A New Follow up 4 Week Workout Plan

Back at it! Lets start a new 4 week plan today. Hopefully you felt you were able to build some strength over the last for weeks. 

The next four weeks we are going to work more on muscle hypertrophy. 

Sub out exercises with dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, etc depending on the equipment you have access to. 

Rest 1 minute between sets. 

Enjoy! 

 Day 1: 

Barbell Back Squats (or front loaded or goblet) 1 set of 5 with light weight with a 5 second hold at the bottom then - 

3 sets of 10 reps 

Curtsy Lunges 2 sets at 10 reps each side
Pull-ups (assisted or lat pull downs) 3 sets of as many as possible 
Barbell curls 2 sets of 10 reps 
Barbell Push Press 2 sets of 10 reps 
Push-ups 2 sets of as many as possible 
Triceps pushdowns 2 sets of 10 reps 
Wood chops 2 sets of 10 reps each side
Cashout: Burpee Box Jump Over Tabata

Day 2: 

Deadlifts 3 sets of 10 reps
Good Mornings 2 sets of 10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Chest press 3 sets of 10 reps
Face Pulls 2 sets of 10 reps
Barbell Pendalay Rows 2 sets of 10 reps each side

Kettlebell Clean and Press 2 sets of 10 each side
Plank shoulder taps, 3 sets of 30-60 seconds 

Cashout: Kettlebell Swings and Jump rope 30 seconds each, rest 15 seconds, 5 rounds

Day 3: 

Hip thrusts 3 sets of 10 reps, 1 1/4 tempo - full thrust, come down 1/4 of the way, thrust, then release. Repeat for the 10 reps.
Cossack squats 2 sets of 10 reps, use assistance if needed 

Floor press 2 sets of 10 reps

Seated rows 2 sets of 10 reps 
Lateral raise to front raise 3 sets of 10 reps

Bicep supine curls 2 sets of 10 reps, each side
Triceps skull crusher 2 sets of 10 reps

Get up sit ups 2 sets of 10 reps each side

Cashout: Run for 6 min, 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off 

** Warm up and cool down recommendations:

Warm up 10 minutes:
World's greatest stretch
Cat cow
Kang squat
Side to side lunges
Jumping jacks

1 min each 2x through

Cool down yoga stretches:

Down dog
Rag doll
Hip flexor stretch
Pigeon
Child’s pose
Forward fold (standing and seated)

30 - 60 seconds each and on each side when applicable. 

Fitness advice worth having

 With all the social media fitness “gurus” out there, it’s hard to know what advice to follow. 

Some of the better advice I’ve gotten is - instead of focusing on weight loss (which many of us constantly chase), focus on getting stronger. Even if the scale doesn’t change, you’re body will.  

Focusing on strength and building muscle will change your body far more than endless cardio and circuit sessions.

And probably obvious to most of us is getting your nutrition in check. Prioritizing protein, fiber and water intake will make a huge difference. 

I’m one who hates to cook! Which leaves me often eating too much processed foods. BUT I recently found a couple of people in IG with sone great, high protein and easy recipes. 

Check out these pages on IG: 

Aussiefitness https://instagram.com/_aussiefitness?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=

And TastyShreds https://instagram.com/tastyshreds?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY= (This guy lost over 50 lbs on his recipes!)

Try out some of these high protein, add in sone water and fiber, focus on getting stronger, and you’ll be an entirely different person in a years time. A year is going to pass anyways. You might as well be the best you can be! 

Home Equipment Bargains

 If you’re looking for some equipment to add to your home gym, here are a few deals:

An Olympic weight lifting barbell, only $99: 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tru-Grit-Fitness-45-lb-Olympic-Weight-Bar-Barbell-For-Weightlifting-and-Power-Lifting-Black-Zinc-Finish/283462393?athbdg=L110&irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_SaiVrryVhxyNTqV3C8VbuWy5UkAxyV38ERXVRQ0&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_414933&clickid=SaiVrryVhxyNTqV3C8VbuWy5UkAxyV38ERXVRQ0&sharedid=&affiliates_ad_id=565706&campaign_id=9383

An adjustable squat rack/bench rack, only $139:

https://a.co/d/ag8OyVl

www.kettlebellkings.com is having a huge sale as well as a pre-order sale on an adjustable KB (12-32kg): https://www.kettlebellkings.com/

I’ve been able to add to my home gym over the years and I love the collection of fitness equipment I have now. I can get a really great workout at home. Well, despite the family distractions from time to time. But there’s no waiting for equipment, I can listen to whatever music I want, and even work up a sweat in my pjs! 

I’m always looking for deals to add to my home gym. Facebook marketplace, Walmart, Amazon, and closing gyms are all good places to look. 

Fitness Podcasts

 What are some of your favorite health & wellness podcasts? I LOVE listening to them - while I'm getting ready for work, while working out, while going for walks, at night before bed, and so on. 

One of my absolute favorites it Mind Pump Media. A group of 4 middle aged guys who have a TON of training experience. They're also very funny and talk about ALL aspects of life. It is very entertaining as well as informative.

Did you know that fitness personality Chalene Johnson from Beach Body has her own podcast? It's not only fitness info, but lifestyle info as well. It's called The Chalene Show, Diet, Fitness & Life.

Another good one is The Genius Life by Max Lugavere. It is focused more on nutrition and life itself than just workouts. 

Here are a list of other podcasts you can check out for yourself:

Huberman Lab - about overall health & wellness

The Cabral Concept - on optimizing your hormones 

Scale and Bail - Crossfit podcast

Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews - all things fitness 

The Tailored Life - fitness & nutrition

FitnessFAQs Podcast - a newer podcast of all things fitness & nutrition 

These above are to just name a few. 

There are many more specific podcasts for certain kinds of diets (paleo, vegan, etc) as well as for various age groups, various sports, for women, for men and for kids. 

I'm always looking for new podcasts to listen to, so please pass along your favorites! 

Weighted Mobility Exercises

 Why should you do mobility training? 

I actually LOVE mobility training. It makes me feel a whole hell of a lot better in my daily life - less stiff, more pliable, flexible and able to move with ease. 

There are several reasons you should include mobility in your own training:

Reduce Risk of Injury

Improve Performance

Increase Strength and Power

Benefit Posture

There's no doubt that mobility work will IMPROVE the quality of your workouts as well as the quality of your life. 

Have you ever seen someone who looks super stiff? vs. someone who looks mobile? Big difference, right? Imagine feeling more pliable! I'm all for feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I think it has a youth effect on the mind and body as well. 

What about the difference between flexibility and mobility? 

Flexibility and stretching involve lengthening your muscles, while mobility takes it one step further. Mobility training optimizes movement and performance by increasing the range of motion within your joints and surrounding muscles. It's being able to maintain strength throughout ranges of motion.

When you’re more mobile, you can train harder, recover faster, and perform better. 

I pick a few mobility exercises as part of my warmup and cooldown. There are a couple of days a week that I do strict mobility work with added weight. These are no joke. I have gotten pretty sore from these workouts, and they have made a big difference in the way I feel. I mean, I'm not getting any younger! Youth is forgiving, aging is not, so I am fighting it every step of the way. 

Here are some examples of weighted mobility. If you are to attempt these, please remember to go light, take it slow, do NOT go beyond your own range of motion - that will improve with time. (Please make sure you have medical clearance too; actually you should have medical clearance for anything I recommend on this page or that you read online for that matter). This is also a type of strength training so be mindful of how you perform each movement. 

Jefferson curl
Posterior chain mobility (on an elevate surface, slowly rolling up and down in a controlled manner, chin tucked, legs straight, going as far down past your toes or as far as you are able. do 5-10 reps.)

Seated barbell good morning
Hips/glutes, low back and hamstrings (with a barbell on your back, or use a broomstick or a PVC pipe to start, sit on a bench, legs wider than hip width, toes pointing slightly outwards, lean as far forward as you can with open shoulders and a long, FLAT back. Do not round! Do 5-10 reps, 1-2 sets)

Torso rotations with a medicine ball 

Core and back (lean forward, right, back, left, making a circle, and repeat in the other direction too. Do 10 circles in each direction)

Weighted overhead stretch

Shoulders and chest (laying on the ground with knees bent, a foam roller under your mid back, extend both arms holding a light weight in each hand or with a mini barbell. I would not use a loaded barbell here. Bring the weight as back as far as you can, while maintaining contact with the foam roller. Hold for 10-30 seconds, 3x)

Weighted prying squat
Hips, ankles (holding the bottom of the squat with a light weight, shift your weight back and forth, left and right, keeping your heels on the ground. Use your elbows to push your knees open. If you cannot go low enough for this, use something to elevate your heels. Hold 30-60 seconds, 2x)

Weighted ankle stretch
Ankles, Achilles (elevate on foot a few inches off the ground, using plates, or books, etc. Press your knee out as far past your toes as you can without your heel coming off the ground. Add a weight on top of your thigh close to your knee to add weight to the stretch. hold for one minute each side)

Give these a try and let me know how you make out. Remember, start light, don't start with too many reps or sets, and stay in your range of motion!

Your body will thank you for it, and your workouts will only get better. 

The Must Haves for Home Gyms

 What are your must haves for your home gym? 

I'm lucky enough to work at a gym and get a free membership, but I prefer to workout at home these days. I like to workout first thing in the morning and it saves me time and I get more sleep (AND I NEED SLEEP) if I workout at home. 

I've been working out for more than half my life, so I have accumulated a decent amount of equipment over the years. Some of it I have bought outright - a barbell, a squat rack and Kettlebells, but much of it I have gotten from craigslist, Facebook marketplace, closing gyms, and even older equipment that gyms were no longer using.   

If you are thinking of working out from home you can certainly always use your own bodyweight and do not necessarily need equipment. If this is the route you wish to take, I would recommend a pull-up bar of some sort. You can use it for pull-ups (yes assisted ones too), dead hangs, knee and leg raises and you can attach resistance bands to it for a whole host of other exercises.

My pull-up bar is the one piece of equipment I couldn't live without. I have a squat rack with a pull-up bar attached, but there are dozens of variations of pull-up bars that you can choose from that will fit in your unique living space. 

Amazon.com : pull up bar

You CAN simply use your own bodyweight for things like pull-ups, push-ups, handstand push-ups, walking lunges, curtsy lunges, pistols, wall sits, single leg deadlifts, bulgarian split squats, cossack squats, v-ups, planks, etc, etc, 

At some point you may feel the need to add resistance, but perhaps you do not have the money or the space. Resistance bands are a great addition to any home gym. I use mine for everything: bicep curls, triceps pressdowns, lateral and front raises, band pull aparts, face pulls, chest presses, good mornings, pallof presses, banded glute walks, hip thrusts, and glute bridges to name just a few exercises. 

Amazon.com: VEICK Resistance Bands, Pull Up Assistance Bands, Workout Exercise Bands, Long Resistance Bands Set for Men and Women, Elastic Bands for Stretch, Power Weighted Gyms at Home Fitness Equipment : Sports & Outdoors

You could also add a suspension trainer as they do not take up very much space and again add a whole host of other exercises you can do. I love them for hamstrings curls, assisted pistols, chest flies, inverted rows, plank to pike, and more. You can buy them for under $100 on places like Amazon and Overstock, or look around FB Marketplace for used ones. 

My next piece of equipment I can't live without would be Kettlebells. 3 of them - one heavy, one medium and one light bell. I find them more versatile than dumbbells and barbells, but that's a matter of preference. They're also reasonable priced and take up little space for you home gym. I love exercises such as the Turkish Get up, the Windmill, Halos, Swings, Farmer Walks, Reverse Grip Rows, all using a Kettlebell. 

Kettlebells can be bought a dozens of places, Amazon, Target, Walmart, and the like, or used ones can be purchased from Marketplace, but they can often be overpriced these days. You're better off getting new ones at the same price. 

Of course invest in a good mat - a NON-slip one, a not a $10 one at Marshalls that will send you slipping and sliding all over the place. Honestly, mats can be expensive AF, and there's no need to have to go that route, so be sure to check the reviews on your purchase. I find the reviews to be quite telling. And I would not recommend a used mat. A mat where someone else's feet have been all over it? Yikes. No thanks. 

A bench might be something you want to invest in as well. You can use a box as a bench, or use a coffee table, or you can do floor presses if you are limited on equipment and space.  I have a bench that I use for pressing, seated good mornings, rows, decline sit ups, and step ups. A good option to have, but not necessary. Again, you can use what you have around the house to make do for any of the forementioned exercises. A little creativity can go a long way. 

Four Weeks of Workouts For You

How would you like a month's worth of workouts outlined for you? Then keep on reading! Sometimes it is nice to have the workouts outlined for you instead of having to think them all up yourself. Following a program can often mean better results than doing varied workouts. Stick to the basics and try and get stronger each and every week. That can meet more weight, less rest, more reps, more range of motion, or better form. 

These are 3 full body workouts. Rest one day in between.  I highly recommend doing 3 days of mobility work as well anywhere from 20-60 minutes. Why mobility? It becomes far more important as we age. Who wants to be stiff and prone to injury? Mobility helps prevent injury as well as helping to improve your ability to strength train. Joints that can train in full range of motion are healthy joints and can often lift more weight and are less prone to injury.

Check out the Bodyweight Warrior as he has some great mobility content, much of it free on YouTube.

Try to get 8-10K steps a day. Why walk daily? Not only for its quality of life attributes, (meditative, getting you outside in nature, vitamin D exposure, longevity, heart health, lowers blood pressure and more) it helps you to continue to move throughout the day and therefore adding to overall calorie burn. It is considered NEAT or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It is part of all movement outside of exercise. 

So a week could look like this: 

Sunday, full rest day 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, weight training days

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, mobility days 

Obviously adjust to your schedule. 

These 4 weeks are focused on building strength. Make sure the weight is heavy enough for the reps listed. It should be HARD, but not feel like your eyeballs are going to pop out of your head. (Stick around after 4 weeks and we will work on hypertrophy and muscle pumping workouts). Each workout will include upper and lower body, core work, and a little bit of cardio. I recommend a 10 minute warm up and a 10 minute cool down. (See below for details on that). **

If you are unfamiliar with any of the exercises below check out www.muscleandstrength.com OR www.bodybuilding.com

All of these workouts can be done at the gym or at home, depending on the equipment you have. 

Rest 90-120 seconds between exercises/sets. Give yourself enough rest to make this strength work. This is not a circuit, cardio workout! Try and get stronger at each lift over the course of the 4 weeks. Progressive overload is KEY to changing your body! 

Day 1: 

Back Squats (if you do not have a squat rack at home, you may do front loaded or goblet)

4 sets at 6 reps 
Lunges 2 sets at 6 reps each side
Pull-ups (assisted or lat pull downs) 2 sets of 6 reps 
Bicep hammer curls 2 sets of 8 reps 
Lat raises 2 sets of 8 reps 
Push-ups 2 sets of 8 reps, if this is easy, go SLOW or add weight, if this is hard, elevate your arms onto a box, table, etc. 
Triceps ovehead extension 2 sets of 6 reps 
Pallof press, using a band, 2 sets of 12 reps each side 
Kettlebell Swing TABATA cash out for cardio.

Day 2: 

Deadlifts 4 sets of 6 reps
Bulgarian split squats 2 sets of 8 reps each side
Chest press 3 sets of 6 reps
Rear fly 2 sets of 8 reps
Single Arm Rows 2 sets of 6 reps each side
Decline sit ups 3 sets of 12 reps (add weight if necessary, slow and controlled)
Box jumps EMOM cash out cardio 40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest, repeat for 8 minutes. Use an 18-24" box.

Day 2: 

Hip thrusts 3 sets of 6 reps, hold the last rep for 10 seconds
Cossack squats 2 sets of 6 reps, use assistance if needed 
Oh press 3 sets of 6 reps

Incline press 2 sets of 6 reps 
Alternating Bicep curls 2 sets of 6 reps, each side
Triceps pressdowns  2 sets of 6 reps, hold last rep for 10 seconds

Renegade rows 2 sets of 6 reps
Wood Chops 2 sets of 12 reps each side 
Jump rope or double under practice, 5 minutes cardio cash out

** Warm up and cool down recommendations:

Warm up 10 minutes:
World's greatest stretch
Cat cow
Kang squat
Side to side lunges
Jumping jacks

1 min each 2x through

Cool down yoga stretches:

Down dog
Rag doll
Hip flexor stretch
Pigeon
Child’s pose
Forward fold (standing and seated)

30 - 60 seconds each and on each side when applicable. 

ENJOY! Go kill it. Let me know if you have any questions.