Are your abs ready for summer yet? Hmm, maybe not as much as you’d like? I’m in the same boat. Unlike last year, this year poses some challenges as getting into beach-body shape takes quite a bit of commitment.  Today, I reveal to you my muscle maintenance routine and a secret tweak to my weekly workout schedule that will burn that fat, baby.

Last year, I did the Spartacus workout. The Spartacus workout was released in Men’s Health magazine and is a cardio intensive, resistance training routine. Then they released the Spartacus 2.0 workout. I did both.  I really enjoyed it too as they were intense and required minimal equipment. You can check out my results from that journey here.

This year, however, my workout routine has been split up into 3 separate days, with 3 very different workouts. I go into more detail in my previous post. Essentially, I have 3 workout days – weight training day, boxing training day and a power training day.  I posted my power training workout here.

Today, I reveal my routine for my weight training day.  I only do this one once a week, and I would say it’s not for beginners.  Because it hits the entire body, it’s also a fairly long session (for me, at least), about an hour and 15 minutes.  The exercises are done in supersets, which helps keep the intensity high. For example, you do exercise A1 and A2 (without rest in between) – that’s one set - rest for 1 minute, and do A1/A2 again – that’s the second set - rest for 1 minute, and so on.

I would do about 6 sets of 6-10 reps, 1-2 minute rests between sets, and on the 6th set, I’ll do a drop set of a different exercise that hits the same body part. (a drop set is where you hammer out reps with a weight, then immediately, hammer out another set of reps using lighter weight, then immediately hammer out another set of reps with even lighter weights – there is no rest as you transition to the lighter weight).

A1: Dumbbell chest fly – drop set on last set: elevated pushups/regular pushups

A2: Wide grip dumbbell row – drop set on last set: lat pull down

B1: Dumbbell shoulder press– drop set on last set: side lat raise

B2: Dumbbell Bulgarian squat– drop set on last set: reverse fly

C1: Deadlift – drop set on last set: body weight deep squat to failure

D1: Bicep curls – drop set on last set: hammer curls

D2: Skull crushers – drop set on last set: tricep extensions

For D1 and D2, I only do four sets of these.

As you may notice, this program is tailored to my own body. Some may like to substitute the chest fly with bench press. I’ve chosen to focus more on the chest fly as I feel that’s what I need to improve on that. I didn’t include too many leg exercises as my thighs are quite big already (plus I do more leg stuff on my other days as well).

As for a secret twist to turbocharge results  -  I’ve “sprinkled” in 10 minutes of kettlebell swings 3 days of the week (on my off days). 10 minutes isn’t much in terms of investment, but it’ll add up to results by the end of the week and I’m also watching my diet more closely. People, it’s all about diet!  With the summer weather arriving, incorporating more outdoor activities like walking outside or just hanging out with friends at the park, tossing the football around, will also help. (Thanking good friend and personal trainer, Steve McMinn for this tip.)

The workout plan may not appear to be that difficult, but I will tell you that I work up quite a good sweat.   For some, once a week may not seem like enough, but remember that this program is meant to maintain muscle while you shed fat to reveal the abs and has a body-building element to it, yet is not recommended for beginners due to the high volume of reps.  Enjoy and happy training!

 

For many vacationers, time spent traveling is a time for getting as much time to relax as possible. For anyone who has put significant effort into losing weight and improving health, maintaining fitness levels while traveling is vital. Remaining fit and healthy while traveling takes just a little planning and dedication.

New Trends in Fitness

Modern dieters have access to all kinds of technology to help design and execute fitness plans, and a smart phone or access to the internet will offer essential tools for finding ways to exercise during vacation.

From apps specifically designed to guide exercise programs to programs that help exercisers find places to run, walk, and work out, the internet is an invaluable resource while traveling. Downloading a new fitness app geared toward the traveling exerciser is an excellent pre-departure project.

Healthy Hotel Options

Today's hotels aren't simply bastions of delicious room service and luxurious pampering. Many modern hotels offer extensive gym facilities, and some locations have even included fitness classes like spinning and yoga into their location's exercise options.

Inquiring about the facilities that might be available at a hotel before booking may guide the decision a person makes on where to stay. If a hotel with exercise facilities on the premises is not convenient, inquiring with the front desk about local gyms is as easy as making a phone call. Usually prior to booking a trip I like to do my due diligence before hand to make sure my place of stay has everything that I will need while on my trip.  On a recent trip to San Francisco, I searched many travel review sites in order to find the hotel that would best fit my overall needs.  I was given a list of all the hotels in the San Francisco area and was able to easily sift through each specific hotel and read up on some of the reviews that past guests had written.  With a little research I was able to score a great hotel that fit all my travel needs including fitness.

Tip: Most gyms today offer temporary or guest memberships that last a few days and are perfect for travelers.

Exercise Potential on the Road

Hotels and local gyms aren't the only locations that offer the traveler some exercise options. Even some airports are getting in on the action with the San Francisco International Airport introducing a yoga room for travelers and the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport building a 1.4 mile walking path inside Terminal 1-Lindbergh. It's easy to exercise just about anywhere as long as a few hours exist before traveling commences.

Packing for Fitness

Whether traveling for business or for pleasure, finding places to exercise or engage in various fitness classes will require some equipment. Depending on the types of activities planned, a traveler should pack a few relevant items. The Mayo Clinic offers business travelers some fantastic suggestions on what to bring when traveling with exercise on the mind.

Keeping fit while traveling doesn't require particularly complex preparation and with just a little effort, anyone can keep in shape while on the road, in the air or staying at a hotel.