Basic Fat Loss Workout Template

This is a template for a basic fat loss workout – it walks you through a warm up, a full body strength and conditioning workout, a flexibility and mobility portion, and even exactly what to do for your cardio training.

Basic Strength Training Template

Warm Up – Choose 3 body weight exercises, do two sets of ten each:

• Body Weight Squats
• Run In Place
• Lunges
• Push Ups
• Jumping Jacks
• Planks

Combo 1 – Upper/Lower – Pick one upper body exercise from list and one lower body exercise from list. Alternate between exercises – rest 30 seconds between exercises and 60 seconds between combos.

Lower Body Two Leg Exercise

• Squat
• Deadlift

Upper Body Push

• Push Up or Push Up variation
• Dumbbell/Barbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell/Barbell Overhead Press

Combo 2 – Upper/Lower – Pick one upper body exercise from list and one lower body exercise from list. Alternate between exercises – rest 30 seconds between exercises and 60 seconds between combos.

Lower Body Single Leg Exercise

• Step Up
• Split Squat/ Lunge

Upper Body Pull

• Pull Up or Body Row
• Seated Row Machine
• Lat Pull Down

Combo 3 – Arms – Pick one bicep exercise and one tricep exercise from list. Alternate between exercises – rest 30 seconds between exercises and 60 seconds between combos.

Biceps

• Dumbbell curls
• Barbell curls

Triceps

• Lying barbell tricep extension
• Standing rope pushdown

Abs – Pick one exercise. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

• Planks
• Sit Ups
• Crunches

Stretch – Pick three static stretches for tight muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

Sets and Reps

Simply alternate the sets and reps each workout – do 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps of each exercise in one workout, do 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps of each exercise the next, and alternate between these protocols.

Cardio Programming

You’ll do a mix of both steady-state and interval cardio. One workout, you’ll do 30 minutes of cardio at your estimated target heart rate – 220 – your age x.65 -.80. Make sure to change up the types of cardio you focus on. The next workout, you’ll simply warm up for five minutes, then go hard for one song, go easy for the next, and continue with this pattern for 30 minutes. This is a basic interval workout. Do this routine 3-5 times per week.

Now you have a complete, done-for-you template in place for your basic fat loss and lean muscle gain needs. Try this workout from start to finish today to get going and get organized with your exercise plan!

P.S. If you have questions about how to perform any of the exercises in this article, head over to my main Sacramento personal training website at http://www.forestvancetraining.com. You’ll find all kinds of exercise and diet tips, too, and you can download a free copy of my 7 day rapid fat loss blueprint!

The Best Warm Up Exercises Before Workout

Are you still doing the classic ‘take a lap and stretch’ warm-up before your training sessions?

If so, a change in your warm-up strategy could mean big improvements in your training progress.

We now know that there are much more effective ways to warm up; a ‘dynamic warm-up’ or ‘movement prep session’ are among the best ways to get yourself ready for a workout.

Here are the best warm-up exercises before workout

1. Pick a few bodyweight moves that hit all the main muscle groups in the body

You would ideally want to choose a lower body movement, a ‘core-focused’ movement, an upper body push, and an upper body pull. Here’s a short list of exercises to choose from:

Lower body

bodyweight squats

lunges

step ups

‘Core focused’

plank

side plank

bird-dog

Upper body push

push-up

mountain climber

Upper body pull

inverted row

cobra

2. Combine these exercises into a circuit and perform 8 to 10 reps, two sets each

Keep the circuit at a low to medium intensity – we’re just trying to get warmed up and get ourselves ready for the workout to come, not trying wear to ourselves out.

The only reason you would include static stretching in your warm-up is if you have specific problem areas that you need to address. For example, if you have very tight hip flexors, foam rolling and/or static stretching them for the workout would be helpful to improve quality of movement. If tight hamstrings are negatively affecting your squats, stretch ‘em out before your start! That being said, you want to save the majority of static stretching for after you’re done with your work out.

An analogy I’ve heard that I really like is this: If you went to the doctor 20 years ago and you were prescribed a medication, it would’ve worked fine – but, today, you could likely get a medication or remedy that was more effective. In the same way, workout methods people used 20 years ago do still work; we just have better and smarter ways to do things today. And a dynamic warm-up/movement prep session is a better and smarter way to structure your warm up exercises before your workout than light cardio and static stretching.

So there you have a simple way to structure your warm-up exercises before workout. Use this method to best prepare yourself for your workouts and enjoy increased results today!

P.S. For a free copy of my seven day quick start workout plan, in addition tons more articles and videos with bodyweight training tips like the one you just read about, head over to my bodyweight strength training blog at http://bodyweightstrengthtraining.com

Body Weight Strength Training: Top Moves For Size And Strength

I know that back when I played competitive sports and wasn’t yet a fitness professional, I always thought of bodyweight training as conditioning – and never something you could use to actually build size and strength.

When I started my personal training career and learned more about the science of program design, I realized that I was quite wrong!

Body weight strength training can be used to get stronger and build mass; however, you do need to use advanced and difficult moves to get the best results.

Here are three of the best bodyweight exercises for size and strength

The One Arm Push Up

This advanced push-up variation is great for building upper body strength, stability in the shoulders, and a rock-solid core.

Place one arm behind your back and lower yourself to the floor with the other arm. Abs should be braced hard and your feet should be in a wide stance for added stability. Touch your chest to the floor and press yourself back up.

The Door Pull Up

Open a door halfway and place a towel over the top. Place your hands on the towel and let yourself hang off the door.

Pull yourself up by leveraging your body weight against the door until your chin is over the top. Your elbows will be pressing against the door throughout the drill. Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position and repeat for reps.

The Pistol Squat

Start the pistol standing on one leg. Dropping your hips back behind you, squat down to a full squat position and stand back up using the same leg.

(The pistol squat is a very tricky exercise to master; make sure you practice your form and get it down cold before you incorporate it into your regular program).

Body weight strength training can indeed be used to build size and strength. This article outlines three of the best; add them into routine today for improved results!