The Summer-Ready Workout!

Spring Is Right Around The Corner Making This The Perfect Time To Whip Your Body Into Shape For A Season We Crave — Summer!

Let’s get started!

SUPERSET #1: Back and Chest — 3 Sets of 12–15 reps and perform 1 minute of cardio in between each set (Jogging, Jump rope, Jumping Jacks, Stationary Bike)

A: Bench Press with Dumbbells: Lie on your back on a bench. Grasp dumbbells with an overhand grip just wider than shoulder-width apart and hold it above your chest with your arms fully extended. This will be your starting position. Lower the dumbbells straight down in a controlled motion. Make sure you keep your elbows tucked in close to your body so your upper arms form a 45-degree angle to your body in the down position. Pause, and then press the dumbbells in a straight line back up to the starting position. Repeat.

          

B: Lat Pull-Down: At a lat pull-down station, grab the bar with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width. Your arms should be completely straight and your torso upright or a slight 110 degree angle. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, and bring the bar to your chest. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat.

     

C: Seated Cable Rows on Ball: Place the row attachment onto a cable machine. Adjust the right-side pulley to a middle position (while seated on a ball with arms extended, the pulley should be in line with your arms). Grip both handles, facing the weight stack, palms facing each other. Sit tall on a stability ball with abs engaged, feet flat on floor, hip-width apart, and knees above ankles. Extend arms in front of the body. Exhale and row the handles towards your ribs, pointing your elbows behind you, keeping your arms close to the sides of the body, and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Inhale and slowly return to the start position. Repeat.

     

SUPERSET #2: Biceps and Triceps — 3 Sets of 12–15 reps and perform 1 minute of cardio in between each set (Jogging, Jump rope, Jumping Jacks, Stationary Bike)

Set 1
A: Incline Dumbbell Curls on bench: Set up the bench for an incline at a 30–45 degree angle. Sit on the bench, pick up the dumbbells and lie back with your back flat on the padding. You should be holding the dumbbells with an underhand grip, palms facing up. This is the starting position for the exercise. Keeping your elbows fixed, slowly curl both the dumbbells up as far as possible. Squeeze the biceps, and then slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat.

     

B: Lying Tricep Extension with Dumbbells: Lie on a flat bench while holding two dumbbells directly in front of you. Your arms should be fully extended at a 90-degree angle from your torso and the floor. The palms should be facing in and the elbows should be tucked in. This is the starting position. As you breathe in and you keep the upper arms stationary with the elbows in, slowly lower the weight until the dumbbells are near your ears. At that point, while keeping the elbows in and the upper arms stationary, use the triceps to bring the weight back up to the starting position as you breathe out. Repeat.

     

Set 2: 
A: Hammer Curls with Dumbbells: Stand up with your torso upright and a dumbbell on each hand held at arms' length. The elbows should be close to the torso. Now, while holding your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the weight forward while contracting the biceps. Continue to raise the weight until the biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief moment as you squeeze the biceps. Tip: Focus on keeping the elbow stationary and only moving your forearm. After the brief pause, inhale and slowly begin the lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Repeat.

     

B: Cable Tricep Pushdown: Attach a straight or angled bar to a high pulley and grab with palms facing down at shoulder width.  Standing upright with the torso straight and a very small inclination forward, bring the upper arms close to your body and perpendicular to the floor. This is your starting position. Using the triceps, bring the bar down until it touches the front of your thighs and the arms are fully extended perpendicular to the floor. The upper arms should always remain stationary next to your torso and only the forearms should move. Exhale as you perform this movement. After a second hold at the contracted position, bring the bar slowly up to the starting point. Breathe in as you perform this step. Repeat.

     

SUPERSET#3: Quads and Calves — 3 Sets of 12–15 reps and perform 1 minute of cardio in between each set (Jogging, Jump rope, Jumping Jacks, Stationary Bike)

A: Leg Extensions: At a leg extension machine, choose your weight and sit on the machine with your legs under the pad (feet pointed forward) and the hands holding the side bars. This will be your starting position. Using your quadriceps, extend your legs to the maximum as you exhale. Ensure that the rest of the body remains stationary on the seat. Pause a second on the contracted position. Slowly lower the weight back to the original position as you inhale. Repeat

     

B: Standing Calf Raises with Dumbbells: Hold dumbbell in one hand to the side. Position your toes and balls of your feet on a calf block with arches and heels extending off. Place one hand on support for balance. Raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible. Lower your heels by bending your ankles until your calves stretch. Repeat.

     

C: Squats with Dumbbell: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the weights. Slowly squat down as if you were going to sit in a chair and then squeeze your glutes and stand up again. Keep your weight back over your heels. Don't let your knees pass in front of your toes.

     

SUPERSET#4: Shoulder: 3 Sets of 12–15 reps and perform 1 minute of cardio in between each set (Jogging, Jump rope, Jumping Jacks, Stationary Bike)

A: Dumbbell Shoulder Press: While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs. Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position. This is your starting position. Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top. Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling. Repeat.

     

B: Upright Dumbbell Row: Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with palms forward and a grip that's slightly less than shoulder-width. The dumbbells should be resting on top of your thighs. Your arms should be extended with a slight bend at the elbows and your back should be straight. This will be your starting position. Use your side shoulders to lift the dumbbells as you exhale. The dumbbells should be close to the body as you move it up and the elbows should drive the motion. Continue to lift them until they nearly touch your chin. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Repeat.

     

SUPERSET #5: Hamstrings and Glutes — 3 Sets of 12–15 reps and perform 1 minute of cardio in between each set (Jogging, Jump rope, Jumping Jacks, Stationary Bike)

A: One-Leg Cable Kickbacks: Hook a leather ankle cuff to a low cable pulley and then attach the cuff to your ankle. Face the weight stack from a distance of about two feet, grasping the steel frame for support. While keeping your knees and hips bent slightly and your abs tight, contract your glutes to slowly "kick" the working leg back in a semicircular arc as high as it will comfortably go as you breathe out. Now slowly bring your working leg forward, resisting the pull of the cable until you reach the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.

     

B: Single-Leg Glute Bridges (perform until failure): Lie on the floor with your feet flat on the edge of a bench and knees bent.  Raise one leg off of the bench. This will be your starting position. Execute the movement by driving through the heel, extending your hip upward and raising your glutes off of the ground. Extend as far as possible, pause, and then return to the starting position. Repeat with your other leg.

     

Abs routine for non–weight training days:

Ball Crunches — 50 reps: Lie on an exercise ball with your lower back pressed against the spherical surface of the ball. Your feet should be bent at the knee and pressed firmly against the floor. The upper torso should be hanging off the top of the ball. The arms should be crossed on top of your chest, as these positions avoid neck strain. Lower your torso into a stretch position, keeping the neck stationary at all times. This will be your starting position. With the hips stationary, flex the waist by contracting the abs and curl the shoulders and trunk upward until you feel a nice contraction on your abdominals. The lower back should always stay in contact with the ball. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second. As you inhale, go back to the starting position. Repeat.

     

Russian Twists — 50 reps: Lie down on the floor, placing your feet flat on the floor. Your legs should be bent at the knees. Elevate your upper body so that it creates an imaginary V-shape with your thighs. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you, perpendicular to your torso, and with hands clasped. This is the starting position. Twist your torso to the right side until your arms are parallel with the floor while breathing out. Hold for a second and move back to the starting position while breathing out. Now move to the opposite side, performing the same techniques you applied to the right side. Repeat