Let’s talk about workout programs, shall we?

Not just ANY workout program, but the program I’m doing right now.

One of the coolest parts of my “job” is designing a fun and funky workout program.  I love it.   I love it about as much as Nolan likes chewing on anything he can get his grubby little mitts on (which is everything – teething!!).

I tend to stick to the programs I design for myself for at least 2 months, and if I have a specific goal in mind like increasing strength, building muscle or fat loss, I’ll stick to them for 3 months.

The one I’ve designed right now really isn’t for anything in particular, although it could be considered a fat loss workout plan because the rest periods are kept to a minimum, there are plenty of Metabolic Circuits and we work everything.

It’s also an arms program because, like most dudes, I want more defined arms.

But it’s not just an arms workout program, it also has a hefty dose of “metabolic circuits” which are meant to make your heart beat out of your chest, lungs burst and muscles burn…and burn a lot of calories.

My current workout program is based around 3 different 10-minute circuit workouts, and then builds out from there depending upon my mood and how much time is available.

After completing one of the 10-minute circuits, I pick from a selection of 5-7 minute circuits split between circuits that hit your arms and ones that make you pant like Bill Clinton in a strip club.

Johnny #5 Is NOT included in my short circuits

Depending upon how much time I have, I’ll pick anywhere from 1-3 of those short circuits (Johnny Number 5!) for my workout program and then I’m done.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to warm-up before your workout.  I’d hate to see you injure yourself because you were stupid and didn’t properly warm-up.

I want to warm you – there are a lot of things to choose from below.  I get bored easily with workouts, and like to have different things to choose from that fall under the same category.  I hate doing workouts that only give me 2 options (unless I have a specific goal in mind where that’s necessary).

Okay, on with the show!

Below are the 3 different 10-minute circuits included in my workout program:

10-Minute Circuit #1:
1A) Dips – 10 reps
1B) Chin-up – 8 reps
1C) Bulgarian Split Squat – 10 reps/leg  I place my back leg on my bench which is about 2 feet off the ground.  The higher you go (within reason), the tougher it’ll be.

10-Minute Circuit #2:
1A) Close Grip Chest Press – 15 reps
1B) Standing Row – 15 reps
1C) Pistol – 6 reps/leg  This is a fancy way for saying 1-Leg Squat.  If you’ve never done it, scour Youtube for a video.  If you’re having difficulties with balance, or finding sticking points, start off with a bench behind you.  Squat till your butt hits the bench, then press back up.  This will help you develop balance and strength, while keeping your confidence up (which is half the battle).

10-Minute Circuit #3:
1A) Inverted Row – 8 reps
1B) Standing Chest Press – 12 reps
1C) Turkish Get-Up – 3 reps/arm

Because of the damned Get-Ups, I don’t get many total circuits done.  Those things suck and they take forever…but they’re also awesome.  Just make sure you do them properly.  Take the ego out of the equation when picking your resistance.

Now on to the 5-7 Minute Circuits!

After I do one of the 10-Minute Circuits, I’ll rest for a minute and then move on with 1-3 of the following…

Arms Workout #1:
1A) Skull Crusher – 8 reps
1B) Standing Biceps Curl – 8 reps
1C) Upright Row – 10 reps

Arms Workout #2:
1A) Triceps Pressdown – 15 reps
1B) Hammer Curl – 15 reps
1C) Lateral Raise – 15 reps

Arms Workout #3:
1A) DB Rear Fly – 10 reps
1B) Incline Biceps Curl – 10 reps
1C) Incline Triceps Extension – 10 reps

I typically only choose 1 of those arms circuits per workout.  They’ve already been hit pretty hard during the 10-minute circuit and choosing more than one isn’t necessary.

Now the fun ones…

Metabolic Circuit #1:
1A) DB or KB Swing – 30 reps
1B) Burpee – 8 reps

Metabolic Circuit #2:
1A) Alligator Walk – across room.  I either use Carpet Sliders or Power Wheel
1B) 1-Arm Swing – 12/arm

Metabolic Circuit #3:
1A) Battle Ropes – 30 seconds
1B) Medicine Ball Slams – 10 reps

Metabolic Circuit #4:
1A) Jump Rope – 200 rotations
1B) Mountain Climber – 20/leg.  I place my feet on Carpet Sliders to increase the metabolic demand

Okay, so there’s the brunt of my current workout program.  I do those at my studio, but…

Sometimes I can’t workout at the studio due to family demands or just wanting to get the hell out of there.

What do I do then?

I wrote up a Bodyweight Cardio workout, as well as a regular old Bodyweight Workout to mix things up.  Here are those…

Bodyweight Cardio:
1A) Burpee – 10 reps
1B) Dive Bomber – 15 reps
1C) Jump Split Squat – 6 reps/leg
1D) Plank Extension – 12 reps/arm

I’ll do that for 10-15 minutes, AFTER warming up.

Bodyweight Fat Loss Workout:
1A) Spiderman Push-up – 12 reps
1B) Forward Lunge – 15 reps/leg
1C) Lunge Pulse – 20 reps/leg
1D) Neutral Grip Pull-up – 8 reps

I’ll do that for about 15-17 minutes, resting when necessary.

If I have time after doing the above Bodyweight Workout, I’ll pull up some Resistance Tubes and do the following arms circuit for 5-7 minutes non-stop, rotating between arms.  So I’ll go through the whole circuit with one arm, then move to the next.  This allows me to go non-stop the entire time because one arm gets to rest while the other one is working.

Resistance Tube Arms Workout:
1A) Overhead Press – 10 reps
1B) Overhead Extension – 10 reps
1C) Biceps Curl – 10 reps
1D) Lateral Raise – 10 reps

So there you have it!  There’s the workout program I’m doing right now. I actually did a workout right before writing this post, which made this post take FOREVER to write because my arms were so damn shaky.

Not a good idea!

Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.  Just remember to mix things up a bit.  It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same workouts over and over, and that’s boring.  Mix it up.  Pick things you know you don’t enjoy doing, but are very worthwhile.

Also try to put a day rest between these workouts.  They hit your arms relatively hard, and those puppies need rest after working them.

If you’d like, you can do the Bodyweight Cardio workout on the days between your regular workouts.  That’s what I do and I loves it.  Then, take 1 full day off per week.  Or if you have to do something, go for a walk.  Grab the family and hit the pavement for 30 minutes or so.  It’ll be good for your body and refreshing for your mind and it’s good family time.

Coolio?

Talk to you soon!

The Fit Dad

P.S. – If you dug this little workout program, you’ll love the flow of my Fat Loss To Go workout program.  It’s based around 10-minute workouts, with “Add-On” workouts to be done after the 10-minutes, but only if you have time.  Those Add-Ons are split between Abs workouts, “Dad Only” workouts and “Mom Only” workouts – those mom/dad splits are designed for the trouble spots us parents love to hate.  It’s a complete weight loss system and it’s AWESOME!  Check it out at www.FatLossToGo.com