Strength Training
Weight Loss Challenge Resistance Training, Weeks 5 & 6
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Welcome to weeks five and six of our RealJock/Nu4You Weight Loss Challenge. Here you will find three days of resistance training workouts for our participants—and all of you working out with them at home. These workouts come to us courtesy of Billy Polson of Diakadi Body, and are meant to be done in sequence.
Below you will find day two of the workout; click through to the following page for day three. Week six will repeat the same workouts: start over with day one to begin week six.
WEEKS 5 & 6, DAY 2: RESISTANCE TRAINING WORKOUT
The Weight Loss Challenge Workouts consist of the following, to be done in order; do the prior workouts before beginning Week 5:
Stretch Test
Core Strength Test
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 1
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 2
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 3
Week 2 Workouts
Weeks 3 & 4 Workouts
Weeks 5 & 6 Workouts
Weeks 7 & 8 Workouts
Weeks 9 & 10 Workouts
Weeks 11 & 12 Workouts
Begin your day of resistance work with your corrective stretches. Then, perform the following sequence of exercises once through (some exercises appear more than once). Then you should move on to the core workout.
Below you will find day two of the workout; click through to the following page for day three. Week six will repeat the same workouts: start over with day one to begin week six.
WEEKS 5 & 6, DAY 2: RESISTANCE TRAINING WORKOUT
The Weight Loss Challenge Workouts consist of the following, to be done in order; do the prior workouts before beginning Week 5:
Stretch Test
Core Strength Test
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 1
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 2
Resistance Training Week 1, Day 3
Week 2 Workouts
Weeks 3 & 4 Workouts
Weeks 5 & 6 Workouts
Weeks 7 & 8 Workouts
Weeks 9 & 10 Workouts
Weeks 11 & 12 Workouts
Begin your day of resistance work with your corrective stretches. Then, perform the following sequence of exercises once through (some exercises appear more than once). Then you should move on to the core workout.
| RESISTANCE WORKOUT, WEEKS 5 & 6/DAY 2 |
| Stability Ball Hip Raises (Heels on Ball) |
| First, always try to select the most firm stability ball for all your stability ball work. For this exercise, people 5'9" or shorter should use a 55cm stability ball; people over 5'9" should use a 65cm ball. Lie back on floor on back with your hands straight out to the sides with palms up. Place your heels on top of the stability ball, and, keeping legs straight, slowly raise your hips up until your body is completely flat and extended. Then slowly lower back to floor. Repeat for a set of 20. |
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| Walk-Outs and Back |
| Start with your hands and feet on floor with your legs and arms extended (so your body is in a downward dog or A-frame position, with butt up). Keeping your neck in line with your spine and your ears by your biceps, slowly walk your hands out past a push-up position as far as you can extend while still maintaining your core stability. Once you reach the biggest stretch position, slowly walk your hands back to downward dog position, still keeping your abs on and your stomach pulled in and hollowed out. Repeat for a set of 12. |
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| Single Cable Staggered Rotation Pulldowns on Single Leg |
| Use a single cable handle set at the high position, above head height. Stand with a single foot on the ground. Pull the cable handle with a twist using the hand opposite your standing leg. Keep shoulders back throughout movement. Try to do the entire set holding one leg balance. Repeat for 12 pulldowns, then switch sides (leg and arm). |
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| Medicine Ball Alternate Side Lunges with Medicine Ball Movement |
| Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding a medicine ball in your hands, with arms extended straight out from your chest. Step your left foot out into a side lunge as you bring the medicine ball down to your left hip. Press your hips back behind your bent left leg as your right leg extends straight to the side. The toes of both feet should be pointing forward throughout. From the bottom of your lunge, drive hard off your bent leg to bring yourself back to the starting position with arms and medicine ball extended back out in front. Repeat on the same leg for 12 reps, then repeat set on other leg. |
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| Single Cable Staggered Rotation Pulldowns on Single Leg |
| Use a single cable handle set at the high position, above head height. Stand with a single foot on the ground. Pull the cable handle with a twist using the hand opposite your standing leg. Keep shoulders back throughout movement. Try to do the entire set holding one leg balance. Repeat for 12 pulldowns, then switch sides (leg and arm). |
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| Medicine Ball Alternate Side Lunges with Medicine Ball Movement |
| Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding a medicine ball in your hands, with arms extended straight out from your chest. Step your left foot out into a side lunge as you bring the medicine ball down to your left hip. Press your hips back behind your bent left leg as your right leg extends straight to the side. The toes of both feet should be pointing forward throughout. From the bottom of your lunge, drive hard off your bent leg to bring yourself back to the starting position with arms and medicine ball extended back out in front. Repeat on the same leg for 12 reps, then repeat set on other leg. |
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| See-Saw Push-ups with Hips on Stability Ball |
| To truly have perfect push-up form and alignment, you should be able to complete a pushup with a dowel placed on your spine touching in three points of contact throughout the movement: the back of your head at lower base of skull, your spine between your shoulder blades, and your lower spine at your waistline. Try this using a dowel if you have one available. If not, try using a mirror or a friend to watch your form. Now for this level of push-up, you will start with a stability ball located under your hips or your thighs if you are more advanced. Keeping your spine posture throughout the movement, slowly lower your chest to floor and then press back up. As you progress in strength, slowly have the stability ball in a position closer to your feet to make your upper body heavier and the movement tougher. Repeat for a set of 20. |
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| Split Squats with Single Dumbbell Lateral in Low Position |
| Stand in a lunge position with your left leg bent slightly in front of you and your right leg is bent behind you. Hold a single dumbbell in your right hand. (The single dumbbell gives you a tougher balance element. Go down into a split squat so that your left thigh is parallel to the ground and your right leg is bent towards the ground, similar to the bottom of the lunge position. In the low position do a single dumbbell lateral raise. Keeping your arms straight and palms face-down, raise your arms so that they are parallel to the ground. Bring arms back down and then stand back up into top position before going back into split squat on the same leg. Do this 12 reps for each leg. When the right leg is front, the dumbbell is in the left hand. Repeat for 12 lateral raises per arm. |
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| Dumbbell Alternate Dead Rows |
| Start with your body bent at the knees and hips and back flat. Your shoulders should be over your knees and your upper body inclined at 60 degrees. Keep your neck in line with your spine. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, in front of your knee caps with an over-hand grip, hands shoulder width apart. Alternate lifting the dumbbells up towards the sides of your chest by bringing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Even when dumbbells are in low position, shoulder blades must stay retracted back and down. Alternate for a set of 24 (12 each side). |
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| See-Saw Push-ups with Hips on Stability Ball |
| To truly have perfect push-up form and alignment, you should be able to complete a pushup with a dowel placed on your spine touching in three points of contact throughout the movement: the back of your head at lower base of skull, your spine between your shoulder blades, and your lower spine at your waistline. Try this using a dowel if you have one available. If not, try using a mirror or a friend to watch your form. Now for this level of push-up, you will start with a stability ball located under your hips or your thighs if you are more advanced. Keeping your spine posture throughout the movement, slowly lower your chest to floor and then press back up. As you progress in strength, slowly have the stability ball in a position closer to your feet to make your upper body heavier and the movement tougher. Repeat for a set of 20. |
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| Split Squats with Single Dumbbell Lateral in Low Position |
| Stand in a lunge position with your left leg bent slightly in front of you and your right leg is bent behind you. Hold a single dumbbell in your right hand. (The single dumbbell gives you a tougher balance element. Go down into a split squat so that your left thigh is parallel to the ground and your right leg is bent towards the ground, similar to the bottom of the lunge position. In the low position do a single dumbbell lateral raise. Keeping your arms straight and palms face-down, raise your arms so that they are parallel to the ground. Bring arms back down and then stand back up into top position before going back into split squat on the same leg. Do this 12 reps for each leg. When the right leg is front, the dumbbell is in the left hand. Repeat for 12 lateral raises per arm. |
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| Dumbbell Alternate Dead Rows |
| Start with your body bent at the knees and hips and back flat. Your shoulders should be over your knees and your upper body inclined at 60 degrees. Keep your neck in line with your spine. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, in front of your knee caps with an over-hand grip, hands shoulder width apart. Alternate lifting the dumbbells up towards the sides of your chest by bringing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Even when dumbbells are in low position, shoulder blades must stay retracted back and down. Alternate for a set of 24 (12 each side). |
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After completing the resistance work above, move on to your core workout:
| CORE WORKOUT, WEEKS 5 & 6/DAY 2 |
| Lower Ab Work Based on Test Results |
| Start your core work with the appropriate exercises following from the results of your core strength test. |
| Straight-Arm Side Pillars |
| Lie on your side and support yourself on your lower hand with arm extended directly under your armpit. Have one foot on top of the other. Your body should be in a straight diagonal line. Hold this position for 45 seconds using your lower side obliques. If you need to stop/start, that is fine, but make sure you get to the full time of 45 seconds per side. Switch to the opposite side after time is acheived. As these become easy and your spine line and posture stays perfect, try lifting your top leg off so that you are only balancing on the lower leg. |
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| Lower Back Extensions with Hands Across Chest |
| Using a lower back extension machine, perform a set of lower back extensions with your hands crossed at your chest level. At the top of the movement, make sure you only bring your body to a flat/neutral position so that you do not over arch your lower back at top of movement. Repeat for a set of 12. |
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