You may think you're in shape, may think you've taken your body and mind to the edge of it's acceptable limits, and maybe you've pushed a little past it. Like most of us, you probably did it in an air-conditioned weight room not far from the metroplex, or the movie theater downtown.

Amanda Ennett achieved her best body in a makeshift weight room with a dirt floor, a proud woman in a room filled with fellow Marines. What better motivation could a person want? She was surrounded by the fighting service members of American muscle, the nail driven by the great military hammer.



In that room, lifting light wasn't an option.

"I like to lift heavy and get in, get out," Ennett said. "I don't like to spend a lot of time twiddling around. I hate when people chit-chat in the gym, because I just want to get to work. I like to go in there, put my headphones on, zone out and just think about my body."

Amanda, a recently-discharged Sergeant, is back in the United States and pushing toward a future in the gym and on the stage. Amanda lifts 5 days per week but takes her weekends off. She likes to do legs on Monday, when she is most fresh from her weekend sabbaticals.

She flings herself into a maelstrom week, a wind-rushed jaunt from school to weight room, home to park, caring for her kids, her husband and herself. She hits back on Tuesdays because she's still fresh.

Arms come on Wednesday because she can handle the workout without a day's rest. Thursday, it's legs again, because Marines gotta march. Her chest workout on Friday is more about pull movements and push-ups/burpees.

For weekend rest, she doesn't even consider the gym: no running, no lifting. She does weekly chores at home, then takes her children out to play.

Amanda's Training Philosophy

Surprisingly, my training philosophy doesn't vary as much as my food choices do! I love lifting heavy; this will probably never change. I love building muscle.



Therefore, I stay either with 8-10 reps or pyramids of 10-8-6, increasing the load. Currently I train at my university gym between classes. This affords me only 55 minutes, so I go hard and intense, constantly revolving between muscle groups or doing abs or plyometric drills between lifts. When I am unable to attend a gym session, I do an Insanity workout at home after dinner.

Daily, I like to live active with my two kids and husband. On the weekends, or days off from class, I like to put my 20-pound baby in a pack and hike the beach or in the forest. We also go to the park where the kids can play and I can run stairs up the big hillside.

Also, you'd be surprised at how many calories you can burn by spending a day at the zoo or in a museum!

Amanda's Training Regimen

Day 1: Legs
1
Barbell Squat
4 sets, 8-10 reps (below parallel)
+ 8 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Day 2: Biceps/Triceps
1
Superset
Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl
4 sets, 10 reps
+ 5 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Day 3: Shoulders/Core
1
Barbell Shoulder Press
3 sets, 12, 10, 8 reps
+ 6 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Day 4: Legs
1
Barbell back squat
3 sets, 10 reps
+ 7 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Day 5: Back/Chest/Core
1
Lat pull-down
3 sets, 10 reps
+ 9 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Days 6 and 7: Active Rest Days

[ Amanda Ennett's Fitness Programs ]

About the Author

Dustin Lapray

Dustin Lapray

Dustin Lapray is a writer, journalist, and editor living in Boise, Idaho.

View all articles by this author