Running is important. It trains you for cardiovascular endurance and and anaerobic power. Here, I'll assume that you don't run at all, so we'll start off on some easy run/walks and work into longer runs as the program goes on.
Stretching. Do a light stretch before each workout, and a longer stretch afterwards. Before, I generally hold each stretch pose I do for about 15 seconds, and after I hold for around 30.
Strength training builds muscle. Muscle burns calories. More muscle + more calorie burn = leaner, slimmer you.
This program will be approached in three 4 week sections. In order to use this program correctly you need access to a gym. I hope to provide later a program that works without any gym equipment, but if you don't have any, then just do the first phase. All you need for it is shoes. Hopefully, by the end of this program, you'll have a stronger, leaner, slimmer, sexier you. But ONLY if you work, and only if you work HARD.
WARNING: Do not attempt to start a workout program without talking to your doctor first to see if you are physically capable of starting the program. I'm starting this out with a fairly simple circuit that you can modify to make easier, but there are certain physical limitations that you might need to take into consideration before you start ANY program. Which is why I advise talking to your physician before starting any sort of training.
Here we go.
Phase One: Initial Strengthening and Cardio Training
The goal of this phase is to get you basic functional strength and cardio endurance. You will NOT touch the weights during this phase. This workout will incorporate only bodyweight exercises. Your goal by the end of the 4 weeks will be to perform each of the prescribed exercises the amount of reps I have designated. Try to perform the entire circuit without a break. If not possible, take a short 15-30 second break between each exercise.
Strength Training for Phase one:
Pushups: 12 Reps
Crunches: 15 Reps
Squats: 20 Reps
Tricep Dips on a Chair: 10 Reps
Bend and Raise: 20 Reps
Calf Raises: 20 Reps
Superman: 15 Reps
Repeat 3-5 times three times each week. (Monday wednesday friday is the most common choice)
Running Schedule for Phase One:
Attempt to run the full distance. If you can't it's okay to take short walk breaks or do 1 minute walks followed by 30 second runs until you finish the distance.
Week 1:
- Monday: .5 miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: .5 miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: .5 miles
- Saturday: .75 miles
- Sunday: None
- Monday: .75 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: .5 Miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: .5 Miles
- Saturday: 1 mile
- Monday: 1 Mile
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: .75 Miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: .75 Miles
- Saturday: 1.5 miles
Week 4:
- Monday: 1.5 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 1 Mile
- Thursday; None
- Friday: 1 Mile
- Saturday: 1.5 Miles
Phase 2: Strengthening
In this phase, you will begin to hit the gym. You will perform 3 separate weight lifting exercises: Push, Pull, and legs. When you first begin, you want to go really light to get your body used to the movements. Focus on form. Remember, quality over quantity. If you don't know how to perform any of the exercises, try youtube or check my blog posts. I'm slowly providing tutorials for all the basic exercises one might perform in the gym.
Push: (sets x reps)
Push: (sets x reps)
Bench Press: 3x10
Tricep Extensions: 3x10
Incline Bench Press: 3x10
Tricep Pushdowns: 3x10
Shoulder Press: 3x10
Shoulder Press: 3x10
Pull:
Lat Pulls: 3x10
Dumbell Curls: 3x10
Seated or Standing Rows: 3x10
Ez Bar Curls: 3x10
Ez Bar Curls: 3x10
Upright Rows: 3x10
Legs:
Squat: 3x10
Calf Raises: 3x10
Leg Press: 3x10
Leg Curls: 3x10
Leg Extensions: 3x10
As i said, go light the first week or two. But try to increase your weights a little every week. Watch your form, and be really careful.
After each weight workout, do a core exercise composed of:
Crunches
Leg Lifts
Superman
Bicycle
Russian Twists
Do AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) of each one with a 1 minute break between. Repeat as many times as you possibly can.
Run Schedule for Phase 2:
As i said, go light the first week or two. But try to increase your weights a little every week. Watch your form, and be really careful.
After each weight workout, do a core exercise composed of:
Crunches
Leg Lifts
Superman
Bicycle
Russian Twists
Do AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) of each one with a 1 minute break between. Repeat as many times as you possibly can.
Run Schedule for Phase 2:
Week 1:
- Monday: 1.5 miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 1 mile
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 1 miles
- Saturday: 2 miles
- Sunday: None
- Monday: 2 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 1.5 Miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 1.5 Miles
- Saturday: 2.5 mile
Now that we've built basic Cardio Endurance, we're switching your wednesday runs for sprints. Take a little break between each sprint, and try to go your hardest the entire time. If you cant finish the full set of sprints, do as many as you can. Sprints will help boost metabolism and calorie burn to help increase fat burn as well.
- Monday: 2.5 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 400m Sprints x 4
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 2 Mile
- Saturday: 3 miles
Week 4:
- Monday: 3 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 400m Sprints x 5
- Thursday; None
- Friday: 2.5 Mile
- Saturday: 3.5 Miles
Phase 3: Final Lean out and Strengthening
This phase will combine calisthenics movements with heavier weights to help build more lean mass and burn more calories. You'll add in a second day of sprints for the week to help boost fat burn even more. Before each lifting program you do, you'll do a short calisthenics program to ignite your metabolism and get your blood flowing.
Ignite Calisthenics Pre-Workout Circuit
Pushups: 15 Reps
Pullups: 5-8 reps
Crunches: 15 Reps
Squat Jumps: 20 Reps
Repeat 2 or more times before each workout.
Push: (sets x reps)
Bench Press: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Tricep Extensions: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Incline Bench Press: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Tricep Pushdowns: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Shoulder Press: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Shoulder Press: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Pull:
Lat Pulls: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Dumbell Curls: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Seated or Standing Rows: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Ez Bar Curls: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Ez Bar Curls: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Upright Rows: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Legs:
Squat: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Calf Raises: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Leg Press: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Leg Curls: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
Leg Extensions: 1x10, 1x8, 1x5
As the amount of reps for each set goes down, you will increase your weight. For example, if you start out at 135 on bench press, you might increase to 155 for your second set, and 165 for your third set.
After each weight workout, do a core exercise composed of:
Crunches
Leg Lifts
Superman
Bicycle
Russian Twists
Do AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) of each one with a 1 minute break between. Repeat as many times as you possibly can.
Run Schedule for Phase 2:
Week 1:
- Monday: 1.5 miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 1 mile
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 1 miles
- Saturday: 2 miles
- Sunday: None
- Total for Week: 6 Miles
- Monday: 2 Miles
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 1.5 Miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 1.5 Miles
- Saturday: 2.5 mile
- Total for Week: 7.5 miles
- Monday: 400m Sprints x 5
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 3 Miles
- Thursday: None
- Friday: 400m Sprints x5
- Saturday: 4 miles
Week 4:
- Monday: 400m Sprints x6
- Tuesday: None
- Wednesday: 3 Miles
- Thursday; None
- Friday: 400m Sprints x6
- Saturday: 4.5miles
