenge time of less than 20 minutes.

Tips:

If you starting out using the VIPR then I would suggest you learn the movements first before trying the challenge. For women I would recommend starting out using a 4 or 6kg VIPR and for men 8-10kg. Once you can complete the challenge in less than 20 minutes then look at moving up to the next weight.

VIPR Workouts

richb — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:53:48 +0000

Here is another post that looks at exercises that use the latest craze, the VIPR. Below are just some of the many movements you can use with this versatile piece of kit followed by a few sample workouts for you to try.

Side lunge with overhead rotation

High to low rotational press

Front lunge with side bend

Front lunge with tricep extension

Deadlift to uppercut lunge

Woodchops

Side shuffle with catch

Front shuffle with side jump

Side lunge switch

Diagonal step to shuffle

Cardio circuit:

Deadlift to uppercuts x10 lunges per leg (Perform as quickly as possible)

Woodchops x12 per side

Side shuffle with catch x20 reps (For each time the VIPR is dropped then you perform a burpee at the end of the circuit as a forfeit).

Front shuffle with side jump x1 minute

Side lunge switch x30 seconds

Diagonal step to shuffle x1 minute.

Rest for 1 minute and repeat x3.

Whole body workout:

Side lunge with overhead rotation x10 reps per side x3 sets.

Side lunge switch 30 seconds x3 sets

High to low rotational press x10 per side x3 sets

Front lunge with side bend x12 reps x3 sets

Woodchops x12 per side x3 sets

Front shuffle with side jump 1 minute x3 sets

Diagonal step to shuffle 1 minute x3 sets