strength training Archives - Page 2 of 5

Full Body Dumbbell Workout With Cardio Blasts

May 26, 2015 by Jenna

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend! I was hanging out in northern Minnesota at the cabin with my family having an awesome time.

We did all the typical cabin-y things: grill, sit on the pontoon, have a bonfire, fish, drink coffee/wine/beer, watch movies, read, go for walks/runs, and relax.

Just the best.

Following a great weekend, let’s have a great workout.

This is a full body dumbbell workout that has two cardio blasts built in. The only thing you’ll need to do this workout is one set of dumbbells. I recommend using 8- or 10-pounds, but if you have access to more you can increase or decrease the weight depending on the exercise and muscle group. For example, I usually need to use a lighter set of dumbbells when I do shoulder exercises compared to when I do biceps or chest exercises. However, if you do only have one set of dumbbells (which is totally fine!!) you could adjust the amount of repetitions (do 20 chest presses and 8 lateral raises instead of 15 reps for both). You’ll want to challenge yourself, but make sure to keep proper form.

Mixed in between the 7 different strength exercises are 2 30-second cardio bursts. The first is a set of mountain climbers and the second is a set of burpees – you can totally do these for 30 seconds!

Here’s what the full workout looks like:

Here are the exercise cues:

Plank Hammer Curls: Assume plank (pushup) position with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Keeping upper arm stationary and body in plank position, raise the right dumbbell toward right shoulder. Lower to starting position. Repeat with left arm.
Standing Triceps Extensions: Stand holding dumbbells in each hand. Raise them to be directly above your head (starting position). Keeping your elbows still at either side of your temples, slowly lower your forearms and flex your elbows until the dumbbell is at the back of your head. Raise dumbbell back to starting position
Lateral Raises: Stand holding dumbbells in each hand with palms facing the sides of thighs. Raise both arms up and out to the side until hands reach approximately shoulder level. Lower arms back to starting position.
Mountain Climbers: Start in a plank position. Bring your right knee forward towards your right elbow. Explosively draw your left knee forward as your right leg moves back, like you are running. Continue this motion.
Russian Twists: Sit on a mat with your knees bent, your torso at a 45-degree angle to the mat, and your fists in front of you holding a dumbbell in each hand. Twist your torso to one side, then twist to the other. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep from twisting your legs.
Bent-Over Rows: With a dumbbell in your left hand, kneel over the side of a bench with your right arm and right knee on the bench and a straight back. Raise the dumbbell up to your side until it reaches your ribs. Lower back down until arm is fully extended. Complete all reps then switch to the opposite side.
Dumbbell Bench Press: Lie on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand positioned at each side of your chest with your elbows bent under the dumbbells (starting position). While contracting your chest, press the dumbbells up until they are fully extended. Lower back to starting position.
Lunge with bicep curl: Stand with your feet hip distance apart holding dumbbells in each hand. Step your left foot forward. As you lower down into a lunge, also curl the dumbbells up. At the bottom up the lunge both knees should be at a 90-degree angle and the dumbbells should be at about shoulder height with your elbows at your side. Raise back up to standing while lowering the dumbbells. Complete all reps then switch to the opposite side.
Burpees: Lower down into a squat position and place your hands on the ground in front of you. Kick your feet back into the push up position and lower your body to the floor. Raise your body back up and return your feet back to the squat position as quickly as possible. Immediately jump up as high as you can.

This full body dumbbell workout is great on its own, especially if you cycle through it 2 or 3 times. It would also be great to tack 1 or 2 rounds on at the end of a cardio session. Reach out in the comments if you have any questions about it. Also, let me know if you try it out. I would love to hear about it!

Let’s have a fun and fit summer!

PS – what did you do over Memorial Day? Did you fit in any good workouts?

Share this:

30-Minute Run + Strength Workout

April 28, 2015 by Jenna

A couple of months ago I posted this 30-Minute Run and Strength Workout and today I decided to post something similar.

Maybe because I was feeling a lack of creativity or maybeeee because I wanted to give you a similar, but different option to run and work your little heart out.

I’ll let you form your own opinion of my motives. Whatever side you take, you should still continue to read and check out this workout. It’s a good one, just like the original.

I love workouts that switch between cardio and strength training, because the variety really makes the workout fly by. Plus, it’s only 30 minutes, it works all your major muscle groups, it gives you a cardio workout, and the only equipment you need is a treadmill, a set of dumbbells, and a mat.

However, you could totally do this without equipment: run outside instead of on the treadmill, use your bodyweight instead of dumbbells, and lie on the grass instead of a mat.

And hey, if you enjoy it so much, there’s no need to stop! Repeat it one more time for an awesome workout in less than 60 minutes.

You wouldn’t need to warm up, cool down, and stretch twice, but you already knew that, didn’t you?

Here’s the plan:

Take the warm up run nice and easy. The warm up is truly about getting your body prepped for exercise. I usually start out walking at 3.5 mph and then increase by .5 -1.0 mph every minute until I’m running at my “easy” pace. Sometimes I’ll extend the warm up to 8 minutes, because it’s very enjoyable to me. There’s no need to start off sprinting. It’s not going to do your body any good.

After the warm up, interpret the “run” pieces however you like. Perhaps you want to keep it at an easy jog or maybe you want to speed walk. That’s great. Maybe you want to do it at your “tempo” or “marathon” pace. That’s cool too. Or maybe you are taking the day off from running, so you want to elliptical or bike or row instead. That’s legit.

Basically, do what you are in the mood for. Challenge yourself, make yourself work hard, increase your heart rate, but still make it enjoyable for you.

Ok, the exercise cues:

Squat to Side Kick: Stand with feet hip distance apart, toes facing forward. Lower down into a squat until thighs are parallel to the floor, making sure to keep your knees behind your toes. As you rise up kick your right foot out to the side. Lower back to a squat. Continue and alternate legs.
Push-Up to Side Plank: Start in a plank position with hands directly below your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Lower down into a push-up. As your raise your body back up, rotate your body to the right side so that you are in a side plank with your right arm extended in the air. Return to plank position. Continue and alternate sides.
Heel Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your arms along your sides. Raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right arm to your right heel then your left arm to your left heel. This is one rep. Continue.
Lunges with Biceps Curls: With a set of dumbbells, stand with your feet facing forward and take a step forward with your left foot. Lower into a lunge, making sure that your left knee does not go past your left toe. Both knees should be just around a 90-degree angle. As your rise up, curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level keeping your elbows at your sides. Lower back down into a lunge while also lowering the dumbbells. Complete all reps then switch sides.
Triceps Extensions with Calf Raises: Stand holding a pair of dumbbells. Lift the dumbbells up overhead. Keeping your biceps close to your ears lower the dumbbells back until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. This is starting position. Keeping your forearms still raise the dumbbells back up over your head. While you do this also rise up onto your toes. Lower your heels and the dumbbells down to starting position. Continue.
Side Plank with Hip Dips: Start in forearm side plank on your right side with your right elbow directly below your shoulder and your body in a straight line from left shoulder to your feet. Using your side obliques, lower your hip down then raise it back up. Your upper body should remain still. This is one rep. Complete all reps then switch to your left side.
Sumo Squat with Shoulder Press: Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet slight wider than hip distance apart, toes pointing out to the side. Put your dumbbells at shoulder level and lower into a squat. As your rise, press your dumbbells up overhead until your arms are fully extended. Lower back down to a squat while also lowering your arms to shoulder level. This is one rep.
Bent-Over Rows: With a dumbbell in your left hand, kneel over the side of a bench with your right arm and right knee on the bench and a straight back. Raise the dumbbell up to your side until it reaches your ribs. Lower back down until arm is fully extended. Complete all reps then switch to the opposite side.
Leg Lifts: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air. Slowly lower your legs back down until your heels are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat.

And there you have it – another fantastic run and strength workout in 30-minutes.

Don’t forget to stretch!!

Share this:

Plank-Less Ab Workout

April 21, 2015 by Jenna

I had a request to post a plank-less ab workout. So, here it is!

My aunt Linda has been doing a “Just J.Faye Challenge”. Since the beginning of April she has been doing a Just J.Faye workout everyday. This was totally her idea to do and it made me super happy when she told me. So far she has done the burpee run, superset tabata clover, jumping jack circuit, 5-4-3-2-1 variety speed, stair workout, fartlek run, 20-minute plyo tabata, and the 10-10-10 lower body workout. She has also been posting comments about her experience with the workout. How fun is that?! You are welcome to do the same 🙂

A week or so ago she got tendonitis in her shoulders and is required to lay off on the shoulder/upper body exercises for the next few weeks. Major bummer. Although there are still a lot of things you can do with a shoulder injury, it still puts a damper on things.

Planks are not one of those things you can do with a shoulder injury. Technically, you probably can, you just shouldn’t. Heal first. Plank later.

Since a lot of my workouts include planks – because I love them! – she asked if I could put together an ab workout that avoided them. My response: of course!

This workout is a bodyweight, plank-less ab routine. All you need is a mat and the willingness to feel your abs burn.

This is what we’ll do:

This mix of ab exercises hit your front and lower abs as well as your obliques. I know that “plank-less” sounds similar to “painless”, but I guarantee you that this will not be painless. You should really feel your abs burning. This is good pain that is making your body stronger!

Here are the exercise cues:

Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your hands behind your ears with your elbows straight out. Keeping your neck straight, engage your core and raise your shoulder blades up off of the mat. Lower back down. Continue.
Russian Twists: Sit on a mat with your knees bent, your torso at a 45-degree angle to the mat, and your fists in front of you. Twist your torso to one side, then twist to the other. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep from twisting your legs. To progress: hold a weight in your hands and/or raise your feet a few inches off of the ground.
Leg Lifts: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air. Slowly lower your legs back down until your heels are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat. You should feel this in your lower abs.
V-Ups: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms outstretched overhead. While you raise your legs straight up in the air, simultaneously raise your arms up to reach your toes. Lower arms and legs back down until they are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue.
Heel Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your arms along your sides. Raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right arm to your right heel then your left arm to your left heel, focusing on your obliques. This is one rep. Continue.
Flutter Kicks: Lie on your back on the top of a mat with your arms along your sides. Raise your legs up about 6 inches off of the ground. As one leg kicks up the other should go down, like a scissors. Continue by making small, rapid movements. Kicking up your right leg then kicking up your left leg is one rep.
Toe Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Reach your arms up to touch your toes, making sure to use your core to raise your shoulder blades off of the mat. Lower back down to the mat. Continue.
Bicycle Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. With your arms behind your ears and your elbows straight out, raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right elbow towards the left knee, then twist to reach your left elbow towards your right knee. This is one rep. Continue.
Windshield Wipers: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms out to your sides. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Lower legs to one side until your thigh hits the floor. Raise back up and then lower to the opposite side. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat.

Throughout all of these exercises please, please, please be careful of your lower back and neck, especially if you are prone to injury. Do not strain them! When you are lying on your back be sure to keep your tailbone and back flat to the mat. When you are lifting your shoulder blades and/or neck off of the mat, make sure to keep your head in alignment and your neck straight. If you are feeling pain in either of those areas, stop. Then re-assess your form. This is not the good pain that I mentioned earlier!

This ab workout would be great to add after a cardio session; however, it’s a great stand alone workout as well.

Linda, I hope you enjoy this. Keep up the awesome work and heal quickly!

Everyone else, I hope you enjoy this too! If you are looking for any specific type of workout, feel free to leave a comment in this post or email me (justjfaye @ gmail . com).

Share this:

The Fit 5: Chest

April 7, 2015 by Jenna

It’s time for another round of The Fit Five! This time we are going to learn about the chest muscle group, which you may refer to as your “pecs” or maybe even your “pectoralis major” and “pectoralis minor”. Whatever you want to call this muscle group, we are going to learn about it.

First, let’s clear up a myth for the ladies: Strength training that targets chest muscles will not make your boobs bigger. Also, it will not make your boobs smaller. However, building chest muscles (underneath your boobs) could add a natural lift. So that’s a bonus.

Now, here are some non-myths, also known as facts:

It’s good to learn this type of stuff, don’t you think?

Experiment time: Stand up with your arms extended straight out from your sides so that you look like a human “t”. Now move your arms forward so that they are extended straight out in front of you. Clap your hands together. That movement was horizontal adduction of the shoulder and contracting your chest muscles helped make that happen.

The clap was just for fun, because learning is fun.

The next time you do a push up or bench press, think about that movement and contracting those pectoral muscles.

Speaking of push ups and bench presses, below are 5 chest exercises.

These are all basic exercises that can be adapted to your needs. Here are some examples:

Stagger your hands for the push ups.
Place your feet on a stability ball or a bench while doing push ups.
Perform the bench press, pullover, and fly while lying on a stability ball rather than a bench.
Use a barbell or a smith machine rather than dumbbells for the bench press.
Put the bench at an incline while performing the bench press or the flies.
Utilize a cable machine and do standing flies.

Those are just a few of the many ways you could adapt these exercises. You can also adjust the acute variables (resistance, tempo, rest, etc) in order to work the muscles differently.

Don’t forget to add in some shoulder, biceps, and triceps exercises for a great upper body workout!

I hope you are enjoying these Fit Five posts and are learning some new things. I personally gain a lot from writing them.

Share this:

Stabilization Strength Training Workout

March 23, 2015 by Jenna

When I was taking my classes to become a personal trainer I learned all about NASM’s Optimal Performance Training (OPT) model. This model is designed to systematically progress clients through three phases of training (stabilization, strength, and power) leading them to reach their fitness goals.

Last week a friend and I got into a conversation about strength training, because he wasn’t seeing the results that he wanted. Long story short, I started telling him all about the OPT model. It was probably way more than he wanted (or cared) to know, but I was getting really revved up about it.

I left the conversation feeling super energized. It helped remind me why I wanted to get my personal training certification in the first place. This stuff is just so interesting to learn about and discuss with others.

Interesting to me, anyways.

With that said I wanted to talk a little bit about the initial phase of the OPT model: stabilization. I will focus on the strength and power phases at a later date. Feel free to start getting excited about it now.

The primary focus on the stabilization phase is to increase muscular endurance while enhancing coordination (or “neuromuscular efficiency” if you wanted to get technical). Basically, the exercises in this stage are performed in an unstable environment with low intensity and high repetitions.

Rather than progressing to higher intensities (from 5 lbs weights to 10 lbs weights) we progress through various levels of unstable environments (single leg, stability ball, foam pad, bosu ball, etc.).

Another key piece of the stabilization phase is the tempo in which the exercises are performed, which is described as 4/2/1: 4 counts for the eccentric movement, 2 counts for the isometric, and 1 count for the concentric. Let’s walk through some examples:

Biceps curls: Lower the dumbbells in 4 counts, hold at the bottom for two, and curl back up in 1 count.
Squats: Lower from a standing position to a squat position in 4 counts, hold the squat for 2 counts, and rise back up to standing in 1 count.

It’s a little difficult to grasp at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. When in doubt, do the “harder” piece of the exercise in 1 count. This is usually the concentric movement: the curl, the press, the extension.

During the stabilization phase we also focus on correcting any muscle imbalances so that proper form and alignment are developed and can be maintained. This is always important, but will become even more important when progressing to the strength and power phases.

Ok. Now let’s get into this stabilization strength training workout.

Here are the cues to guide you through the exercises:

Squat Jumps with Stabilization: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Lower body into a squat, making sure knees stay behind your toes. Jump up, extending arms overhead. Land back in the squat position ensuring proper alignment. Hold for 3-5 seconds before jumping again.
Ball Squat, Curl to Press: Stand with a stability ball between a wall and your low-back region, feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Lower into a squat, making sure knees stay behind your toes (starting position). As you rise to stand, curl the dumbbells up with a biceps curl. When you are completely standing press the dumbbells overhead until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower your body back to starting position.
Push-Up: Begin in push-up (plank) position. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Push your body back up to starting position.
Ball Dumbbell Row: Lie face-down on a stability ball with the ball under your abdomen, your feet straight back behind you, and your arms extending in front of you toward the floor with a dumbbell in each hand (starting position). Make sure to engage your legs for stabilization. Row the dumbbells back by bending your elbows and pushing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to starting position.
Seated Stability Ball Military Press: Sit on a stability ball with toes facing forward hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing forward (starting position). Engage your glutes and core for stabilization. Press dumbbells overheads until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower dumbbells to starting position.
Single-Leg Dumbbell Curl: Stand on one foot with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (starting position). Keeping your core engaged and your elbows at your side, curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level. Slowly lower dumbbells to starting position. Switch legs half-way through the set.
Stability Ball Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: Lie on a stability ball with the ball at your shoulder blades, feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Engage core and glues to keep the shoulders, hips, and knees all in line. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight above you (starting position). Keeping your upper arms and elbows still, slowly lower your forearms down until the dumbbells reach the sides of your head. Raise dumbbells back up to starting position.
Step-Up to Balance: Stand facing a box or step with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (starting position). Step onto the box with one foot and push body up so that you are standing on the box or step balancing on one leg. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Step back down to starting position. Repeat with other leg.
Ball Crunch: Lie on a stability ball with the ball at your lower back, feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your head and the top of your shoulders will extend off of the ball. Place your hands behind your head with elbows sticking straight out (starting position). Engage your core and crunch up until your shoulder blades are off the ball. Slowly lower back to starting position.

I would encourage you to try this stabilization strength training workout 1-2 times per week over the next few weeks. Concentrate on the 4/2/1 tempo and your balance as you work in the unstable environments. I have some personal issues with balance (AKA, I fall over a lot), so when I started doing some stabilization phase training it really helped out!

Ok. That was a lot of information to read through, especially on a Monday morning. I’m impressed that you made it all the way down to this sentence. I hope you found it interesting and helpful. Feel free to shoot any questions or comments in the comment section, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Share this:

Superset Tabata Clover Workout

March 17, 2015 by Jenna

Hi friends. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I put together a fun clover-inspired superset Tabata workout that will leave you feeling as happy as a leprechaun… assuming that leprechauns are super happy. I think they probably are. You know, all those pots of gold and stuff.

This workout doesn’t require any equipment. Meaning, you can do it anywhere.

It will take you less than 20 minutes to complete. Meaning, you can squeeze this in between work and meeting up with friends for a green beer and a dinner of corned beef and cabbage.

How perfect is that? It’s a lucky day for all of us.

This Tabata features four supersets, one for each lucky clover leaf. In true Tabata form we are going to work really, really hard for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. We will switch between the first and second exercises in first clover leaf until 4 rounds (4 minutes) has been completed. Then we rest for a minute and move onto the second clover leaf following the same pattern.

Here’s the game plan:

Each clover leaf features one strength and one plyometric/cardio exercise. We want our heart to work and our muscles to be sore. Remember, the key to Tabata workouts are to really push it for those 20 seconds so that afterwards you get to experience all of those metabolism-boosting, fat-burning rewards afterwards.

Feel free to progress the squats and alternating lunges by adding weights or biceps/hammer curls with dumbbells; however, drop them when you get to the jumps. I have used the Seconds and Interval Timer apps to keep time, but there are a lot of free ones out there too! If you have questions on any of the exercises or how to progress/regress them, just shoot me a note in the comments!

Do know this, just because this is a St. Patrick’s Day clover-inspired workout you are welcome to do this on other days of the year too. Lucky clovers are applicable everyday. Plus, you could also consider it 4-H themed, which is also relevant year round.

Shout out to all the Irish and 4-H’ers out there!! Have a happy St. Patty’s Day!

PS – If you liked this one make sure to check out these: Superset Tabata, 20-Minute Plyo Tabata, 4th of July Tabata Workout.

Share this: