Four Weeks To Fit Again: Weeks 3-4

Overview

• Increase the amount of weight for both your upper- and lower-body circuits, and go heavier and use lower reps with each circuit.
• After your body has acclimatized to faster-paced workouts, you'll start plyometrics - exercises that are quick, powerful movements that help the muscles store energy for more explosive training.
• Plyos give you a total cardio workout, so you won't have to hit the treadmill afterward unless you feel you need to.
• To keep your heart rate up and calories burning during the workout, you'll perform five minutes of cardio between each circuit on the treadmill, StepMill, or elliptical at 70-75% of your MHR.
• Make sure to warm up for a minimum of five minutes on the treadmill, StepMill, or elliptical before beginning your first circuit.
• Perform 45-60 minutes of cardio on a treadmill, StepMill, or elliptical on your cardio days at 75% of your MHR.

• Lying face down on a Swiss ball, place your hands on the floor in front of you.

• Walk your hands forward, rolling the ball underneath you until you're balanced with the ball under your shins and ankles.

• Keep your legs together, arms extended with fingertips facing forward and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.

• Contract your abs, drawing your tailbone down so your body forms a straight line from head to heels in plank position.

• Maintain plank and bend your elbows, lowering your chest toward the floor until elbows are in line with shoulders; keep your wrists aligned under your elbows with forearms parallel to each other.

• Press back up to starting position and repeat.

• Take an overhand grip on a pull-up machine.

• Fully extend your arms and relax your shoulders to stretch your lats.

• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, arch your back, focus on your lats, and pull your body up, aiming your chest toward the bar.

• Pull yourself up until your chin is level with or slightly above the bar.

• Hold the top position momentarily, then lower your body under control back to the starting position.
• Repeat for reps.

• Stand 8-10 feet in front of a concrete wall with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and grasp a medicine ball.

• Hold the ball with your palms facing each other and lift it above your head with arms extended.

• Bend your knees slightly as you lean back until you feel a slight stretch in your abs.

• Flex forward and throw the ball as hard as possible against the wall.

• Catch the ball on the return and repeat for reps.

• Hold a rope attached to a low-pulley cable.

• Squat until your hips and knees form 90-degree angles.

• Shift your body weight back over your heels and push to stand back up.

• Pause, then pull the cable toward your ribs, keeping elbows tight to your sides.

• Squat back down and let your arms go straight as you drop down.

• Lie facedown on a flat bench, arms extended forward in a Y position, palms facing the floor.

• Lower arms into a T position, then bend at the elbows and draw upper arms down 45 degrees to the torso forming a W.

• Keeping upper arms at sides and palms facing the floor, lower forearms to form an L (not shown), then push arms back to start position and repeat.

• Stand in front of a bench (or box).

• Sit back into squat position, arms at your sides.

• Straighten your legs and jump up onto the top of the bench, landing softly and evenly on both feet.

• Jump back down and repeat.

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and stand behind the center of a weight bench.

• Hold your arms straight down at your sides with your palms facing inward; keep your shoulders relaxed, back, and down.

• Place your right foot firmly on top of the bench so that your right knee is bent and aligned directly over your ankle.

• Slightly bend your left knee and push off the floor to lift yourself upward.

• Pause briefly at the top and then step your left leg back down to the start.

• Complete reps with the right leg and then switch legs and repeat.

• Stand erect two to three feet in front of a bench with the bar resting across your upper back and feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward.

• Extend your left leg back, placing the top of your foot on the bench while keeping your right foot firmly planted on the floor.

• With your back flat, squat down until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.

• Press up through your heel, shifting your hips forward and squeezing your glutes to return to standing.

• Switch legs and repeat.

• Lie faceup on the floor, arms out at your sides, knees bent 90 degrees with an exercise ball under your feet.

• Dig into the ball with your heels to lift your hips as high as possible.

• Pause for a moment, then lower to just before your glutes touch the floor and repeat.

• Extend your hands in front of your body, thumbs on top pointing straight ahead.

• Push through your calves and jump straight up, keeping your upper arms close to your sides.

• Continue making small jumps repeatedly (about three inches high).

Phase Two: Weeks 3-4

• In this phase, again, you'll eat between 1,400-1,500 calories per day. However, your macronutrient intake will change.
• Because high-intensity training tears down muscle fibers at a rapid rate, you'll consume a combination of higher protein and healthy fats.
• Carb intake is low to help keep your metabolism humming along. Carbs are still consumed early in the day, but they taper off as insulin sensitivity increases.