A Hybrid Workout Part 3

Sumi’s Hybrid Journey Week 2

22 May || by Sumi Singh

Posted in Sumi's Hybrid Program Journal, Training Programs, Women's Health

I’m following the every other day training protocol for Hybrid, and this week begins with a total body Hybrid HIIT protocol. I decide to look up Will’s suggestion for trying his “killer conditioning” day (sounds fun!). In his video, Will uses a piece of cardio equipment that looks like an elliptical/stairstepping machine. Honestly, there are so many choices at the gym, and all the fancy gadgets and screens confuse me a bit, but I pick one that looks similar to the one in his video.

After a brief 5-minute warm up, I do 1 minute low intensity followed by 30 seconds all out 100% tongue-hanging-out panting-like-my-dog effort, and repeat. I did that for 15 minutes, which is literally all I could stand. I get off and my legs are wobbly but I can still walk. Success!

I can’t do math and work out at the same time, but I count the intervals when I’m done and I’ve nine, which sounds like too many. I’m thinking next week I’m going to try this on a machine I’m more familiar with!

Next up is the squat/chins/bench press weight circuit. I’m sweaty and determined. Last week I substituted lat pulls for the chins because I could only complete 12 on round 1 (not 15 like advised), but this week I’m determined to stick to my chinups even if I don’t hit the 15. For set 1 I got to 12, but for round 2 and 3, I barely hit 8 good ones, am mad, so finish 5 reps by jumping up, and working the negatives. I keep telling myself that this will get easier!

I finish with 20 minutes on another new machine (to me), the stair master. At first, I step on the pedals and sink down to the floor like a water buffalo. I look nothing like the cardio bunnies around me who hop on this thing like gazelles.

Why don’t I see these gals on the weight room floor? I ask this question later of the guy at the front desk, and he tells me it’s because they all think weights will make them “bulky.” I’m thinking “really??? Have they seen me? All 112 lbs of bulkiness??” Anyway, I select a function called “glute blaster,” because I figure my glutes need all the help they can get. After this, I head back to the pullup bar and finish 12 chinups…for fun! My heart is pumping and I’m sweating…err glowing!

The next day is a 6X6 upper body core workout. I am really looking forward to this-I get 3 minute rest periods (yum!) and get to push 80% of my max. Today calls for bench presses (love `em), deadlifts (my fave next to barbell squats and pullups!), incline DB presses, and weighted chins (never done them).

I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m able to lift more already on my bench press over from last week on my 5X5 day! I easily get to 6 reps at 85, bump it a little to 90 to get 6 again, and finish a little less peppy with 5 reps at the same weight. Still after supersetting with deadlifts at 135 lbs (I take no break between the bench and the deads, only once the superset is complete do I rest for 3 minutes) I feel good about my effort. I then superset with incline DB presses (I pick up the 40 lbs but only get out 4,6,and 5 reps). It was a challenge from start to finish but I know the 35s would be way too light. Ugh- I need a 37.5!!

The icing on the cake was discovering I could do weighted chins!! When doing regular chins on my Hybrid HIIT day, I’m already a little spent from the circuit, so I assumed the weighted chins would kick my butt. I’m able to do 12 with 5 lbs, so figure I should pick up the 10s on the next two rounds. I’m happy to be able to do more than 6 reps. 8 to be exact! Next time, more weight on that chain!

The next day is a 6X6 lower body day. So far, I haven’t met a day on the Hybrid that I don’t like. I love them all equally! I choose barbell back squats supersetted with leg curls and leg presses paired with straight leg deadlifts. The power rack is my best friend. I warm up for a 135- lb squat with the warm up protocol described by one the brilliant BBR mods. It’s not like what I used to think about warm ups (i.e., 20 reps with a light weight, but a 5,3,2,1 rep scheme with progressively heavier weights).

I get warm and tell myself I’ve come a long way with the weight, but as I approach the last rep and attempt break below parallel on my squat I feel my form give and the power rack pins come to the rescue. Very frustrating! Getting to ¾ of the way is never an issue but below that it’s a whole new challenge. Something to work on for sure and comments welcome!

Still, despite my frustration I know I’ve improved on the leg curl (70 lbs for 6 reps straight after a 135 is good for me- considering I fought with 70 lbs on a 5X5 the previous week!). Though you can’t see the plates too well, I’m currently leg pressing 380 lbs for 6 reps (I think you can tell by the look on my face though- yikes!). Those gals in the fitness mags who smile through this are either pressing nothing for the sake of the shoot or are superhuman. This ain’t pretty!

The final day of this week is another HIIT training day. But before I begin today’s protocol, I head off in the morning to watch a local figure and bodybuilding show. These athletes have trained hard and dieted harder, so I’ve got plenty of admiration for their hard work and sacrifice.

I’m posting some pics of me with some of the Master’s Bodybuilders and the show’s organizer. (Can you see how happy I look next to those guys…ahem. Maybe too happy.) There’s also a shot of the figure girls and women bodybuilders on stage. From a distance they all look amazing. The show’s organizer tells me that she thinks women’s bodybuilding is a dying sport. Only 4 of them compete today, and there are at least 3 times as many figure girls. I also have a chance to chat with the families and friends of the competitors. It’s a very friendly, supportive environment, even though one husband jokes that his wife has been really cranky during the last few weeks of dieting (she wasn’t around to hear that!)



After the show I head home for my final day of Hybrid this week. I’m doing this workout at home, but luckily I have all the tools to get today’s workout complete. I put my toddler down for her nap, and while she’s off in dreamland, I begin my workout.

I set the incline at 1.5, warm up for 5 minutes on the treadmill, and begin with a sprint at a pace of 6:22 for 30 seconds, walk for 1 minute and repeat the madness for 10 cycles. I can only hope my neighbors below forgive me because I assume I’m pounding our floorboards! I have no idea if this pace is a true sprint, but it’s 9.4 out of 10 as far as level of intensity.

The model I’m using only goes up to to 10! I know I worked hard because the squat, chin, and bench circuit kick my butt. Still not able to complete the full 15 for the chins, and my ability to complete them gets harder and harder by circuit 3. But as aggravating as it is, part of my really enjoys the battle. It’s a fight to the end! I finish with a 20 minute walk at a 14:45 pace at a 2.5 incline.

OK, time to go eat!

About Sumi

Sumi is an experienced group fitness instructor, personal trainer, full-time public policy manager, and mom to two-year old Shaila. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. Her passion for fitness gives her the stress relieving release that keeps her going!

A life-long weight-training addict, some of her most proud fitness accomplishments include: losing all the baby weight just eight weeks after a C-section; bench pressing her own body weight; and placing in her age class in several 5 Ks.

Her personal fitness journey continues to get better and more exciting with time. While she loves to lead by example and inspire people to "go for it," her ultimate goal is to be a great mom. Her daughter’s name, Shaila, means the Goddess of Strength and Confidence. Sumi owes it to her to be strong and confident so that she, too, can realize her full potential!

Sunny is currently following Will Brink's Hybrid Workout program which comes free with the deluxe edition of Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed.

Try This Circuit Training Fat Loss Workout

Fast and Effective Dumbbell Conditioning Fat Loss Circuit
Most people feel that they don’t have time to perform conditioning workouts or fit fat loss sessions on top of their normal strength training.

This is definitely not the case. High intensity, resistance training circuits are designed to get the most impact in the shortest amount of time.

" Benefits of Resistance Training Circuits "

■ high lactic acid => natural GH response

■ rapid fat loss

■ increased metabolism

■ muscular strength endurance

■ mental toughness

* How Do You Design a Fat Loss Circuit Training Workout? *

Pick an implement and get to work. It is that simple. It could be your own bodyweight, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, sandbag, medicine ball, thick ropes, Olympic plates or even a combination of any of these. The idea is to move quickly between exercises and complete the circuit. As you become better conditioned you can perform the circuits for multiple runs, ie. hit the circuit, rest briefly and then hit it again.

* How Do You Increase the Intensity of the Circuit? *

■ perform more runs through the circuit

■ perform more reps for each exercise in the circuit

■ increase the weight of the sandbag

■ decrease the rest time between runs

■ increase the tempo (duration of concentric or eccentric phases)




* Here Is The Dumbbell Fat Loss Circuit Training Workout *

1a) DB Front Racked Squats

1b) DB Front Racked Backward Lunges

1c) DB Hammer Curls

1d) DB RDL’s

1e) DB Military Press

1f) DB Laterals

I would like to thank Jim Smith for this great fat loss circuit training workout and Jim is a strength coach, lecturer and author of numerous innovative strength manuals.

Why should you listen to him? Jim has trained athletes from many sports and at various levels.He is an expert author for Men’s Fitness magazine and a member of the Elite Fitness Q/A staff. Jim is also certified as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Go to Accelerated Muscular Development for more on Jim's Fat Loss and muscle building programs.

Cardio Workouts Do Your Cardio Workouts Measure Up?

Do You Really Need "Cardio" Workouts?

Are cardio workouts or weight training more effective for losing fat...

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

In this article, I have an intriguing discussion about cardio workouts, which will hopefully get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

You may know I've been called the anti-cardio guy before, but this week I'm back posing the question to you... Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? By the way, you'll see in a minute that I'm not really "anti-cardio", just "anti traditional cardio".

Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, consider it a fact that they need "cardio" exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it.

However, I'm not only questioning it, I'm going to refute it! In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio. And I've spent over 15 years working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I've seen it all.

I will say that there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can be more effective methods.

But what exactly is "cardio"?

Most people would consider cardio to be pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, while watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym. This is what I call "traditional cardio". Hmmm, no wonder the majority of people get bored with their workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results.

But if you look closer, "cardio" exercise can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. I'm not going to get into anything technical like increasing your VO2 max or anything like that. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumpin, and gets you huffin and puffin, it's cardio. I don't care if you're holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise...it's still conditioning your heart.

Let's take a look at a couple examples. Take a barbell (or dumbbell, or kettlebell) clean & press for example, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn't matter if you're not lifting 250 lbs; if 45 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much.

At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you'll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max, and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose the flab).

Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a kettlebell or dumbbell, and tell me your legs aren't burning, heart racing, and you're gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with very little rest. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!

Try and tell me you're not conditioning your heart with this style of training! Conventional thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fullfilling your cardio workout needs as well (saving you time!).

Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body exercises if you do them with enough intensity...something that can't be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV.

Reading or watching TV while you workout is a joke!

Seriously, if you can read or watch TV while doing any exercise, you're not concentrating enough on what you're doing, plus you're probably not working out hard enough to see any real results.

Lose 10 Pounds Of Fat In A Month

Are you still stuck on the marathon aerobics workout nonsense?

Have you ever lost 10 lbs of Fat in a Month? I'm not talking weight loss I'm talking Fat Loss( there is a difference) but you knew that already.

Let me introduce you to circuit training. Read through this whole article use the sample workout at the end and you will be on your way to losing around 2 lbs of fat a week. As long as you are also eating clean but that is another article.

Many people simply don't get what circuit training is and that it can be beneficial for anyone. The reason most people don't get it is beacause some of the so called trainers out there don't teach it correctly.

If you have fallen for the marathon treadmill workouts will burn fat fast lie don't feel bad. You, me and thousands of others have also. But we are done with that now. Right?

"What is circuit training"?

The purpose of circuit training is to keep you moving by only allowing you to take minimal breaks between exercises. If you absolutely must rest( this will be based on your conditioning level), you can take 30 seconds to walk around and then start again. Whatever you do, don't stop moving.

Circuit training is completely different than traditional weight-training programs, but can provide a much greater boost to your metabolism than plain cardio. Circuit training, works because it causes you to keep pushing your body aerobically, while still challenging you anaerobically.

The Misconception About Circuit Training

If you're like many men, you probably think that circuit training is something a woman does with really light weights. This is probably because you associate no rest periods with light weights, and if you are trying to increase your strength, you likely think you need to be lifting as much weight as possible.

However, muscle responds to the total tension produced. If you use lighter weights, but are able to get in more sets during a certain period of time, you will produce the same -- if not more -- total tension and will stimulate your muscles to grow.

Try the follow program; you'll see, it will give you a run for your money.

Circuit Training benefits

First, it allows you to work your aerobic system while simultaneously working on your strength. Since you are constantly progressing through the workout, you will keep your heart rate up, getting much more out of it than guy who mindlessly logs all those miles on the treadmill.

Second, due to fewer rest periods, you will increase the amount of testosterone you release, which serves to help your muscles grow. While it is true that if you were to perform long aerobic sessions, your testosterone level would drop and you would start to release cortisol (which causes the body to break down muscle tissue), this workout won't take that long to complete. Therefore, you won't reach the time required to start this cortisol-releasing process.

Finally, since you will move through this workout quickly, you won't have to spend long hours in the gym, and you will be able to spend your time doing the things that you never seemed to have time for when you were making the gym your second home.

Try out this sample workout and decide if you still think circuit training is for girly men

The Sample Circuit Training Workout

This circuit training workout consists of 5 different exercises to be performed a total of six times. Perform 10 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next one. Once you have completed all six exercises, start the sequence over again.

Over time, you can gradually increase your number of reps to 20 per exercise; however, this is intense, so start slowly.

1) Mountain Climbers. While in the push-up position bring your left knee up to your chest, now do the same with the right leg. You may need to practice these a little to get a rythem and feel for mountain climbers. A great bodyweight exercise.

2) Pushups. Remember to keep your hands approximately at chest level in order to target the proper muscles. You may not know this (most people don't) but to really do push-ups correctly and get the most out of them keep your elbows close to your body.

3) Squats. You don't need to use weights ( but use them if you have them); If not do prisoner squats clasp your hans behind your head and squat down below parallel.

4) Barbell, Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans A fantastic total body workout in one exercise. One of my personal favorites.

5) Burpees. Start in a standing position, squat down and place your hands on the floor. Kick your legs out behind you, hold for a second, then bring your legs back to your hands. Next, explode off the floor, straightening up at the waist and jumping as high as you can. Land and bring your hands to the floor once again; this is one rep.

After completing all 5 exercises rest per your conditioning level( absolute begginner 90-120 seconds you will have to judge this for yourself). Work to decrease your rest times.

a final note

Since this workout does not target all of the muscles in your body, it is still best to include a normal strength-training routine in your program. This will keep your body balanced and ensure you are still strengthening all the muscle groups.

Circuit is a great thing to include in your workout when you are feeling like you are reaching a plateau or you're just ready to try something new to kick-start your metabolism and kick your workout up a notch.

Since it is quite intense, only perform it twice a week and be sure to take at least one day off in between. To progress and keep stimulating your body, try incorporating different versions of each exercise, such as one-hand pushups or clap pushups, and turned-out squats or squat jumps.

Hopefully, by set five of this program, you will have a newfound respect for circuit training.