Workout

Assignment: Assemble a training routine to improve your physical fitness. The routine addresses your general condition, and zeros in on one specific area (flexibility, endurance, strength, shape). Organize in sequences, then type up the program of your routine. List the name of each exercise with relevant additional information (duration, frequency, equipment, orientation, soundtrack).

Fitness Routine
General condition: Medium to poor, used to bike 20-30 miles a few days a week, but ever since school started I haven’t exercised at all other that walking all over campus.

Target area: Strength in order to be able to withstand more. To work on target area, continue this routine twice a week for now and then increase time.

Environment outside: makes exercising more pleasurable or in the gym

This routine is intermediate; some moves are from weight strengthening competitions obviously using lighter weights, but the moves are still the same. It is a good way to start out when the target goal is strengthening the body as a whole.

Start out by stretching, basic stretching helps before starting the routine

Warm-up- light cardio, jogs to get heart rate raised

Sequence 1: Medicine ball, 1-3 of 12-16 reps
Side to side lunge
Squat and toss
Seated torso twist

Sequence 2: Dumbbells, 2-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Bent leg dead lift
Clean and press
Pile squat with upright row

Sequence 3: Block, a couple of minutes of each for 10-15 minutes total
Standing leg lift
Calf raise
Heel drops with leg extension

Cool down and stretch after completing the routine.

Squat toss- Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a med ball or dumbbell. Squat as low as you can (knees behind toes and abs contracted) and touch the ball to the floor. Press through the heels to press back up while sweeping the weight up and overhead. Toss the ball up, catch it

Side to side lunge- Stand with feet wide, toes out slightly, holding weight at chest level. Lunge to the right, bending the right knee (keeping that knee behind the toe) and touching the weight to the floor while keeping the abs engaged, torso straight. Press back to start and lunge to the left, touching the ball to the floor. Take your time and try not to use momentum.

Seated torso twist- Sit cross-legged with med ball in front of you, sitting very tall with abs engaged. Rotate at torso and place medicine ball directly behind you and then rotate to the opposite side to take med ball and bring it back around front. Repeat going in the opposite direction. Be sure to keep back straight--don't arch or round through the back.

Bent leg dead lift- This is another move that's often seen in competition, but it's great for us regular folks too since it works all the muscle of the lower body as well as challenging the abs and back. Place a heavy weight on the floor in front of you (dumbbells or a barbell). Squat down as though you're sitting in a chair--knees behind toes, chest lifted and shoulders back. Pick up the weight and stand up. You're not pulling the weight up with your hands...all your concentration should be in your legs. Lower back down, keeping that good squat form and repeat. This is also the proper way to pick anything up--you use your legs and not your back.

Clean and press- This is yet another competition move, designed to help competitors lift a heavy weight and get into position for pressing that weight overhead. Again, another great move for the entire upper body. Begin with weights in front of thighs, palms in. Raise the weights up to chest level (almost like an upright row) and in a smooth move, flip elbows down and weights up so that they're over the shoulders. Press the weights up overhead and lower back down, flip the arms back to upright row position and lower. You can do this with a barbell or dumbbells.

Pile squat with upright row- Begin with feet wider than shoulders, toes out, holding weights or bar in front of body. Bend knees and lower into a squat, knees in line with toes. Simultaneously, bend elbows and raise weight to chest level. Stand, lower weight and repeat.

Standing leg lift- Stand with feet hip distance apart, holding onto a chair for balance (if needed). Slowly lift right leg out to the side, keeping hip, knee, ankle and toes all in alignment, foot flexed. Raise leg, squeeze glute and slowly lower back down without relaxing the muscle.
Calf raise - Stand on a step or on the floor, holding onto a chair for balance (if needed). Slowly push up onto the tips of your toes, contracting the calves. Lower back down without relaxing and repeat.

Heel drops with leg extension- Stand on a step, bench or platform (you might need to hold onto a chair or the wall for balance). Take one foot and hang it off the side of the step. Bend the standing knee and lower into a one-legged squat, lowering the heel towards the floor. Be sure to keep the standing knee behind the toe.