Fierce Workout: Cry on My Shoulder

Warm weather is right around the corner and that means sleeveless shirts and exposed shoulders and arms. Who wouldn’t want to have some nice, sexy definition? This weeks no gym required workout is all about shoulders. All you will need is a set of tension (resistance) bands.

The How To:

Tension (resistance) Band Shoulder Press:

Stand on the tension band with one of your feet until you feel appropriate (challenging) tension with your hands over your shoulders and  elbows bent. Holding the tension band handles, palms out, push the handles up until your arms are almost fully extended (keep your elbow soft), then bring your hands slowly to the starting position.

Tension (resistance) Band Internal Shoulder Rotation:

Wrap the tension band around a post, tree, bedpost, or anything else that is sturdy and will hold tension well at about your waist level. With the tension band at your side, grab the handle with the hand closest to the band. Keep your upper arm pressed tightly against your body with the elbow bent at a 90 degree angle. Pull the handle in towards your abdomen and slowly return it back to the starting position. Make sure that you are using appropriate tension for this exercise.

Tension (resistance) Band External Shoulder Rotation:

Wrap the tension band around a post, tree, bedpost, or anything else that is sturdy and will hold tension well at about your waist level. With the tension band at your side, grab the handle with the hand furthest away from the band. Keep your upper arm pressed tightly against your body with the elbow bent at a 90 degree angle. Pull the handle out across your body away from your abdomen and slowly return it back to the starting position. Make sure that you are using appropriate tension for this exercise.

Tension (resistance) Band Front Deltoid Raise:

Wrap the tension (resistance) band around a post, tree, bedpost, or anything else that is sturdy and will hold tension well. Hold the tension band handels with your arms in front of you, palms facing down. Pull the tension band up until your arms are parallel to the floor, then slowly return to the starting position. Remember to maintain appropriate, challenging tension on your resistance bands!

Tension (resistance) Band Lateral Deltoid Raise:

Stand on the tension band with your legs apart until you feel appropriate (challenging) tension with your arms straight down. Holding the tension band handles with your arms on either side of your body, palms in, pull the handles out and up until your arms are parallel to the floor. Slowly return to the starting position.

I’d love to her what you thought about this workout in the comments below or on our Facebook!

 

 

Fierce Workout: Fierce Fit

This week is all about endurance and seeing what you are made of.  Do this workout as fast as possible, with proper form for 30 minutes. Make sure that you are keeping track of how many rounds you have completed, write the number down. I do this workout at least once a month to see if I can beat my score every time. Enjoy!

Fierce Workout: Tabata Body

Lately I have been under a bit of stress. I wanted to do something fun, easy to keep track of, and physically challenging so I can take my mind of off the things that have been happening in my life lately. A friend has suggested I try to do some tabata workouts to switch up my routine and get the optimal calorie burn.

So what is a tabata workout, you will ask? Well, to put it simply: tabata training is a high intensity interval training routine created by Dr. Izumi Tabata and his colleagues to study the effects of HIIT vs. moderate intensity training. The results of the study clearly showed that athletes who engaged in HIIT training showed significant aerobic and anaerobic system improvements over those that participated in the moderate intensity training.

Below is a tabata workout during which you will work at  100% exertion level for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. Enjoy and let me know how it went!

Fierce Workout: 300

On December 17th of 2013 I decided that I am going to take the Spartan challenge and do the 17 workouts that the actors did to prepare for the movie 300. Below is the assessment workout that I did at the beginning and at the end of the 17 workout period (a little over a month).

I have to say, this is not for the weak or those that are just starting their training, but if you have been at it for a while, it is a good way to test your strength and endurance. At the end of the challenge I completed this workout 20 minutes (!!!!) fast then the initial. Can you believe it? I couldn’t!

Another worthy point to mention is that before I embarked on this journey of becoming a Spartan, I was deathly afraid of box jumping and bear crawls. I just never thought of myself as the kind of person that was coordinated enough to do these exercises and escape in one piece. Now, I deliberately seek out boxes to jump on and bare crawl whenever the opportunity presents itself.

But enough about me! Let’s get back to this workout! Complete the following exercises in as little time as possible. Don’t stop, keep pushing! Log your time and share it below!

Fierce Workout: The Extinction

This is another AMRAP workout that is guaranteed to get your heart rate up and burn a bunch of calories. Although this is not one of the “no special equipment required” workouts, you can still use some of the household objects to get this one done. For example, if you do not have access to a kettle bell a gallon jug filled with water can be great substitute. You can use a park bench or a high curb to do your box jumps. Sometimes improvising is what keeps the workout fun and fresh. 🙂  Remember to use good form on your kettle bell swings!

Fierce Workout: Sweating Bullets

This another Holiday travel friendly workout of the week. This week we will be using tension bands. You should be able to complete this workout in 30 minutes.

The How To:

Tension Band Squats:

Stand on the tension band with your hands by your shoulders in the squat position. Pretend that you are holding a barbell on your shoulders and you are about to do barbell squats. Your tension band should be appropriately tense. Now, stand up with your hands by your shoulders as you would while performing a barbell squat.

Tension Band Curls:

Stand on the tension band with your legs apart until you feel appropriate (challenging) tension with your arms straight down. Holding the tension band handles, palms out, curl up as you would with a dumbbell curl.

Tension Band Sit-ups:

Wrap the tension band around a post, tree, bedpost, or anything else that is sturdy and will hold tension well. Position yourself on the floor / ground facing away from the post. Holding your hands by your head with an appropriate (challenging) amount of tension on the band, perform sit-ups.

Try to rest only after you have completed a circuit. Push hard, dig deep, and remember it is a short workout designed to burn a lot of calories. After you finish, make sure that you stretch, use a roller if one is available, and drink lots of water. Have fun and let me know what you think!

Fierce Workout: Torch the Turkey

I’d like to invite you to take a moment and think about all of the things that you are grateful for today. Think about how far along you have come, how much progress you have made. Be thankful for your body, your strength, your determination. Celebrate your commitment and your success in spite of the busy schedule, family obligation, stress at work, and millions of other things that get in the way.

Now that you have thought about how awesome you are, it is time to proactively burn off that Thanksgiving meal you are going to consume in a few hours.

Here’s the deal: this is short and sweet and to the point HIIT workout. After you do your warm up, do each of the following exercises for 50 seconds without rest between sets, then rest 20 seconds and do the circuit again for 40 seconds, then rest 20 seconds, etc. until you get to 10 seconds. Your workout should look something like this:

EXAMPLE:
50 seconds Push-ups
50 seconds High Knees
50 seconds Burpees
50 seconds Jumping Jacks

Rest 20 Seconds

40 seconds Push-ups
40 seconds High Knees
ETC.

Do not stop between sets, push hard and dig deep. It will be hard, but you can do it!

After you finish your last circuit, stretch, hydrate, and go eat lots of turkey (white meat, of course).

Quick Warm-up: 10 Toy Soldiers, 10 Knee to Elbow, 10 Toe Touch Kick and Squat, 20 Line Jumps

 

Fierce Workout: Fit in 400

Chances are you are going to be away from your gym / workout equipment this Holiday season due to travel and family obligations. Does your workout have to suffer because that? No! This week, I have devised a fun, fast paced way for you to burn off the Holiday treats at the track.

Fierce Workout: (Abs)olutely Gorgeous

We have all heard the phrase “abs are made in the kitchen” and although I agree with this phrase 100%, I am also a firm believer in training my abs every once in a while. Below is a circuit that I usually pair with HIIT cardio session or a leg workout. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Fierce Workout: Step It Up

All of us, at one point or another, knew that we could use a little more speed, a touch more endurance, and a bit more mental strength to fight through those last miles, or even, those last few feet.

Recently, I remember crossing the finish line of a race so exhausted and drained that I honestly didn’t think that I would make it. Needless to say, I placed and PRed, but  reaching both of those goals simply means that now I have to beat them. This week I present to you a workout that is sure to help you step up your game just like it helps me to step up mine.

This one is all about endurance and mental strength. I usually do a short warmup, stretch, and begin this circuit with an easy, 1 mile run. During the workout, I do not stop. It burns, it hurts, but that just simply means that it is working! Remember, your brain will want to quit before your body. Train your mind to stay strong, fight the negative voice that says “can’t”! After the workout, I cool down with another 1 mile run and stretch.

If you are an advanced athlete and want to make this workout a bit harder, you can always raise the reps and add weight. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below!