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Post Winter Workouts - Get Back Into Shape

It is always a good thing to change up your workout and when better than the New Year? A nice fresh training program can not only get you excited about working out again but also get the muscle to wake up and give you some results! Stimulating the muscles with sharp workout changes will always ensure a step up to a higher level of results.

This is one of those great transitional workouts which will balance your physique but shock your body into more of the results you are seeking as you move on from this workout to the next change in plans. Of course this is for the intermediate to advanced but a beginner you can try it out with less reps, less intensity and modified as needed. Try it for a week or 2. It pushes the cardio limit which is good for cardio queens to give them a change but also good for muscle builders who often neglect high reps.

This can be repeated every few months in between program changes to help shock more results out of your body.

Day 1 will be 20 mins of stadium stairs, moderate pace and as non stop as possible. End the session with 100 crunches and 30 pushups.

Day 2 will be suicides. Done in 2 minute intervals with 1 min rest in between for a total of 25 mins. End the sessions with 200 crunches and 60 pushups.

Pushups can be done on the knees at any point during your reps. If easy, add weight to your back.

Crunches can be done on floor or ball, and if easy add weight to your chest.

Day 3 is sprints done for 30 seconds on manual 0 incline from 8-10mph with 2 min intervals in between at walking pace.

Perform a light set of 40 reps on each of these machines at the gym, non stop with stretching at the very end: Leg Press, Chest Press, Leg Curl, Lat Pull, Calve press, Shoulder Press.

Day 4 is off.

Day 5 Circuit these by doing them each back to back: 1 min jumping jacks, 1 min crunches, 1 minute pushups, 1 minute spot jogging, 1 minute good mornings, 1 minute calve raises. Stretch for 5 mins and repeat 2-3 times total.

Day 6 is plyometrics. 10 reps of each of these. Do a set. Catch your breath and stretch then do the next. Squat leaps, burpees, tuck leaps, drop jumps and single leg bounding on the spot.

Day 7 is off.

For the stretching you want to make sure to hit the muscles worked especially but also try to keep the stretching for the whole body a daily thing so hit the other areas later in the day if you do not do so after your workout. Attention to hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, shoulders, chest, lats, biceps and triceps. If you hit your abs very hard then also consider stretching them as well as lower back.

By Linda Cusmano