September Strength Challenge - Build your metabolism

[liv]

Join me in September. Let's lift and push and pump.

New to the challenge? Don't worry. It is not very complicated. Jump in.

This will be the place to report your weightlifting and strength training and earn your monthly prize.

No special equipment is required. You can use what you have like water bottles, cans or just gravity - it all works well. You do not need any experience either. Just take the plunge. It is easier than you think. See the end of the post for suggestions of exercises to include in your routine. Start small if you are a beginner. You can always build up later.


Rules of the challenge

1. Pledge the amount of minutes you will strength train
   
2. You will have to work to strengthen all parts of the body (lower, upper, core).
3. To be eligible for the challenge you have to share with others what your typical weekly workout schedule will look like. Exercises can be lifting weights, using gym machines, exercise balls, push ups, squats or doing yoga/pilates exercise for strength and flexibility. No equipment requirement though.
4. You have to schedule recovery/rest days.
5. Log in at least twice a week to report your minutes. Copy the whole list and add your minutes.
   
6. There will be a prize at the end of the month

Websites to help you put together a routine
The Major/Basic Muscle Groups of body & their Exercises/Workouts
Dumbbell Exercises Complete with Animated Diagrams
Dumbbell Exercises | Dumbbell Workouts | Dumbbell Muscle Menu
http://www.trainwithmeonline.com/dum...&equipment=yes
Free Resistance Training Exercises
Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...s-workout.html
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ut-videos.html
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com...exercises.html
10 minutes pilates sculpting (I started with this YouTube video - I used water bottles - it is a great starter arm exercise)
Dumbbell Exercises from Sparkpeople on YouTube - It is 20 minutes and a good one to start with
I want Six Pack Abs, Core Exercises - lots of core exercises.

If you do not have weights check yoga and pilates or flexibility and strength exercises that uses gravity. A resistance band can be handy to and easy to store.

Examples of weight free exercises
squats
lunges
push ups
sit ups
crunches
dips
How To Exercise Your Thighs Without Weights (Sports & Fitness: Tone Your Legs)
The No Weight Workout - Exercise
Sandeep's Fitness Page - A Simple Home Workout (Without Weights)
Exercise Classics - No Weights Required!
Plank Pose
I want Six Pack Abs, Core Exercises

You can use exercise videos - yoga, pilates, strength, callanetics

Other interesting web pages
Lies in the gym
Women's Weight Training
Fit Zone: Exercises|Workouts - MSN Health & Fitness (very cool - shows what exercises to do for what muscle )

Icon you can use for your signature:



Example of routine:
Upper body: Push-ups, chair dips, planks (will do three times)
Core: Planks, crunches (normal and reverse) (will do three times same day as lower body)
Lower body: Squats, lunges, jumps (will do three times a week -alternating with upper body)

[stacy3477]

I'm in for 600 again. Thanks liv!

[Alexa]

Hi Liv,

I'm in for 300.

This will be mainly:
- floor exercises in kickboxing classes and at home - abs, pushups, back extensions, and squats. Hard ot plan exactly because of the classes!
- stretching exercises, again and home and in classes.

I am not planning to use weights very often because of the requirements of the grading which need a high number of reps of bw exercises, so will focusing on those for now.

Thanks

[Bumbee52]

Hi guys this is my first time joining this challenge so I hope I can do it. I will pledge to do 300 mins for the month which will consist of using free weights, doing crunches, and lunges.

[imagood1]

Hi Liv -

I'm going to pledge 600 minutes - first time on this challenge!

I made a list of things I'll do on opposite days:

UPPER BODY EXERCISES
10 Wall Pushups
20 Seated Dumbbell Rows
20 Dumbbell Chest Press
20 Lying Triceps Lifts
20 Dumbbell Shrugs
20 Dumbbell Flys

CORE
20 Dumbbell Side Bends
20 Hip Flexor
20 Reverse Crunches
20 Superman
20 Modified Pendulum with Medicine Ball
20 Bicycle Crunches

LOWER BODY
20 Lateral Lunges
20 Seated Leg Extensions
20 Lying & Modified Lying Abduction (each side)
20 Forward Lunges
10 Genie Sit
10 Walking Lunges

[neutronnorman]

Heavy bodybuilding, four days, not strength training. (Somebody asked me once the difference between strength training and bodybuilding. The objective to strength training is to lift maximum weight explosively with very low reps and muscular hypertrophy is the secondary goal.)

Cycle 1:
Week 1:
Monday:bench press
Incline bench press
Military Press
front Bar bell raises
triceps pushdowns
skull crushers
bench flys
--------------------------------
Tuesday: Neutral grip Australian pullups
wide grip pull downs
bent over underhand bar bell rows
close grip reverse grip pulldowns
barbell shrugs
Bar bell curls
hammer curls
wrist curls
-------------------------------------
Wednesday: HIT cardio, abs
--------------------------------------
Thursday: sissy / hack squats
barbell squats
leg curls
leg extensions
seated calf raise
standing calf raise
----------------------------------------
Fridays: dumb bell bench press
incline dumbell bench press
lateral raises
bent-over rear lateral raises
Rope pulley pushdowns
French Tricep curl
bench flys
--------------------------------------------
Saturdays: hit cardio and abs
Sundays walking for 60 minutes, 3.0-3.5 mph
---------------------------------------------

Cycle 2:

Monday: reverse grip Australian pullup
regular pull ups
reverse grip bent over barbell rows
chin ups
dumbell shrugs
incline supinating dumbell curls
reverse z-bar curls
behind the back wrist curls
------------------------------------------
Tuesday:bench press
Incline bench press
Military Press
front Bar bell raises
triceps pushdowns
skull crushers
bench flys
------------------------------------------
Wednesday: HIT cardio, abs
------------------------------------------
Thursday: Sissy squats
lunges
leg curls
leg extension
seated calf raise
standing calf raise
--------------------------------------------
Fridays: Neutral grip Austarlian pullups
wide grip pull downs
bent over underhand bar bell rows
close grip reverse grip pulldowns
barbell shrugs
Bar bell curls
hammer curls
wrist curls

Saturdays: HIT cardio and abs
Sundays walking for 60 minutes, 3.0-3.5 mph
Week 3: Cycles repeat

All exercises are performed rest/pause, 2 seconds concentric, hold for a count of 2, then eccentric for 4 seconds. All exercises: 3 sets, 8-10 reps. When the 10th. rep gets easy, increase the weight by 5-10%. Keep each session under 60 minutes. After 2-3 weeks, decrease weight by 15% and shorten time between sets so the maximum time each session is 45 minutes. Then go back to a heavy lifting phase. That's my routine, in a nut shell! Good luck and to you later!



Norman 52/800

[liv]

Thanks guys for joining. Interesting schedule Norman. And wow nice workout plan Carole
I will be alternating yoga and Jillian's trouble Zones for a bit longer. After a couple of weeks of that I should probably mix it up a bit.

Still time to join folks. Take the plunge

Alexa 0/300
bumbee52 0/300
imagoodone 0/600
liv 40/750
Norman
stacey3477 0/600

[neutronnorman]

Alexa 0/300
bumbee52 0/300
imagoodone 0/600
liv 40/750
Norman 52/800
stacey3477 0/600

[imagood1]

30 minutes of upper and lower body exercises

[neutronnorman]

Alexa 0/300
bumbee52 0/300
imagoodone 30/600
liv 40/750
Norman 97/800
stacey3477 0/600