Bronze Body: Week 3 – Time to step it up

Last week I finally made it to the gym 5 times, performing the full-body circuit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I must admit it felt really good. Even though the exercises listed seem simple, performing them one after the other with a 30 sec break and 15 reps/set does knock the wind out of you. The whole point of this is to have an elevated heart-rate so that you can burn fat faster. This week, I shall be performing the full-body circuit twice again with 15 reps/set and a 30 sec break in between. However, this week, I shall be doing alternate exercises for the ones listed in my previous post. This is needed so that your body does not get used to a standard set of exercises and movements. You need to shake things up a bit. So here are the exercises that I shall perform this week. I shall perform the entire circuit twice. Please note that these are free weight alternatives to the ones that can be done by machines. You can still continue doing the exercises by machines.

 

Quads: Barbell Squat

1. Step under the bar in a squat rack with your feet parallel to each other, shoulder-width apart. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip so it rests across your traps.
   
2. Step back and stand with chest high, shoulder blades squeezed back, gaze fixed forward. This is the start position.
   
3. Bend your knees as if sitting down in a chair, making sure that your knees stay aligned with your feet, until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
   
4. Push up through your feet without bouncing to return to the start position. Avoid locking out your knees at the top of the movement.
   

 

Back: One-arm dumbbell row

1. Put your left knee and left hand up to a flat bench so that your head looks forward, your back is straight, and your right leg is extended behind you, planted for balance.
   
2. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand using a thumbless grip. This is the start position.
   
3. Keeping your torso fixed – don't swing – pull the dumbbell up toward your hip as if you are sawing a piece of wood. Feel a nice squeeze in your back.
   
4. Return to the start position.
   

 

Abs: Crunch

1. With this movement you will be on your back. Place your fingers at your temples as if you're trying to block out any sound.
   
2. Bend your knees into upside down V's. This is the start position.
   
3. Contract your abs to bring your shoulders off the floor. At the same time you're crunching forward, press your lower back into the floor. Inhale during the ascent.
   
4. Return to the start, but don't let your shoulders touch the floor. Exhale on the descent.
   
5. To make the exercise more difficult, raise your feet off the floor and bend your knees so that your legs form Ls when viewed from the side
   

 

Chest: Dumbbell bench press

1. Lie on a bench, holding dumbbells just outside, palms facing forward, feet planted
   
2. Squeeze your pecs to press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling in a slight arc and back about 10 degrees. Exhale deeply on the ascent.
   
3. Maintaining continuous tension on your chest muscles, bring the weights back to the start position, dropping your shoulders as the weights approach your body. Inhale on descent.
   

 

Triceps: Dumbbell kickback

1. Holding a dumbbell in one hand, place the opposite knee on a flat bench and bend the waist until your back is nearly parallel with the floor.
   
2. Bend your elbow so the dumbbell faces your outer thigh and your elbow points back. This is the start position.
   
3. Extend your working arm straight back behind your body, exhaling as you go, until your elbow locks. (Don't jerk the dumbbell, though, or you will injure yourself.) At full extension, your arm should be parallel to the floor.
   
4. Contract the triceps for a two count and then return slowly to the start position, inhaling as you go.
   

 

Biceps: Standing barbell curl

1. Stand holding a barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, at arms' length, down by your thighs.
   
2. Exhale as you curl the bar up to the front of your shoulders.
   
3. Inhale as you lower it back down.
   
4. Throughout the entire rep, keep your upper arms stationary, more or less pinned against your sides, so that your elbow functions like hinges.
   
5. Don't throw the weight up, move it in a controlled rhythm.
   
6. Curls can also be done with dumbbells, for a change.
   

Shoulders: Seated dumbbell press

1. Sit on a bench with back support perpendicular with the seat pad.
   
2. Space your feet evenly on the floor. Pick up the dumbbells positioned on either side of you and raise them to shoulder height, palms facing forward. Press your back firmly against the back pad. This is the start position.
   
3. Press the dumbbells overhead, bringing them close together at the top without actually letting them touch. Exhale as your press, and don't lean forward, or you risk straining your neck.
   
4. Arc your elbows down to return to the start position, inhaling on the way down.
   

Hamstrings: Exercise ball leg curl

1. Lie on the floor faceup with your ankles resting on top of an exercise ball. Your arms should be extended for balance.
   
2. Raise your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight diagonal. Only head and shoulder blades should be touching the floor. This is the start position.
   
3. Keeping your body in this position, bend your knees and draw in your ankles to roll the ball as far as you can toward you. The heels should approach your butt.
   
4. Roll back the ball to the start position.
   

After completing this workout, I shall do cardio at 55% of my MHR = 107 for 15 minutes. I am sure this is going to be a tough one. Lets see how I handle this.

 

Good luck to me!

Happy reading,

KJ