So your New Year’s Resolution was to get to the gym more this year and make a life changing transformation. How is that going for you? Have you been to the gym as often as you planned? You made a goal to get there but after a few sessions you just slowly eased back and fell back into a sedentary routine. Most people that fall into this category are people who showed up to the gym and didn’t know where to get started. Reading this blog will help you get back up on your feet before you fall further behind.
“A man who fails to plan, plans to FAIL!!” First step in achieving success with any goal is to set up a plan. Many people get lost with what goal they are trying to achieve. Gaining mass? Losing weight? Increasing strength? Figure it out! I’m sure some of you would be surprised to find that you may actually burn fat by lifting weights and jumping on the cardio equipment a little less. Many newbies to the gym scene also believe that you need to “Max out” and lift heavy to get huge. If you’ve read my blog on Consistency in Moderation you know that it is possible to get big without going for a PR each week as long as you are consistent with your program and increasing the volume.
Number one thing to focus on when getting started is nutrition. It is true that if you want to be big you have to eat more. It does not go the same for losing weight and becoming fit by eating less. I am not going to turn this blog into a lesson on nutrition. We will save that for another day. You just have to know that your goals of gaining mass or losing weight go hand in hand with your nutrition and I personally will not take a client serious that wants to lose weight but skips breakfast and hits the Mcdonalds drive-thru twice a week. Get your mind out of the gutter and your ass in the grocery store.
Our football teams will focus on a schedule that includes a Max Effort Upper, Max Effort Lower, Dynamic Lower, and a Volume Upper day. The Max Effort days consist of a compound lift such as the Bench or Squat with a group of accessory lifts to accommodate other strength goals. We find this type of training to be a necessity for those who wish to increase strength and build muscle. With our adult classes I obviously have a different approach with their programs then the high school football teams. We do incorporate this style of training but the goals vary considerably compared to a high school football player.
If your goal is to increase strength I would definitely recommend a program similar to our athletic program. If you have set a goal to get big or bench 300 pounds, you’re obviously going to have a different program then the adult program I have shown here. This may not be for you. But if your goal is to increase strength, cardiovascular and muscular endurance I would strongly recommend our cross-training style to help keep your heart rate up while moving weights as well such as our adult V-fit classes. I personally enjoy this style for those with erratic schedules as you can hit your strength training with some cardiovascular training all in one. I’ve had clients who just start out and say they are fit because they run the treadmill 40 miles a week but then they can hardly even do lunges with a 10 pound weight. Our program focuses on not only getting you in kick-ass shape but gaining strength as well. We like to encourage our members to be as athletic as possible.
This type of training helps get you in shape, stronger, and looking better. My goal is to just help address the need for a program if you wish to get started in the gym or maybe just change things up. I myself get bored quickly and will constantly change up exercises within my monthly programs. Below is a sample of a typical V-Fit class that has a main focus on upper body that session.
A1) Incline Dumbbell Bench 4x10
A2) Incline Dumbbell Row 4x10
A3)Medicine Ball Slams 4x10
“A man who fails to plan, plans to FAIL!!” First step in achieving success with any goal is to set up a plan. Many people get lost with what goal they are trying to achieve. Gaining mass? Losing weight? Increasing strength? Figure it out! I’m sure some of you would be surprised to find that you may actually burn fat by lifting weights and jumping on the cardio equipment a little less. Many newbies to the gym scene also believe that you need to “Max out” and lift heavy to get huge. If you’ve read my blog on Consistency in Moderation you know that it is possible to get big without going for a PR each week as long as you are consistent with your program and increasing the volume.
Number one thing to focus on when getting started is nutrition. It is true that if you want to be big you have to eat more. It does not go the same for losing weight and becoming fit by eating less. I am not going to turn this blog into a lesson on nutrition. We will save that for another day. You just have to know that your goals of gaining mass or losing weight go hand in hand with your nutrition and I personally will not take a client serious that wants to lose weight but skips breakfast and hits the Mcdonalds drive-thru twice a week. Get your mind out of the gutter and your ass in the grocery store.
Our football teams will focus on a schedule that includes a Max Effort Upper, Max Effort Lower, Dynamic Lower, and a Volume Upper day. The Max Effort days consist of a compound lift such as the Bench or Squat with a group of accessory lifts to accommodate other strength goals. We find this type of training to be a necessity for those who wish to increase strength and build muscle. With our adult classes I obviously have a different approach with their programs then the high school football teams. We do incorporate this style of training but the goals vary considerably compared to a high school football player.
If your goal is to increase strength I would definitely recommend a program similar to our athletic program. If you have set a goal to get big or bench 300 pounds, you’re obviously going to have a different program then the adult program I have shown here. This may not be for you. But if your goal is to increase strength, cardiovascular and muscular endurance I would strongly recommend our cross-training style to help keep your heart rate up while moving weights as well such as our adult V-fit classes. I personally enjoy this style for those with erratic schedules as you can hit your strength training with some cardiovascular training all in one. I’ve had clients who just start out and say they are fit because they run the treadmill 40 miles a week but then they can hardly even do lunges with a 10 pound weight. Our program focuses on not only getting you in kick-ass shape but gaining strength as well. We like to encourage our members to be as athletic as possible.
This type of training helps get you in shape, stronger, and looking better. My goal is to just help address the need for a program if you wish to get started in the gym or maybe just change things up. I myself get bored quickly and will constantly change up exercises within my monthly programs. Below is a sample of a typical V-Fit class that has a main focus on upper body that session.
A1) Incline Dumbbell Bench 4x10
A2) Incline Dumbbell Row 4x10
A3)Medicine Ball Slams 4x10
B1) Rack Pushup 4x10
B2) Inverted Pull up 4x10
B3) Laps on staircase 4x5
C1) Dumbbell Curls 3x10
C2) Tricep Band pushdowns 3x10
C3) Battle Rope Slams 3x10
Weighted situps 3 sets of 15 reps
Conditioning- 3x30 Calorie Air Dyne Sprint
A1,A2,A3- represent the circuit. This means there is no break until all 3 exercises are completed. There is generally shorter breaks with this workout to keep members active.
This sample workout can be used for a beginner looking to gain strength with a similar program that consists of an upper and lower body routine. It is similar to our football program except for not including a Max Effort compound lift such as a Barbell Bench Press or Barbell Squat. It also includes more conditioning during and after the workout to keep your heart rate up and keeping you active. Our philosophy focuses a great warm-up, a group of weighted and cardio style exercises, core work, and conditioning. This program is very beneficial to those who have a hard time making it to the gym during the week and want to maintain their overall strength. I believe workouts that hit the upper, lower, or full body have become very popular due to society’s “On the go” attitude and work extremely well.
So this week I leave you with this, START A PROGRAM! Keep a notebook with your attendance, exercises, weights and reps to help stay consistent and up to date with what it is your doing. How can you reach your goal this week when you have no idea what weight you used last week on that exercise? Keeping track of your progress helps you stay consistent and motivated as you see the progress each week. Remember, this idea is for a person who has set a goal that they want to reach and has made a commitment to a program for that desired goal. If your goal is to attend 2 V-Fit (bootcamp style) classes a week, make sure you stay consistent with attending each class. Get to work!
Below is an example of a standard lower body style class as well as a full body circuit that can be completed once a week for great change of pace. Important: This is just an example of a group class. To address your personal goals and have a workout tailored to your wants and needs would be written differently.
A1) Kettlebell Goblet Squat 4x10
A2) Bodyweight Lunge 4x10 each
A3) Mountain Climbers 4x 20 total
B1) Dumbbell Step-up 3x10 each
B2) Dumbbell Stiff-legged Deadlift 3x10
B3) Medicine Ball Wall Balls 3x10
Core- Plate rotations 3x15 each side
Conditioning- 10 sprints
Full Body Circuit
1.) Pushups
2.) Inverted Pull ups
3.) Medicine Ball Slams
4.) Kettlebell Goblet Squats
5.) Staircase sprints
6.) Weighted sit ups
7.) Bodyweight lunges
8.) Wall sits
9.) Wall balls
This circuit is typically completed after a standard warm-up with dynamic stretching and each round completed for about 30 seconds. We tend to do this with a large group as members can partner up and complete it starting from different numbered stations.
B2) Inverted Pull up 4x10
B3) Laps on staircase 4x5
C1) Dumbbell Curls 3x10
C2) Tricep Band pushdowns 3x10
C3) Battle Rope Slams 3x10
Weighted situps 3 sets of 15 reps
Conditioning- 3x30 Calorie Air Dyne Sprint
A1,A2,A3- represent the circuit. This means there is no break until all 3 exercises are completed. There is generally shorter breaks with this workout to keep members active.
This sample workout can be used for a beginner looking to gain strength with a similar program that consists of an upper and lower body routine. It is similar to our football program except for not including a Max Effort compound lift such as a Barbell Bench Press or Barbell Squat. It also includes more conditioning during and after the workout to keep your heart rate up and keeping you active. Our philosophy focuses a great warm-up, a group of weighted and cardio style exercises, core work, and conditioning. This program is very beneficial to those who have a hard time making it to the gym during the week and want to maintain their overall strength. I believe workouts that hit the upper, lower, or full body have become very popular due to society’s “On the go” attitude and work extremely well.
So this week I leave you with this, START A PROGRAM! Keep a notebook with your attendance, exercises, weights and reps to help stay consistent and up to date with what it is your doing. How can you reach your goal this week when you have no idea what weight you used last week on that exercise? Keeping track of your progress helps you stay consistent and motivated as you see the progress each week. Remember, this idea is for a person who has set a goal that they want to reach and has made a commitment to a program for that desired goal. If your goal is to attend 2 V-Fit (bootcamp style) classes a week, make sure you stay consistent with attending each class. Get to work!
Below is an example of a standard lower body style class as well as a full body circuit that can be completed once a week for great change of pace. Important: This is just an example of a group class. To address your personal goals and have a workout tailored to your wants and needs would be written differently.
A1) Kettlebell Goblet Squat 4x10
A2) Bodyweight Lunge 4x10 each
A3) Mountain Climbers 4x 20 total
B1) Dumbbell Step-up 3x10 each
B2) Dumbbell Stiff-legged Deadlift 3x10
B3) Medicine Ball Wall Balls 3x10
Core- Plate rotations 3x15 each side
Conditioning- 10 sprints
Full Body Circuit
1.) Pushups
2.) Inverted Pull ups
3.) Medicine Ball Slams
4.) Kettlebell Goblet Squats
5.) Staircase sprints
6.) Weighted sit ups
7.) Bodyweight lunges
8.) Wall sits
9.) Wall balls
This circuit is typically completed after a standard warm-up with dynamic stretching and each round completed for about 30 seconds. We tend to do this with a large group as members can partner up and complete it starting from different numbered stations.
great job Nick
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