Part two
of a three part Active Recovery Workout
Series
By Michael J. Sokol
Owner of One-on-One
Fitness Personal Training Service, Inc.
(312) 642-4235 www.chicagogetfit.com
The contents of this
article is intended for healthy adults,
age 18 and over.
It is for informational and educational
purposes only and is not medical advice.
Please consult a medical, health or
nutrition professional before you begin
any
new exercise, nutrition or
supplementation program or if you have
questions
about your health.
Notes of Paramount
Importance for Success in Any Exercise
Program:
Always warm-up on
the treadmill or bike for 5 minutes
prior to lifting to get your blood
flowing and prepare the body for
your workout.
Alwaysstretch
for 8 to 10 minutes prior to lifting
to prepare your muscles, tendons and
ligaments for your workout.A
good book for learning stretches is
called Stretching by Bob
Anderson.
Try to perform at
least 3 different exercises for each
muscle group you are training.
Always perform at least 3 sets for
each exercise. A set should consist
of between 6 and 15 repetitions.
For each set,
perform 6-8 repetitions for bulking
up goals or 12-15 repetitions for
toning goals.
Always perform a
4-second repetition for every
exercise. This means 2 seconds for
the positive phase of the exercise
and 2 seconds for the negative phase
of the exercise.
Always try to fail
(i.e., you physically and mentally
cannot perform one more repetition)
at the highest repetition goal
listed; if you cannot, lower the
amount of weight and complete the
set. This is the one area of life
where failure leads to success.
Do at least 20
minutes of cardiovascular exercise
at least three times each week.
"Active
Recovery" defined
In accordance with our
continuing summer goal to be able to
take our shirts off and show our
definition, I have developed a great
program to get more ripped and toned. It
is called the "Active
Recovery" workout because while one
muscle group is recovering from a set,
another muscle group is active
performing a set. This is immediately
followed by three minutes of intense
cardiovascular exercise. It is best to
involve opposite or unrelated muscle
groups for this routine. Generally, you
want to perform one "push"
exercise followed up with one
"pull" exercise.
Active Recovery Biceps
& Triceps workout (approximate time—55
minutes)
Intense
Cardiovascular
Begin this workout
with 20 minutes of interval training to
burn a lot of fat and get your heart
rate soaring for the strength training
part of your workout. This training
consists of one-minute intervals between
your highest intensity and a moderate
intensity. You must first warm up at a
low intensity before beginning your
intervals. This intense cardiovascular
workout can be performed on a treadmill,
stationary cycle, precor transport,
Stairmaster, or by jogging outside.
Cycle I:
Push: Cable Triceps
Push-Downs with a rope
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by
Pull: Incline Seated
Dumbbell Biceps Curls
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by A
above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then
immediately get on a treadmill,
stationary cycle, precor transport, or
stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very high
intensity.
III. Cycle II:
Push: Lying
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by
Pull: Easy-Curl
Barbell Preacher Curl
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by A
above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then
immediately get on a treadmill,
stationary cycle, precor transport, or
stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very
high intensity.
III. Cycle III:
(Optional—if you still have the
energy. If not, go to Cycle IV)
Push: Dips
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by
Pull: Dumbbell Biceps
Hammer Curls
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by A
above. Repeat this cycle 3 times. Then
immediately get on a treadmill,
stationary cycle, precor transport, or
stairmaster for 3 minutes at a very high
intensity.
IV. Cycle IV: Abs
Crunches on a Swiss
ball
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by
Reverse Crunches on a
Declined Bench
:
Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions to
failure, immediately followed by A
above. Repeat this cycle 3 times.
