Congratulations to those who have almost completed our second 10-week fitness and fat-loss programme.
Our first programme was a 10-week fitness regime designed to provide the base for this current programme and programmes to come. What an achievement. We started with slow, short walks and completing low-effort body weight exercises.
We have now progressed through to intense stair climbing, running intervals and advanced dumbbell and Swiss ball exercises.
One of the most important lessons over the last 20 weeks should be the convenience of getting fit and losing body fat without hundreds of exercise machines and loud music.
Instead, all you need is your own body weight and some determination. Over the next couple of weeks, reduce your weekly exercise sessions to three to five a week. Complete two resistance sessions from the programme below and two or three cardio sessions. These are maintenance weeks that give us a chance to reset our goals.
Friday: Self-assessment day
(A): See how far you can run today without stopping. Think back to the difference in your fitness level compared with week 1 of our first 10 week programme.
(B): Also see how far you can run today(C): See how far and fast you can walk today. You may try jogging some of this.
Saturday: Resistance day
(A) Three sets of chest press and the repetitions depend upon the weight of your dumbbells. Aim for 12-20 repetitions. You should feel the exercise became hard on the final two repetitions, so continue until this happens. Three sets of one arm bent over row. Again, aim for 12-20 repetitions.
Three sets of squat with shoulder press and complete 15-30 repetitions.
Three sets of static wall squat with bicep curl and remain in this position for 20-60 seconds. You need to stay there even when your legs are hurting.
Three sets of forward lunge with front shoulder raise.
Complete 12-20 repetitions alternating each leg.
(B): Complete the same as (A) above except do two rather than three sets for each exercise.
(C): Three sets of press ups from your knees for 10-15 repetitions. Three sets of static wall squat with NO bicep curl for 15-45 seconds.
Three sets of forward lunges for 8-16 repetitions with no shoulder raise (see photo #5).
Three sets of body weight squats for 15-30 repetitions with no shoulder press (see photo #3).
Sunday: Staircase: weather irrelevant
Complete (A): Seven repeats of a 200-250 step staircase and recover for three times the time it took to get up. You can run if you feel up to it, or power walk. Whatever way, this is an intense session, so push it.
(B) Complete the staircase five times and then power walk on the flat terrain for 20 minutes.
(C) Complete the case three times and walk for 20 minutes afterwards at a fast pace.
Monday: Rest day
Rather than stay indoors keeping warm, why not go to the pool (with the kids) or down to the cycle park?
Tuesday: Self-assessment day
Complete half of the resistance programme you did on Friday and then head outdoors for (A): 35-minute intense 10/10 power walk or try to jog part of this.
(B): 25-minute power walk.
(C): 20-minute power walk.
Wednesday
Complete (A): Four sets of walking lunges at the park for 30 paces, complete four sets of step-ups on to park bench for 50 step-ups and alternating legs each step-up, complete four sets of 20-30 press-ups with hands on bench and feet on ground.
Now keep warm and power walk (jog some if you can) 30-40 minutes on flat terrain.
(B): Do the above, except complete only three sets of each exercise.
(C): complete the 35-45 minute walk only today.
Thursday: Self-assessment
Complete Friday's session again today.
Training note: If you do not have time to complete the day's exercise in one burst you can do a part of it and then come back and finish it later in the day.
You should now add three sets of any mid-region exercise you feel like to each day's exercise. Complete anywhere from 15-25 repetitions.
You can find the correct technique for the body weight exercises under Your 2009 Fitness Programme, Body & Soul; at www.odt.co.nz.
- Gary Dawkins is a personal trainer and director of Creative Conditioning in Dunedin.