Fitness is simple..it really is. Most trainers, websites, exercise DVD makers, etc, want to make it seem like there’s some exact, and hard to comprehend, scientific formula to getting in shape. They all claim to have figured it out, and purport that THEIR method is the best, and likely, only way to get in shape. The whole game is designed to confuse you, so you become reliant on them for their advice and/or workouts. The game is up; this simply isn’t the way fitness works.
Certainly, there are some elements of any successful workout program that must be followed. We aren’t saying you can just go out, casually lift some weights, run a few miles a week, and develop a killer bod. It’s not quite that simple. Problem with so many exercise programs out there today is they take bits and pieces of the three basic elements of a great workout. P90x, for example, is great at utilizing muscle confusion techniques…but only for a limited period of time. These workouts aren’t geared for a lifelong body transformation..rather, a 90 day change, at which point, your body has gotten so used to the workout cycle, it stops making progress.
I’ve been in the exercise biz many a year now, and have created Share It Fitness to bring top quality exercise programming to the masses. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I know women don’t want to look like men, they simply want to develop that lean, mean, athletic look. Being fit and sexy isn’t about being deathly skinny and starving yourself. It’s about having a lean, toned upper body, a strong core, and a powerful and explosive lower body. Developing this is very simple. All it takes is self-discipline and a well-crafted plan. If you stick to the plan below, to a T, I guarantee you will discover the body you’ve always wanted (provided you are eating a healthy diet as well).
It’s time to stop messing around with trends and fads, and start training to change your body and life, permanently.
Like This Workout? There are hundreds more like it at Share It Fitness, and if you really want to step it up and have us create a personalized workout plan that incorporates hard-hitting, result-inducing workouts like above, check out our FITPLAN. TRY IT FREE FOR 2 WEEKS!
For each week, each bullet point corresponds to one day. It is best to do these in order (first bullet point = Monday, second bullet point = Tuesday, etc.) as the routine has been carefully designed to allow your muscles to rest effectively.
Week 1
- Monday – 60 minutes HIIT cycling (30 seconds 100% intensity, 1:30 60% intensity, repeat for an hour)
- Tuesday – 5 sets of 8: squats, barbell deadlifts, sumo squats, walking lunges, reverse lunges. 100 box jumps.
- Wednesday – 30 minutes HIIT jump rope (we recommend this one)
(45 seconds jump, 30 seconds rest. repeat for half-hour)/15 minutes row machine
- Thursday – 5 sets of 8: bench press, military press, barbell curls, skull crushers, snatch, lat pulldowns. 250 ab reps ( you pick the type of exercises)
- Friday – 60 minute jog
Tips: Try to complete this Mon-Fri, allowing yourself a full two days off on the weekend. On weight days, make sure the weight is heavy enough that the 7th and 8th rep are VERY tough to complete. Training heavy at the beginning of this program is key for establishing your base.
Week 2:
- Monday – 5 sets of 8: deadlifts, bulgarian squats, lunges. 5 sets of 50: squat jumps, calve raises. Plank for 3 minutes, 60 reverse crunches, 60 hanging knee raises.
- Tuesday – 60 minutes HIIT cycling (:30/1:30 format)
- Wednesday – 5 sets of 8: incline bench press, clean and press, overhead tricep extension, bent over barbell row, concentration curls, upright row.
- Thursday – 60 minutes HIIT running (sprint for 30 seconds/jog for 1:30 minutes)
- Friday – 5 sets of 8: deadlifts, bulgarian squats, lunges. 50 squat jumps, 50 calve raises. Plank for 3 minutes, 60 reverse crunches, 60 hanging knee raises
Tips: When there aren’t any sets listed for squat jumps, calve raises, planks, and any ab exercises, complete the number of reps/time in as few sets as possible. i.e. 50 squats as fast as possible, before moving on to the 50 calve raises. Continue to go heavy on the weight during resistance training.
Week 3:
- Monday – Super Sets: jump rope 45 seconds/12 box jumps/rest 1 minute. Repeat 20 times.
- Tuesday – 5 sets of 8: close grip lat pulldowns, single arm dumbbell rows, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell curls, standing barbell curls, lat pulldown burnout (100 reps on light weight).
- Wednesday – Super Sets: jump rope 45 seconds/12 box jumps/rest 1 minute. Repeat 20 times.
- Thursday – 100 body weight squats, 60 crunches, 100 alternating lunges, 60 bicycle crunches, 100 knee tucks, 100 flutter kicks, 3 minutes plank.
- Friday – 30 minutes HIIT cycling (:20/1:00 format), 30 minutes HIIT running (sprint every other .2 miles, i.e. 0-.2 jog, .2-.4 sprint, .4-.6 jog, .6-.8 sprint, .8-1 mile sprint)
Tips: Super sets involve no rest between exercises; only rest when indicated. Last week of heavy resistance, go hard and heavy. Make sure you’ve increased the weight on each exercise from Week 1, if only slightly.
Week 4
- Monday – 3 sets of 20: leg press machine, squats, deadlifts, calve raises, hamstring curl machine, box jumps
- Tuesday – 20 minutes HIIT cycling (:20/1 min), 20 minutes HIIT rowing (:20/1 min), 20 minutes HIIT jump rope (:30 jump/:30 rest)
- Wednesday – 3 sets of 20: lat pulldowns, bench press, incline bench press, tricep pushdown, concentration curls, upright rows, bicycle crunches, decline sit ups, hanging leg raises
- Thursday – 60 minutes casual jog
- Friday – 3 sets of 20: leg press machine, squats, deadlifts, calve raises, hamstring curl machine, box jumps
Tips: Use light weight on resistance training days. Do these exercises slow. Count to a full 4 seconds on the lift, and a full 2 seconds on the lower.
The above routine is part one, of a 12-week total body makeover. You should already be seeing results after only 4 weeks of training. As we previewed in week 4, part 2 focuses on increasing total time under tension (TUT) resistance training, which is a departure from the high sets/low rep heavy training that made up weeks 1-3. Cardio training begins to include more cross-training principles and explosive movements to really develop your lower body while maximizing fat loss at the same time. Part 3 will introduce complex lift formats such as step sets, drop sets, etc. while combining short, intense bouts of cardio to give you a couple more extreme workouts each week.
Part II of this workout found here.
After 12-weeks, we break down how to continue to push your body over the remaining 40 weeks of the year, to ensure you are continually making progress and avoiding burnout.
A revolutionary new approach to fitness, sport, and health instruction. 
I’m really confused; do you do all of the bullet points each week? Or is each one of these a different day. It says do Monday – Friday, but it seems to me like you shouldn’t do ALL of this every day for 5 days, considering the time would add up to more than 3 hours per day and would work the same muscle groups for 5 days solid. Please clarify!
The author says this “For each week, each bullet point corresponds to one day. It is best to do these in order (first bullet point = Monday, second bullet point = Tuesday, etc.) as the routine has been carefully designed to allow your muscles to rest effectively.”
That means that each bullet point is a day. The first one is Monday, the second is Tuesday, etc. He says to rest Saturday and Sunday.
He says to complete one bullet a day. Hope this helps!
Each bullet point is a different day. I thought the same thing at first 3 HOURS?!? and had to reread it again.
Question: Each bullet you propose per day, correct? I assume you don’t intend for us to do a 60 minute HIIT on bike, weights, then 60 minute jog? So, Monday would be the 60 minute HIIT on bike, Tuesday would be weights, etc?
yes
This is great! Thanks for the regimen. But you said, “on weight days” — does that mean each week’s all five elements of the regimen shouldn’t be done every day? Is it one exercise per day? Thanks!
for each bullet point you have for a specified exercise ie. 60min HIIT cyling, 5×8 wts., 30min jump rope, etc. are those for EVERY day of the week to do all 5 bullets or do bullet one on monday, bullet two on tues, etc? I’d like to try it but don’t know which way to complete them. THanks! Love this blog! Finally a girl who knows what she is talking about!
Hey Meg…added comments which clarify. Each bullet point is one day, i.e. bullet 1 on mon, bullet 2 on tues, etc. So glad you love the blog…please keep coming back, we love your support!. I really am passionate about helping people hit their fitness goals and achieve the body they want.
Oh, and sorry to spill the beans…but I’m actually a guy! 🙂 I have had tons of experience personal training women, so think I’ve gotten what works and what doesnt, figured out. Happy lifting!
Thanks for the info I think I will start this next week!
I thought the point of HIIT was that you are supposed to do it for a short amount of time…please, correct me if I’m wrong but an hour seems excessive?
The “work” or “sprint” part of HIIT is supposed to be short. If you are cycling, you’ll cycle at 100% for just 20-30 seconds, then return to a slower, more relaxed pace for the next 1:30-1:40. By sticking to a basic :30/1:30 cycle over the course of an hour, you are actually only “sprinting” for 15 minutes. Some people recommend HIIT for 30-45 minutes. I’ve always found that 45-60 minutes has worked best for my real-life clients. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I’ve read so many different things about it I don’t really know how to do it properly! haha
No problem man, happy to help. Any other questions, feel free to ask. We’ve got a team of fitness trainers over here at SIF that can get you an answer if I can’t.
What does HIIT mean?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Think of it as an alternative to steady state cardio, i.e. running at basically the same speed on the treadmill, pedaling on the bike, etc. With HIIT you are alternating between short bursts of all out sprints, and longer periods of a relaxed pace. It brings your heart rate up and down throughout a workout, causing a greater fat burn, improved cardiovascular endurance, and a higher post-workout metabolism boost. Definitely the best way to get that lean, athletic figure when combined with a solid weight training program. Hope that helps!
Sorry for all the confusion guys! I’ve edited the post, but for those that didn’t notice, there is NO way you should be doing all 5 bullet points in one day…..you’d probably die! And dead people don’t make very good blog readers 🙂
The first bullet point corresponds to Monday. The next point down corresponds to Tuesday, and so forth. One bullet point per day. If you feel you need to take a week day off, just pick up right where you left off but be sure to give yourself ample rest on the weekend unless you are feeling super motivated. Let me know how this works for you all!
This sounds like a great routine. Question: Instead of cycling, do you recommend a good alternative for those who can’t stand the bike?
You could certainly try the elliptical..just make sure to really get those legs pumping during the “sprint” portions. Perhaps replacing the cycling days with a jump rope/burpee/(other plyometric movement) combo would be good. A triple combo like that would go something like…jump rope for 20 seconds..burpees for 20 seconds…mountain climbers (off the top of my head) for 20 seconds. Those are KILLER…give it a try and let us know how it goes!
Thanks so much! I will try it and let you know.
when you say do each for 20 seconds, are you saying do this for the entire hour? I don’t have any type of cardio equipment at home and will likely be doing this version.
When I’m talking about HIIT and I say something ilke :30sprint/1:30jog, repeat…what I’m saying is this:
Sprint at 100% for 30 seconds, immediately follow that by jogging for 1 minute and 30 seconds. (This will equal 2 minutes). Repeat that cycle (:30/1:30) for 1 total hour. Whether the “sprint” portion is 20, 30, 40, or more seconds doesn’t matter. Just follow the period of hard work with a relaxed period and repeat that combo for however long is indicated. Help answer your question?
What is HIIT and TUT? I apologize, but I am new to this site. Thanks
No worries, always happy to explain things more in depth. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a much more efficient way of doing cardio. It leads to greater fat loss, increased cardio vascular endurance, and faster lean muscle gains over steady state cardio. Steady state cardio is hopping on the treadmill and running at 6mph for 60 minutes…or the equivalent pace on a bike, elliptical, etc. Your speed doesn’t change over the course of the workout. HIIT involves short busts of all-out intensity, followed by longer periods of a more relaxed intensity. For instance, if you’re on the treadmill, you could try this: 20 seconds all out sprinting, followed by 1:40 of a slower pace (think of a 5-6mph jog). Repeat this :20/1:40 cycle 30 times, and you’ve just completed 60 minutes of HIIT running.
TUT stands for Time Under Tension. It is in regards to how long a muscle is under tension while lifting weights. When lifting heavy weights, the lift and lower portions of the lift are often accomplished in 1-2 seconds each. Since the weight is so heavy, its hard to maintain longer lift and lower periods. When you use lighter weight, you are able to spend more times on the lift and lower portions. On a bicep curl for instance, you could aim to do a 5 count on the lift portion, followed by a 5 count on the lower portion, giving you 10 seconds TUT. Repeat this 8-10 times and you’ve put your muscles under tension for a much greater period of time than you normally would have. This is just another method to confuse your muscles and force them to continue to develop. Sticking to the same exercises, weights, and way in which you lift is guaranteed to slow your progress to a screeching halt. Always mix things up every 4-6 weeks, with increased TUT being one way to accomplish that. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I’m trying to return to a work out regimen after basically not working out the past year (high-risk pregnancy, long recovery and insane work hours have left me out of shape and out of energy). Would you say that this workout regime is safe for someone just getting started or do you suggest having a “base level” fitness before kicking this program off?
I would recommend a 4 week “refresher” before starting this intense program. Several other people have had the same concern, so check back early next week for a starter program to get you up to speed.
Looking forward to trying out this 4 week plan. Something you didn’t cover were meal plans. We all know your abs are made in the kitchen so what types of eating plans do you suggest for this type of workout regime.
Check back Monday for a meal plan to follow this 12 week plan (weeks 5-8 and 9-12) coming in the next few weeks.
Hi. I recently found your blog via pinterest and am psyched to start this program on monday. Quick question… for weight days, you’re suggesting 5 sets of 8 reps consecutively, right? So, for example, week 1/tuesday would be 5 sets/8 reps per set of squats, then 5 sets/8 reps per set deadlifts, then 5 sets/8 reps per set sumo squats, etc. Is there a recommended/optimal rest time between sets? Thanks so much… very excited to get started and looking forward to reading the meal plan component as well!
So glad you like our blog! You are correct…5 sets of 8 repetitions per exercise. Shoot for 90 seconds rest between these sets. When you move to lower weight/higher rep exercises aim for 45-60 seconds rest between sets. Thanks again for the support and stay tuned for the diet article coming up this week!
This is so what I have been looking for! Excited for the four week “starter plan.” Thank you!
Blog wouldn’t be much without our readers…so, thank YOU!
Would you recommend any supplements? Protein, diet pills, weight gainers? And what is your diet plan?
Definitely suggest a whey protein supplement within 30 minutes of completing any workout. Check out our Drink this…Look like That article for some more info on the issue. As far as diet pills, etc…Nooo way. You can achieve all your goals the natural way. All it takes is a solid exercise plan and healthy eating. Any other questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading the blog!
I wish I had the equipment for all this! I’ll save this routine for when I have access. I think the first day alone would kill me. lol My second baby wasn’t as forgiving on my body. >_<
Hey Carissa…why don’t you let me know what equipment you do have access to and we can put something together for you that will better suit your circumstances.
I am looking at Week One Thursday – what is the exercise = Snatch?
Check out this youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRA_8jrlT3U
I have looking for a new advanced workout program..For months now I’ve been lifting heavy while doing split workouts and got good results. If i start this workout, will it change my body in any way at all? Because for example, you squeeze all the arm exercises into one day
This is part one of a three part, 12-week advanced workout series. If you’ve been doing heavy lifts while doing split workouts for months, I would say it is definitely time to switch things up. The first month of this workout varies between heavy weight/low reps and low weight heavy reps while doing upper body and lower body days exclusively. The fundamentals behind this program lie in the idea of Body Diversity Training which uses elements of muscle confusion theory. Bottomline, doing the same routine..whether its high reps/low weight, high reps/low weight, supersets, drop sets, etc. over an extended period of time will eventually begin producing diminished gains. Give this routine a try and I’m certain your gains will either continue at the same rate or improve. Thanks for following our blog and let us know how things work out for you!
Just to clarify on resistance training days the sets of each individual exercise are to be performed consecutively (1 set of 8 sumo squat, rest, 2nd set of sumo squat, rest etc) as opposed to a circuit format with all the resistance exercises for that day (1 set sumo squat, 1 set deadlift, 1 set walking lunges, etc….repeated 5 times). Great workout by the way! I’m always looking to change it up with new combo’s.
You are correct. In parts 2 and 3 of this series we introduce circuit elements…but for the first 4-week segment, exercises are performed individually until all sets for that exercise have been completed. Glad you liked the workout. Let us know how it goes for you!
how do i get the 12 weeks???
Keep reading the blog…we’ll be posting parts 2 and 3 in the next few weeks!
I started this workout yesterday and love it so far! I do have a question regarding rest- I was told there should be a few days/week in between working big muscle groups to allow muscle fiber to rest and build. You say these workouts are designed to allow rest but I don’t see it the way I described above. What is an adequate amount of rest between muscle groups? I’m a little confused with doing cardio using legs on the bike Monday, heavy leg routine on Tuesday and then doing a cardio with jump rope on Wednesday (that also uses all leg for the cardio- this seems are the legs resting enough with the variance of exercise and that’s why they are back to back?
Also: for week1/day3 if one isn’t going to the gym that day, what can be substituted for the 15min of rowing?
I look forward to weeks 5-12!!
So many ways to do “snatch” which way do you recommend….
I’m a big fan of the single arm dumbbell hang snatch.
Perfect thanks!! this is a fabulous work out and a good ass kicking! LOVE it
Glad you like it..keep coming back for more!
week 1 down and awesome!! I have felt like I have done harder workouts but man I am so sore and lovin it! Where do you have Phase 2 and beyond? Looking forward to the 12 weeks!!!
For the days with weights, do you recommend completing all 5 sets of one exercise before moving on to the next exercise, or going through them as a circuit- each exercise with no rests in between 5 times through, resting for say 1min inbetween each circuit . I like the circuit better, but want to maximize my workout. Thanks for the guidance!
For this phase of the routine, stick to completing all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Phase three incorporate circuit style, so we’ll eventually get there!
How much rest between sets? For example day 2 says 5 sets of 8 squats, barbell deadlifts, etc., etc. How long do I rest between each squat? I’ve done 1 minute in the past, but I’m not sure what your protocol is here.
BTW ~ Did Monday’s sprints this morning!! Felt great ~ challenged but great.
Thanks
Glad you liked Monday’s workout…challenging means you’re making progress. Aim for 60-90 seconds between sets, since you’ll be going heavy on these. When using lighter weights, try to keep it to about 45 seconds.
I’m thin and have been doing hiit training for over 6 months. I’m trying to build muscle and not lose weight. It seems cycling or jogging for 60 min is a bit much for my goals. Please advise, thanks!
I would definitely cut back the cardio if you are naturally thin and want to add weight, i.e. muscle mass. Not sure how often you are doing cardio, but I’d limit it to two, 30-minute, lower intensity sessions per week. As far as weight training goes…opt for complex movements, i.e clean and press, deadlifts, squats, bench press, dips, etc. Go heavy and keep the reps on the lower side, i.e. 5-8. You should be completely fatigued and unable to hit your last rep by the final set. Make sure you are getting enough protein and up your caloric intake; muscle doesn’t build itself out of thin air…you’ve got to give yourself enough fuel to produce muscle tissue. Give that a go for 4-6 weeks, see how things are going, and up the (healthy) calories if you are still having trouble putting on muscle. Let me know how it goes!
I’m trying to cut down on carido as well. What do you think i should do in place of the cardio days? rest? I was thinking of only doing 2 cardio workouts
If you’re getting enough weight training in, why not substitute a strictly abdominal routine for your cardio days? Should only take 20 minutes or so, and won’t burn a ton of calories if you are one of those chronically thin people looking to pack on muscle.
Seven workouts in and I am really loving this program… just what I needed to shake things up. I swear I can see better definition in my (sore) abs already. Quick question… I want to lose about 15 pounds (drop a size or two might be a better way to put it since I am sure I am going to gain muscle with this). I cant shake the fear of getting “bigger” although I understand the science behind why that “shouldn’t” happen. I am following a diet similar to the one you posted, maybe eating a little more protein and a little less carbs. Do you think adding some cardio to the weight days could be helpful for weight loss (although I dont know if my legs can take it lol) or would you recommend against that… thanks so much!
So happy to hear our workout is helping you Staci! I would recommend extending the length of cardio on cardio days, rather than including cardio into weight days. You’ll risk doing too much cardio and not fully realizing your muscle gains. Remember, increased muscle mass = increased metabolism. Increased metabolism = increased fat burning potential. Trust the science and put your faith in it…you’re not going to get huge and manly..you’re going to get lean, toned, and sexy! All that said..during phase 3 of this plan (which will be posted in the next several weeks), there are going to be cardio elements inserted into weight days. For the time being stick to the schedule and you’ll continue seeing (and feeling!) progress being made.
The fitness center where I workout does not have a rowing machine. What would you suggest doing instead?
Trying doing HIIT plyometric movements. Do 10 rounds of 45 seconds of burpees/45 seconds rest, followed by 10 rounds of 45 seconds of mountain climbers/45 seconds rest, followed by 10 rounds of 45 seconds of tuck jumps/45 seconds rest…that should be a total of 45 minutes of plyometric HIIT. That’ll be a good replacement to rowing. Let us know how it goes!
OK almost done with week 2. But talk Bulgarin squat to me??? We did it one leg on bench holding 30lbs dumbells, is that what you had in mind???……where is Phase 2?? I have to look ahead. already excited for next week.
Exactly. You can do Bulgarian lunges with a leg on a bench holding dumbells…or you can do it with a barbell behind your neck…or even on a smith machine. Choice is yours. Phase 2 is coming up first thing Monday morning…stay tuned! By the way..how is the workout going for you so far?
work out is great! Needed to go heavier on my arms though. We did the Bulgarian squat leg up in front of the bench and then held 35lbs plates and did walking lunges. Harder for me to hold more because I only 4 11′ they hit the floor. Great to try new things for sure! Love the work outs and the info, keep it coming
If you think you can handle more, try stacking plates on a barbell and put that behind your neck. Should help you add weight more effectively, given your height issue 🙂
I really like holding the plates for walking lunges, great for backand shoulders. Being short does play a major part in lifting though. Did 90blbs for deadlifts but the 5 set was a struggle. Weighs just 10lbs less than me!! Question though….I feel like the work out is short and I want more. Adding a little cardio on weight days. What is your thought???
Thats really impressive to deadlift 10 lbs less than your bodyweight. That number will continue to climb the more you push yourself. If you think the workout is short, I recommend adding an extra set per exercise. Keep cardio to cardio days for the time being and focus on building muscle, first and foremost.
The hard part is lifting the bar off the rack!!! Great idea, think we will bump it to 7 sets! LOVE it thanks so much totally enjoying this workout
thank YOU!
OK I am sure I am boarding on annoying but 2 questions….week 3 for the body weight….lunges with weight or without and knee tucks, explain because I was thinking knee tuck jumps and that is a lot!!! or are we talking on our backs and knees in and out in a V position. Sorry just want to really KILL next week
Nope, you are correct. Knee tucks are knee tuck jumps. Jump up, do your best to tuck your knees as tightly as possible, and land. 🙂 Go without weight for the lunges. Keep up the good work!
WOW that will be fun! start counting when you feel it, I always say
Good way to look at it!
can’t wait to try the program! can you add photos of some of these things so we know how to do each exercise or do you recommend a certain website that shows you how to do each one.
Question for Monday of week 2 are we doing 5 sets of the squats jumps, calve raises etc?
I edited the grammar a little bit; hopefully this makes more sense. For squat jumps, calve raises, etc, you’ll be doing 5 sets of 50.
OMG. I read it as just 50 (duh) but I thought it felt too light so I did 3 sets of 50. Was feeling very badass about it too, hahaha. Question: should the calve raises be weighted?
Ha…sorry to bring you back to earth 🙂 Try doing your calve raises on the smith machine, or a calf raise machine if you have that available to you.
I like to change position of my feet, feet straight, pointed in and then heels together
FYI, did 8 sets or 8 reps….AWESOME
meant 8 of 8:)
You go girl!
No jumping for me! It aggravates an old knee surgery.what is a good sub for all the jumping exercises? I also workout from home and one more thing…I work 4 /10 hr shifts. i can only train M-Wed and Fri right now.
Do you have a 3 day program 🙂
Thanks!!!!
We’ll be putting together a completely at home workout later in the week. It will be a 4 day routine, but you can easily pick 3 of the 4 days and do those. As far as a good substitute for plyometrics, performing the movements at an elevated pace but without leaving your feet is an option. Instead of box jumps, try doing fast-pace body weight squats.
Will i get the new workout in my email? i signed up for the newletter? or will it be posted on FB?
Sign up at shareitfitness.com and you’ll be on our newsletter! 🙂
A little late to the party, but loving this website! Can I find the “at home” workout somewhere?
I have DB up to 25lbs, EZcurl Bar, 13 lb KB, Bands, and a bench
OOPS! and a weighted Sandbag!
I feel like I did week 1 and my legs are getting bulky and that’s what I didn’t want??
Unless you are eating massive amounts of calories (5,000+) or are on a steroid cycle, there is no way you’ve added enough muscle in a weeks time to make your legs “bulky”. Muscle simply doesn’t grow that fast. That said, doing this workout will not make you bulky. It will cause you to add muscle to your body, but will not make you bulky. As you continue to lose body fat, your body will slowly develop a lean, toned, and athletic look. I’ve done this, or a similar variation of this workout with almost a dozen clients in real-life. All come from different backgrounds and fitness abilities. For the handful that stuck with it over a period of 3-4 months, they developed a much more toned and fit look; certainly not bulky. Overcome the way you see yourself, trust the process by sticking to the schedule, and you will be pleasantly surprised 3 months down the road.
All that said, if you are going for a rail thin fashion model look (http://bit.ly/AlcxqP)…then I would suggest against doing this. If you want to look toned, athletic, and healthy (http://bit.ly/yKqOoq) then doing a routine like this is a great way to achieve that.
Thanks 🙂 I think of body builders when I think of weights so I get intimidated I feel.
will you be posting the next 4 weeks soon??
Tomorrow!
Looking forward to it!!!
I just wanted to share with you that yesterday, while doing the jumping rope/box jumps/rest workout, my pudgy, baggy-sweatpant-and-sweat-drenched-t-shirt-wearing, beet-red-faced self, was approached three separate times by quite fit-looking dudes who commented on just how impressively kick ass my workout was that day. I tried to share your blog with one of them. He declined. I’m pretty sure he was scared 🙂 Loving it!
for week 3…100 lunges is that per leg??? and WOW 8 of 8 on arms was tough today in week 3. 100 rep burn out was killer
That would be 100 alternating lunges..or 50 lunges per leg. Hopefully youll be feeling the burn in those arms for the next few days!
oh 50 leg is easy, think we will do 100 a leg, thanks for the push
Week 3, Thursday… Is it 5 sets of each like last week? 5 sets of 100 squats, 5 sets of 100 crunches, 5 sets of 100 lunges… Etc?
Nope, only do multiple sets when it specifies.
Love this workout series, I am currently on week 2. Question: I am a mother of 2, and so my midsection needs more help than the rest of me. Should I increase or add extra abs on the days of HIT training, to increase results? Thanks
Glad you like the workout series Sarah. As you may or may not know, “abs” are made by doing cardio. You need to strip away the layer of fat covering them for that “six-pack” to show through. Doing extra crunches, etc. won’t help melt the fat away. Just be sure to go hard when doing your HIIT training, and over time, you should start seeing results. That said, if you want to increase your abdominal exercises, feel free, just know that it is impossible to spot tone your stomach by doing extra crunches. Hope that helped!
I’m super excited to start this workout series next week! I am mainly a runner, but can tell I definitely need a total body workout plan. I’m worried I will lose the cardio stamina I’ve built up and maintained. (Ran my first marathon in Jan) Should I try to add some runs in addition to the workouts or on off days?
This workout plan is pretty intense..I think you’ll find the HIIT cardio sessions are giving your cardiovascular system quite a workout. I’d give this plan a go for about 2-3 weeks, and see how you feel. If you want to include some weekend runs, or perhaps simply extend cardio days, feel free. 🙂
ok i have a question! instead of doing the cardio listed such as cycling and jump rope and what not can i replace with the cardio that i like such as running and stair mill?
It’s going to be pretty hard to do HIIT stair mill. Also, cycling and jump rope affect your body (and lower body muscles especially) in a different way. While you can certainly replace things you don’t like, the explosive nature of jump rope, and to a lesser degree, cycling, are what really help shape and define your lower half. The great thing about this workout is that the exercises listed on cardio days do much more than just improve your cardiovascular endurance; they tone and shape your legs and glutes as well. That said, my personal recommendation is to include cycling and jump rope into your routine 🙂
thanks so much… now i will make myself do the jump rope and dreaded cycle!!! Going to be starting this up april 1 so i will let you know how it goes.. i cant wait !
Good for you! On a side note, we’re looking for our readers to submit before/after photos that we can use to feature on shareitfitness.com. You can submit a headless picture so it’s totally anonymous if you want. Let me know if you’re interested..thanks!
There is a lady that beats me to the gym at 4:30am and gets the spin bike 1st. Will running sprints, 30 second sprint with 1:30 jog, do until she gets off the bike? It’s soooo frustrating since she just lolly gags on it!
That’d be fine. Although I’d also recommend staring at her menacingly until she gets off the bike…soon enough she’ll learn not to lolly gag 😀
I have a question. For those of us who don’t have an access to a bike or elliptical, what would you recommend for the HIIT portion of the workout. Would something like Jillian Michael 30 day shred program work? or is there something else? thank you so much
Jillian Michaels 30 day shred doesn’t use extended HIIT techniques, as far as I am aware. This would not be a suitable replacement for HIIT. To be perfectly honest, that program looks a bit gimmicky to me. Try doing HIIT running (sprint for 30 seconds/jog for 1:30) and pick up a jump rope so you can do HIIT jumping (30-45seconds jumping/45seconds-1minute rest). A routine that utilizes HIIT along with a well-designed weight plan is far more effective than any celebrity workout series…in my humble opinion 🙂
ok great. so i just keep repeating that until i reach 60 minutes?
Yup, you got it.
Where is the four week starter work out. I would love to do this routine but I feel the starter workout will help me out.
Coming out this week…keep checking back! 🙂
I am very new to all this and do not know what a lot of these exercises are. Is there a website or somewhere i can refer to to find out the movements? Thanks!
You can google any of these exercises and videos will pop up (typically YouTube) on how to do the exercises.
You’ll be able to see all of these exercises demonstrated by video clip on ShareItFitness.com when we launch later this month. Go to shareitfitness.com and sign up to claim your free membership. In the meantime, using youtube is a good alternative! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I tried to read through a bunch of the comments but I didn’t see this– are the weight days suppose to be done in a circuit format or each exercise 5 sets of 8 then move onto the next exercise?
I’m excited to get started with this! Thanks
Each exercise should be completed on its own; keep about 60 seconds rest between sets.
Found your blog on Pinterest– my friend and I plan to begin this workout plan Monday, though we are swapping Monday/Wed for Tues/Thur cardio days. I will update you on our progress. We are both fairly fit & healthy now and are looking to tone & lean out more. 🙂
So glad you found us! Good luck, this workout is tough, but I can tell you, I’ve personally seen the physical changes when clients and readers have stuck with this workout routine. You guys are gonna be looking super fit by the end of this! If you guys wouldn’t mind…would you consider taking some before/after pictures? You can chop off your head so its totally anonymous…we’re looking for our readers to show us how good they’re looking on our workouts to help motivate others. If you’re interested, I can give you an email to reach me at. No worries if you’re not interested. Thanks for reading the blog! 🙂
Absolutely! In the email, I would also like to include more personal information about myself and my diet so you could possibly point me in the right direction. Fair trade? 🙂
Is there a “key” or chart of some sort for all of the workouts? I used to be naturally slim and just lacked definition, but I gained 30 pounds after I got married and I’m only 5’2″ so that is A LOT of added weight! I cannot afford a gym membership so I am trying to figure out how I can do this at home. I have free weights and some resistance bands, but that’s about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I’m tired of being tired and want to get back in shape!
Oh, and I also get motion sickness fairly easily so I try to stay as stationary as possible while still getting a good workout. I almost passed out while doing “walking lunges” and I can run on a treadmill but not on a track, if that makes sense.
What is an alternative exercise for the rowing machine? My gym only provides the row where the seat doesn’t move, working only the biceps and back.
Try substituting a jump rope workout in place of the row machine if you don’t have access to one. A serious jump rope workout is going to hit almost all the major muscle groups in your body while providing a great metabolism boost to get you burning serious cals.
Think hard, everyone. It says
bullet- Monday: “workout”
bullet- Tuesday:”workout”
Obviously you are not going to do every workout in 1 day. Of course it is one bullet per day.
Seems like a good program
has anyone tried this for the entire four weeks? has it worked? what results are you seeing?
Confused. Week 3 Tuesday explain the 100 reps?
Let me better explain: For this you will be doing the lat pulldown exercise. We are doing a burnout, i.e. completely exhaust your muscles on the final exercise of the day. Using lighter weight, you are to perform 100 repetitions in as few sets as possible. Maybe you do 40 reps, then 30, then 25, then 15, then 10. It doesn’t matter. Just do 100 full repetitions without as little rest time as possible.
Two quick questions: I don’t have a rower, nor can I run because of my knees. I’ve had to have surgery, and they’re definitely not in the best of condition anymore. Would an elliptical work as a substitute for either?
For someone in your position, an elliptical would be a good substitute. Also consider swimming or riding a stationary bike. Definitely be sure to speak to your doctor before engaging in any of the above to make sure it is appropriate for someone in your position. Hope that helps!
Could you recommend a good bike? I’ve never done cycling and am not sure what kind of machine I should be looking into. I plan on getting one within the next month.
Thank you.
What type of cycling are you looking to do?
I just found this workout on Pinterest and am so excited to start it on Monday! I consider myself to be in good shape, but just can’t seem to shake these last few percentages of body fat allowing more muscle definition. I go to the gym 5 or 6 times a week, eat clean, and change up my workout routine in a desperate attempt to see results. Nothing is helping! I love everything I am reading on your blog and am glad someone is telling women to start lifting heavy and eating protein…especially after a workout! Here’s a humorous picture from Pinterest about women lifting that you may enjoy: https://pinterest.com/pin/172684966931969995/
Haha..I’ve seen that before myself, but perfect example. Really glad you’ve found our blog. Stick to this plan for the full 12 weeks and I’d almost guarantee you’ll have lost those last few pounds of fat, and added a bit of muscle, provided you are eating correctly and getting protein.
If you like this blog, head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email. We are giving away free premium membership to all of our early signups. We are launching an OnDemand fitness service with hundreds of group fitness classes and video workouts to help keep you going well after this plan ends…Thanks again for your support!
So, I am going to give this a try. I am just over 12 weeks away from my Jamaica trip. since January I have lost 25ish pounds doing various routines on bodybuilding.com. I Just finish carb cycling, which was awful, and I feel like I need something really explosive like this to loose the rest of my belly, hips, and thigh fat. I am seeing great definition in my shoulders, chest, bis and tris, and my legs a little. This looks like the right thing for me right now to get to my beach body. I hope it works.
Can you do more? and if so what would you suggest, more time on cardio HIIT days? or one or two more sets on lifting days?
Awesome, glad to hear you are giving it a try. I’ve personally seen GREAT results from clients using this routine. Just stick with it and trust that it will work. If you want to bump it up, I would suggest doing additional HIIT cardio on the weekends. This will help you burn even more fat and get you ready for your trip. Have a good time and let us know how the workout goes! Any other questions, we’re always here to help.
So I definitely want to give this a try but I have a few questions. On weight days, is every exercise to be done with weights? I.e. week 1, tuesday… walking lunges and reverse lunges with or without weights? Also what does HIIT stand for?
Every exercise should be done with weights unless you see “body weight” before the exercise, OR it is inherently a body weight-bearing exercise, i.e. planks, knee tucks, etc. Hope that helps! Let us know how your progess goes, and feel free to send over any more questions along the way.
Also..HIIT stands for High intensity interval training. HIIT involves periods of very high intensity (sprinting, for instance) cardio for short periods of time, followed by slower (jogging) periods of cardio for a longer time.
Something like…jog for 1:30, sprint for :30, jog for 1:30, sprint for :30, etc. Typically you’ll repeat a cycle like this for 30-60 minutes.
This can be done on a bike, row machine, etc.
I’m really excited to try this- thanks so much!
One question- any suggestions for an alternative to the row machine if I don’t have access to one?
Glad to hear it..and you are welcome! I would suggest doing a jump rope workout in place of the row machine.
I’m sure you probably don’t recommend this workout for a beginner as it is, but as far as something like jogging for 60 minutes, what alternative would you suggest? Also, do you think it would be useful to repeat part 1 if I have an extremely hard time getting through it? I like the idea of it all because it’s always something different, but it’s a little bit intimidating just looking at it. Or is it just expected that everything isn’t going to be perfect and to keep going? Thanks!
I’d have to agree, this is definitely for someone with a solid fitness base already. If you want to replace jogging, I would suggest trying stationary cycling or using the row machine. Even an intense 30 minute jump rope session would be a good replacement.
Absolutely recommend going through part 1 again if you’re having a tough time. No shame in that. Don’t feel intimidated..just ease your way into it. It is completely expected that you won’t get through this flawlessly your first time. Just keep at it, and I guarantee you’ll notice that it gets easier each time. When you feel ready, then move on to phase 2.
If you want to scale things back we recently posted a plan for absolute beginners..although you sound like you are a bit more advanced than that. To get an idea of what that plan offers, check back a page or two and look for the Progressive Beginner’s Plan. Hope this helps and feel free to shoot over any more questions. Thanks for following the blog!
Thanks! I noticed the beginner plan after I posted this 🙂 I have a Physical Education degree and I still can’t find the right thing to do! Finally have a program to look forward to and not get bored! Thanks!
It’s all good..even the pros need help sometimes. If you like that program, be sure to sign up at shareitfitness.com if you haven’t already. We’re giving away free premium memberships to anyone who signs up prior to our launch later this month. We’re an OnDemand fitness provider and total interactive fitness experience. We’ve compiled over 200 full-length group fitness classes, exercise DVD-style workouts, and virtual personal training lessons that are all stream to any computer, smart phone, tablet, or wifi-enabled TV. Follow along and keep pace with the fitness trainer on your screen to get a killer workout…easy as that! Thanks for the support and feel free to send over any questions as they come along!
I am looking forward to starting this next Monday (9 Apr). I am 5’10” and pretty fit, but I am looking to tone and get a lot more definition than I have now. I am really excited to start this and can’t wait to see the way my body changes! This is exactly the type of thing I’ve been looking for! I signed up on the website, but nothing comes up, it’s just the sign-up page…will that be changing soon? Thanks so much!
Sounds good Katie! You will DEFINITELY see changes in your body. Keep in mind…”toned” is a term thrown around a lot by fitness people. All it really means is your body has less body fat covering your muscles, thereby making your muscles more pronounced. To get toned, you just need to cut body fat and add a little muscle to your body. I’ve personally seen this plan do wonders for real-life clients as well as blog readers alike. Stick with it for the full 12 weeks and I guarantee you will notice progress.
Thanks for signing up on the website. You will be receiving a promo code for a free premium membership when we launch later this month. You’ll have access to hundreds of OnDemand group fitness classes, virtual personal training lessons, and exercise-dvd style workouts..among many other things. You can stream these on your computer, smart phone, tablet, or tv if it’s wifi-enabled. Bear with us as we finish things up and things will open up on shareitfitness.com shortly. Thanks for your support! Be sure to let us know how your progress goes!
Matt
Thanks!! This is wonderful!
I’m used to lifting almost every day (or 5 days a week). Either the LaBrada 12 week program or Jamie Eason’s 12 week, then cardio on top of that usually something every day. Usually focusing on one body part/group a day. Hour elliptical is usual but I also ride road bike. Will this be enough lifting for me to keep what I already have?
I guess I’m concerned that this might not be enough….?
Suggestions on my biking. Will it burn too much if I add this to your schedule once or twice a week?
I guess I’m freaked to try this. Going from almost two hours in the gym a day to about 1 hour……
Let me ask you a few questions before I give you an answer.
What’s your body composition like now? very fit, a few lbs to lose, etc.
What is your primary goal? i.e.add more muscle, continue to burn body fat
What is your metabolism like? Is it tough for you to put on weight? Tough to put on muscle?
Get back to me and I can give you a detailed and specific answer. Thanks!
Matt
I’m at about 19% bf right now. My goal is add lean muscle while dropping a few bf%’s. So – pretty fit – just a few vanity pounds.
I can gain and lost fat pretty east. Adding muscle is harder for me.
I eat pretty clean. Homemade protein bars pre workouts, 1/2 banana & protein shake post workouts.
Thanks.
Steph
Got it; so you certainly sound pretty fit. Nothing wrong with wanting to improve your physique by dropping a few vanity lb’s.
Without actually seeing your body composition, I’m going to make the assumption that adding ~5 lbs muscle (which will increase your metabolism, as I’m sure you know) will have you looking the way you want. Your increased caloric burn should take care of the remaining pounds you want to lose.
Since you have said you have a hard time adding muscle, I’m afraid doing cardio everyday after lifting may be the problem. I don’t know what your diet is like, but as I’m sure you are aware, you need ample caloric intake to fuel your body to create new muscle tissue. I would scale back the cardio before upping the calories. If that isn’t enough to allow you to generate new muscle mass, I’d consider upping calories slowly. Also, as you already saw, doing a workout like that in Part III of this plan is much better, in my humble opinion, than 1 body part per day. This is how body builders typically workout…you want to look and feel like a toned, tight, and fit athlete. I believe training like an athlete is the best way to look like one. Id suggest doing part II or III first, and limiting cardio to only the days listed. If you feel you absolutely need more cardio, consider adding an additional day on the weekend. Any other questions, feel free to ask!
Matt
Awesome! Thank you for the response!
I’ll do my best to cut back on the cardio. Old habits die hard!
I’m going to try to follow your plan from start to finish. (I actually started on Monday – Tomorrow’s hour run is scaring me! LOL – I’m not a runner)
I needed a change of pace – to mix things up – this might just be what the doctor ordered.
I know that I probably have been doing too much cardio to build muscle properly….
Like I said, old habits.
If I remember I’ll have my BF take a before pic of me tonight. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be the gal you post under the title
“Do This…Look like That…Total Body Blitz Workout”
Thanks for the workout!
Looking forward to your site being up and going!
Good luck to you!
Steph
Sounds great, keep us updated on your progress. A picture would be huge…we love getting reader submissions, as well as before/after pictures. It really helps us out. If you need an email address to send the pic to, let me know! Thanks!!
Question: During week two you have “5 sets of 50: squat jumps, 50 calve raises” on Monday, but “50 squat jumps, 50 calve raises” on Friday. Are we just cutting back on Friday, or are we actually supposed to do the 5 sets of 50 on Friday as well. Thanks for creating this work out, by the way, I started it with my dad this week and we love it. He started passing it on to his coworkers too! 🙂
I can see how that would be confusing. I edited the language in the post to hopefully clear things up, but I’ll explain here as well.
When you see 5 sets of 50, complete those exercises as you would any thing else. When you see 50 squat jumps, calve raises, etc. you are completing those exercises at an elevated pace. Do the 50 squat jump as fast as possible (maintain form of course), then move on to the calf raises, then move on to the planking, then the ab exercises. You should be trying to do these with as little rest as possible. If it’s still not clear, feel free to continue asking questions.
Glad to hear you and your dad are undertaking this program…I’ve personally seen GREAT results from real-life clients as well as some of our readers. Trust the process, keep up with the workouts, and good things are sure to follow.
If you guys havent already, consider signing up at http://www.shareitfitness.com with your email address. By doing so, you will receive a promo code for a free premium membership when we launch later this month. You’ll have access to hundreds of OnDemand group fitness classes, virtual personal training lessons, and exercise-dvd style workouts..among many other things. You can stream these workouts on your computer, smart phone, tablet, or tv if it’s wifi-enabled. Bear with us as we finish things up and things will open up on shareitfitness.com shortly. Thanks for your support! Be sure to let us know how your progress goes!
Matt
Thanks for the reply, Matt! I get it now! 🙂 I thought I signed up for email, but I’ll have to check again. Love this site! Thanks!
So on Monday of week 2 its a total of 250 jump squats and 250 calf raises? I think I might collapse on the ground with jello legs….
You got it…it’ll get easier with time though. Keep at it, do your best, and take your time.
What would be a great alternative for hanging knee raises?? Thanks a bunch!!!
Reverse crunches, lying leg raises, and scisscor kicks would be great replacements to hanging knee raises. Please let me know if you have any more questions…I’m happy to further assist! Thanks for following our blog!
Matt
If I happened to miss a day or 2 would it be alright to do 2 days in one like one in the morning and one before bed or should I just skip a rest day?
I would suggest just skipping the workout you missed and moving on to the next day. The workouts in this plan are pretty tough (and get tough in parts II and II). You want to allow yourself a full recovery, so don’t sweat a missed workout. Just do your best not to allow more than one or two a month. Any other questions, feel free to ask!
Matt
I noticed in one of your comments you mentioned you guys were working on a workout routine for people to do in their living room. This type of workout would be ideal for me since I don’t have access to a gym. I typically do workout videos but seem to get bored with the same routine daily.Have you completed this workout routine yet??
Thanks!! 🙂
Jamie –
We’ll have a workout at home posted later this week. That said, you should head over to shareitfitness.com and sign up there. You will be given a free premium membership to our site when we launch later this month. We’re going to have hundreds of full-length (20-60 minutes) fitness classes and virtual training sessions OnDemand. Many of these can be done at home with no, or very little, equipment. You’ll be able to do 5 workouts a week from this library and still not do them all in a year…This seems like it’d be a great way for you to keep your workouts fresh and interesting AND workout from home!
If I start this program today…what kind of results should you see in 4 weeks? I have been trying to lose weight for a very long time now & I just want to see results of INCHES lost. If I do this, like you said , to a T will I get inches lost, and maybe see the scale go down slightly? I also LOVE to do Zumba & Yoga. Can I add these to this workout routine. I. Just debating starting it. In 5 weeks I go to Miami. I’m not expecting a 30lb weight loss or drop 3 dress sizes(my long term goal) in 5 weeks, but I would expect to see something. I’ve just struggled w my weight my whole life, I’m so over it. I need something that works.
Lena,
So happy you found us and are thinking about starting this workout plan.
I can tell you a few things right off the bat – I’ve personally seen the results of real-life clients on this plan. In addition, I’ve seen pictures our users have submitted after doing this plan. Like I said, if you stick to the plan, don’t miss days, and go hard, it WILL work.
That said, your diet is always going to be 60% of the battle. Doing this workout alone and neglecting your diet will not deliver much progress. Keep a healthy diet, avoid sugar, bad fats, simple carbs, and late night gorging..and you should notice significant difference 5 weeks from now.
Adding group fitness like yoga or Zumba is not only a good idea, it is encouraged! Don’t substitute those classes for a workout in this plan, just add them to what the plan recommends.
Also, you should head over to http://www.shareitfitness.com and leave us your email address. This will get you a free membership on our full site when we launch later this month. We’re going to feature hundreds of group fitness classes like yoga, etc. OnDemand…meaning you can stream these group fitness classes and other video workouts anywhere, anytime. Think it is something you would enjoy. Anyhow, thanks for reading the blog, and let us know how your progress comes. Any questions, feel free to ask.
Matt
Thanks Matt, I’m going to try it. Before I started any kind of workout routine I did a lifestyle change with food. I actually carb cycle. I met Chris & Heidi Powell and they recommended that. So one week consists of a Low Carb, Low Carb, High Carb, Low Carb, Low Carb, High. Carb, Guilt Free Day. Then every 4 weeks I eat all high carb. I do enjoy eating this way, hopefully you think this works. I also plan on workout out all 7 days, not because I think I will increase weight loss but because I like it. On the weekends is usually when I do yoga. It relaxes me.
I’m one of those who like trainers to tell me what to do other wise I’m lost. I need to be held accountable to someone. I do have to look up some of the workouts because they sound foreign to me haha
Here is hoping that this works. I want to look decent for Miami, especially if I will be wearing a swimsuit. I also plan on continuing after my trip. My 25th birthday is in June and I’m ready for a new me! I subscribed to the blog but I will submit my email!
Great to hear you’re going to begin Lena.
In regards to your diet, I’ve got to be honest…while eating low carbs is an effective way to lose weight in the short term, that diet plan strikes me as very gimmicky. A well-balanced and consistent diet that simply has you eating healthy, whole grains, healthy fats, etc. is much more effective in the long-term. Any diet that has you maintaining high/low and/or counting carbs based on the day is simply a diet, not a lifestyle change. It’s simply too hard to keep up with something like this forever. If you want a more expert opinion on the matter check out Dr. PK Newby (she wrote today’s article). She is a nutritional scientist, Harvard graduate, and works with us and our readers to provide her nutritional opinion. Check out her blog and feel free to ask her a few questions..shes very helpful and knowledgable. I hope I’m not discouraging, just want to give you the best opinion I can on the matter.
Also glad to hear you signed up at shareitfitness.com. By signing up there, you’ll receive a promo code to get your premium membership..something blog subscribers aren’t getting..which is why we suggest people sign up at both places! Again, any further questions, I’m here to help 🙂
Well we do have all of our own opinions. I don’t feel like I’m dieting w the carb cycling. I never count carbs I still enjoy the foods I love just in portions. I’m also just aware of what I eat. Thanks though. I will let you know how the workout goes.
Is there something I could do in place of Lat Pull downs at home?
Thanks! Loving this work out!
Try doing bent over dumbbell rows. Should hit your lats pretty good.
Question on the cycling…should it be done on a traditional stationary bike or can it be done on a recumbent bike as well?
Personally, I use both the recumbent as well as a traditional road bike when I do my cycling. I find using both will affect different areas of my legs, giving a better total workout. That said, from a cardiovascular standpoint, I really see no difference in my heart rate, depending on the bike. So short answer, feel free to use the recumbent bike as there should really be no significant difference. Any other questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks for reading the blog!
Matt
When you say HIIT at 100% what exactly is 100%? is it based on the person? or is there an actual speed we should be going?
When I say 100%, I mean, 100% of YOUR max effort. Of course each individual’s max effort is completely different. Just go as fast as you personally can. Over time your maximum exertion will increase. Any other questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for following the blog.
Matt
Hi!
I love this workout plan- my husband and I are both going to start it next Monday!
I see something about an eating plan mentioned by a few people- is there a eating guide or plan somewhere that I have overlooked?
Thanks!
Hey Ashley, thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you and your husband are starting this routine together. You’ll have to let us know how you guys progress.
As far as a diet plan, its very hard to give specific dietary recommendations to the masses, but I’ve linked to a general, yet informative diet plan for someone engaging in a strenuous workout plan like the one you guys are starting. You can find it right here:
http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/02/27/follow-the-golden-ratio-to-a-perfect-body-general-diet-plan-for-active-people/
If you guys love this plan, you should head over to http://www.shareitfitness.com and leave us an email address. We’re launching our full site this month and we’ll be able to send you a promo code for a free premium membership which will give you access to not only more workout plans, but a full library of OnDemand video fitness classes and virtual training sessions. Anyhow, thanks for following us, and as always, feel free to send over any more questions as they come up.
Matt
Hi-question on the HIIT rowing. My gym does not have a rowing machine. What other HIIT program could I do on those days?
Thanks,
I would try to do a HIIT jump rope routine. Like rowing, jump roping will work a larger area of your body, and give you nice metabolic boost that static-state cardio will not. Hope that helps!
My gym do not have a row machine, what other exercise would you recommend in place of that??
See a comment or two below 🙂
My friend and I just finished week 2 and are moving on to week 3. Quick question, for tuesday of week 3, do you do the lat burn out 5 times? or is it just one set of 100 burn outs?
That’ll be one set of 100 (or really, however many it takes for you to complete 100). Good job on finishing week 2…keep up the good work!
Thank you! My friend and I are so happy we found this program. We love working out, and really needed something to challenge us again because we were stuck in a rut! We have completely different body types; she has always been slender and trim and is definitely getting more toned, I have always been curvy (or size Awesome as I like to say) and can already see some difference in my hips. I need to remember to take before and after photos so we can really see the change! Thank you again for this great challenge and motivation!
well, I saw this on pinterest and clicked to follow the link to this page and honestly… from a professionals perspective I am insulted with what you said about fitness professionals. Personal Trainer such as myself analyse very carefully people’s needs and then spend hours creating plans that will a)work on their weaknesses b) develop muscular bases and c) create an overall awareness of exercise and what they need to do in order to live a happy healthy life. I do not “trick and confuse” people for money. I teach them how to exercise properly and in a way they wont get hurt. It’s all well and good for you to say ” ok do a squat dead lift and make it a super set”…but YOU are not there helping them to make sure they dont pull their back by arching, or blow their knees by improperly squatting, nor are you able to tell if they are engaging their core as well as maintaining proper posture.
You claim that you have been in the exercise “biz” for several years…. doing what? Posts like this make my blood boil! It is an uneducated loose program and I have no doubt in my mind that people have a-got injured b-incorrectly executed exercises and c-not seen optimal results.
I HOPE people have not got hurt and encourage you to deeply clarify these multi-joint exercises and check it out with a professional to make sure your at least in proper posture.
GOOD LUCK!
My gym doesn’t have jump ropes….what can I do instead? Loving the program! Thanks!
Also, I’m worried about getting too big in my lower body. I don’t want to be the body builder type. I want lean and toned. I’m only in week 2 so I was wondering, does getting bigger and then becoming more toned happen eventually or do I need to alter my routine/diet?
I’d suggest picking up a cheap jump rope from a Play it Again or other sporting goods store. You can get one for ~$6. Don’t worry about getting too big. Being “lean” simply means you have less body fat covering your body, thereby making your muscles look more pronounced. There is no difference between working out to build muscle and working out to tone. There is a reason body builders eat 5,000 calories+ a day…that kind of muscle doesn’t grow out of thin air. If you aren’t eating/training like a body builder, you aren’t going to look like a body builder. I’ve seen tons of women do this routine, and others like it, and develop lean, tight, and sexy legs and bodies. Just stick with it, trust the science behind it, and everything will work out the way you want it to.
Thank you! This is what I needed to hear! The validation means everything. This is the workout I’ve been looking for because I want to look like that girl in the photo. I’m not too far off now and I know that after this 12 weeks, I’ll be right there too. Thanks again!
where can I find how to do some of these moves that I’m new to?
Head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email address. You’ll be given a free premium membership to our site which is launching shortly. From there you’ll be able to find hundreds of video exercise demos for every movement under the sun. In the meantime, try browsing youtube or google! 🙂
I feel like I am going heavy on the upper body days but I’m not feeling sore, well I do feel a little tightness when I do certain movements but not as sore as I do when I do my legs, those babies are sore for about 3 days. Any suggestions?
First off, don’t let yourself gauge progress by how sore you feel. While I agree, it’s nice to have that post-workout soreness and KNOW you did something right..that isn’t the sole indicator of whether or not you are making progress.
That said, if you want to push yourself a little harder, take your time and make full, complete repetitions. We all cheat when we lift. Make a point to perform each rep fully, to complete extension. You’ll be amazed at how your chest will feel after doing dumbbell flys this way. Also, try slowing down the lift/lower by a second or so. Another good tip is to flex the muscle you are working at peak contraction..This will force extra blood into your muscle, help you reach muscular fatigue faster, and MAY give you a little more post-workout soreness. Hope that helps! Any other questions, please feel free to ask!
I will def try that next time. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Great program by the way
Question- I do a lot of exercise, but basically, I’m a runner. I’m also a full time student and waitress without much access (or time) to a gym. Can I do these work outs at home? (I.e. are there alternate things I can use as weights?) Please let me know- the program looks fabulous. I have about 10 pounds I’m looking to lose, but more importantly, I want to gain some serious muscle definition. Running does this (as well as Yoga), but I’d love to try out this program…
Hey Ashley..
Thanks for the comment. To be perfectly honest, recreating this plan at home would be tough. A lot of the exercises require things that you wouldn’t have at home. If you are looking to gain serious muscle, you would likely need to invest in a few pieces of at home equipment or a gym membership. Losing the weight at home is no problem however. My suggestion would be try a routine like this: http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/intense-at-home-fat-burning-cardio-workout-no-equipment-required/
Follow along with that Monday, Wednesday, Friday. This workout is GREAT for burning fat as well as fatiguing muscles across your entire body. Tuesdays and Thursdays, get outside and do some HIIT running. Use a 1:30 jog/30 second all-out sprint format. Aim for 25 minutes to start and build from there. Once you’ve dropped those 10 pounds..which you will if you stick to the above 5 day workout, reach back out to me and lets talk about ways to add serious muscle. Any other questions, feel free to ask.
Matt
From what I understand, running (or to much cardio) can make you lose muscle. Lifting weights builds it. I think lifting weights is really important because it looks weird when there isnt any support or definition under the skin (as seen on skinny cardio buffs). The routine above sounds pretty awesome and I bet it creates a nice shape.
My friend and I are really excited to start this program… But nervous at the same time. We have quickly fallen out of shape, and it has been quite some time since we have done high intensity workouts or lifted weights. We aren’t beginners but we definitely aren’t advanced. Would you recommend this program for getting back into shape? Or should we start with something else to shapen up and then do this program? Looking at the first week of workouts, we think we can do like the first 30 minutes of the workout correctly, but may be quite tired after that to continue at high intensity for the rest of the workout.
Please let us know what you recommend. Thanks!
Steph –
Thanks for the comment. I think the best course of action would be to start this program as is. As you guys make your way through the first couple of weeks, you should have a good idea as the to the intensity you are able to handle. If you need to scale back after 30 minutes or so, feel free. The thing you should understand is that fitness isn’t all or nothing, as many people make it seem. If it takes you three months to work up to completing part I fully, so be it. You guys do your best, remember to push yourselves, and move on when you are able to complete your workouts 100% without taking significant breaks. Parts II and especially III, bump the intensity. If you feel you need to run through part I again, by all means, do that. The end goal is developing a lean, fit, and healthy body…just remember there isn’t one set way of getting there. Hope that helped…any other questions feel free to ask.
Also, if you enjoy this plan, head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email. We’ll send you a free premium membership on our full site when we launch this month! Thanks again for your support!
Matt
I was doing the 12 week live fit plan and needed to bump up the intensity…with this program will I loose the lean muscle mass I have built?
You shouldn’t lose the muscle mass you’ve put on with this plan. The explosive nature of the movements in this plan are great for building and/or maintaining muscle mass..depending on your goals. Make sure you are consuming enough protein, consider a glutamine supplement, and scale back cardio if you find you are losing muscle. Any other questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for following the blog!
Matt
I’ve been doing this plan and am at the end of week three and I love it! Even though I know scales aren’t the most important thing in the world, I would like to shed a few pounds but I don’t seem to be doing so. Am I gaining muscle mass in this work out?
You’re absolutely gaining muscle mass with this program…that’s what the weight training is meant to do. Adding muscle will help increase your metabolism, which will help you shed more fat in the long run. Completely forgot the scale and measure your progress by your waistline and/or how you are looking. A 130 pound woman with 12% body fat is going to look worlds different than a 130 pound woman with 30% body fat. Keep that in mind when you are working out! 🙂
Thanks so much! It really does motivate me even more to hear that.
This made me feel much better! I’ve always weighed 150ish and have struggled with this fact even though I fit into a size eight jeans (and they’re baggy). With knowing this, should weight be disregarded completely if you’re living a healthy lifestyle?
Btw, love this! I’m in week two!
Weight shouldn’t be completely disregarded. When I say don’t worry about the scale, I mean, if you are fit with a good deal of muscle on your frame, don’t worry about the weight. If you are living healthy, eating right, but still have fat and not much muscle, I’d make efforts to lose the body fat. Just be cognizant to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat and if you are muscular, what the scale says is less important. Great example; I weigh 175 pounds. I fluctuate slightly, but my body fat is generally right around 8-9%. My BMI however, is 25.5, which says I’m an overweight individual. Clearly, this is not the case…BMI and scales don’t account for fit individuals with lean muscle mass. Hope that helps!
Very useful blog. More people should take this up as a part of healthy lifestyle and to lose weight. We should all adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Hi. My friend and I are in week 2, and we are loving this program. Our biggest challenge has been knowing and maintaining proper form with some of the weight lifting exercises. Is there a website you would recommend to see video demonstrations? Thank you!
Hey Heather…
You’re in luck! We have video demo’s of every exercise under the sun on ShareItFitness.com. We’ll be launching our full site on June 3rd. Until then, try googling exercise names and browsing the videos that pop up. Head over to shareitfitness.com if you havent already and leave us your email address. Everyone who signs up before the 3rd will get a free premium membership. Thanks for following our blog and look forward to seeing you on the site!
Matt
Hi Matt!!
So I’m at the end of week 3 and my butt muscles hurt so bad lol 🙂 Anyway, I’ve managed to bump up the weight each week and all but I’ve noticed I usually can’t complete one tiny part on leg days. Like if it’s a leg day then 3 minute plank is the last thing, I can’t do it. I lift so heavy that my legs won’t hold me up long enough to complete the plank. Any suggestions or is this ok? By the way, I’m loving this. I’m already super thin but getting this muscle mass (and a bigger booty) is great!!! The guys love staring in the gym when I’m cranking out weights. It’s awesome 🙂
Katelynn –
Glad to hear things are working out for you, and your butt. Good job on continuing to increase the weights. That will be especially important as you move on to parts 2 and 3. As far as the three minutes of planking goes; it all doesn’t have to be done at one time. Break that three minutes up into as many sets as it takes. For instance, maybe you hold for 1 minute in set one, then 30 seconds in sets two and three, then 15 seconds in set four…you get the idea. Do this until you make it to a full three minutes. Over time, you’ll be able to decrease the number of sets it takes to plank for a full three minutes.
Again, so glad to hear you’re enjoying this work out program. You sound like you’re looking great…If you’d be so inclined, we’d totally appreciate a photo we can use for motivation and/or a couple paragraphs on what you think of the workout so far. If you’re interested, I can give you an email address to send to. Thanks again for the support and feel free to send over any more questions.
Matt
I would love to send in a picture. I like being someone else’s motivation!!! If you could send me the email address I’d love to send a picture 🙂 I’ll definitely work on all that. I love the workout plan so far and I can feel the results every day!!
I have to say I was really excited to start this program, but I’m having a lot of trouble with it. I made it to day two, where I completed all the exercises without too much difficulty, but the legs workout was so intense for me that my legs have been sore for days (not just a little sore, like cant-take-the-stairs sore) and I’ve had a ton of trouble continuing to follow the routine being in so much pain. Is there anything you can suggest for people like me who aren’t in great shape upon beginning, other than just suffering through it? I didnt think it would be so difficult for me, and I didnt have a ton of trouble completing the exercises at the time, but the repercussions were pretty bad. Thanks!
Hey Sam,
Glad to hear you like the workout. The soreness you are experiencing is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). There are certainly varying degrees of soreness one may experience, but rest assured, what you are experiencing isn’t that uncommon.
Even for the most regular of exercisers, a hard workout can bring on the kind of pain you’re talking about. After a hard leg day with heavy deadlifts, I will often have a hard time walking straight and/or moving without extreme soreness.
This soreness is always most extreme when you are doing new things for the first time out. The next time you do a lower body day, I’d be willing to bet the soreness doesn’t come close to what you’re feeling now.
My suggestion would be this: go through the first week of the program and get the major soreness out of the way. Take your time to complete this first week and progress to the rest of the workout when you feel you are physically able. Like I said, the soreness will never be as bad as it was the first time or two through a workout. If you want to really tone it down, search “beginner” on the blog and you should find some introductory plans to ease you in. Any other questions feel free to ask!
Matt
Thank you for your quick response! I just have one other question, my gym doesnt have an erg machine for rowing, anything else you recomcend to replace it with?
I would suggest replacing this with HIIT jump roping, mixed with burpees..something like the following would be great:
30 seconds jump rope/5 burpees/30 seconds rest…repeat 20-30 times.
Hello,
I found this program kinda by accident, but it looks so great that I decided to start tomorrow. I’m not new to fitness, but I am getting back into it. I have some questions about some of the exercises. Due to previous back injuries I am unable to do some of the exercises, do you have any suggestions for substitutions? Specifically deadlifts? Also the gym I go to doesn’t have a squat machine. Are those supposed to be done with weights? and if so just do them with free weights and build up? Also, what is a sumo squat, a military press, skull crushers, and snatch?
So far those are my questions for week 1. I’ll let you know how it goes and will likely have more questions for week 2. Is there somewhere on this site where the exercises are explained?
Thanks so much and wish me luck!
Phoebe
Hey Phoebe,
First off, if you are dealing with prior injuries, I would speak to a doctor to ensure you are able to do any or all of these exercises.
Second, I would certainly recommend staying away from deadlifts and/or any sort of bent over movement, like a barbell row.
If your gym doesn’t have a squat machine, don’t worry. Just hold a barbell behind your neck, on your shoulders, as you perform the exercise. Although again, please speak to a doctor before attempting to do squats as they can put a strain on the lower back, especially if they are done with improper form.
As far as where to find these exercises, you’re in luck. Lastly, our full site will be launching next Monday. We’re going to feature hundreds of video workouts OnDemand for you to follow along with, as well as video demos of every exercise under the sun. In the meantime, I would consider googling exercise names and browsing for videos.
If you head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email address, we can send you a promo code for a free premium membership which will give you access to all of the ondemand videos, exercise demos, and more. Anyhow, thanks for following us and feel free to send over any more questions as they come up.
Matt
Thanks so much for the quick response! Don’t worry about the doctor. I’m in pretty constant contact with my PT about form and what I can and can’t do. I’ll google the exercises for tomorrow and I look forward to the site coming up fully soon.
I did Week 1 Monday’s workout today and it went really well. Hard, and I’ll be sore tomorrow, but not unrealistic for my level. Thanks again for putting this site up. I think it’s going to be really great.
When i go to shareitfitness.com there isn’t a space to leave an email address. I’ve registered for the free membership on the homepage and I’ve subscribed to this blog. But just in case that didn’t go through my email is phoebe.jensen@email.wsu.edu.
Thanks again,
Phoebe
Phoebe –
No problem..we really try to separate ourselves from the other fitness blogs out there by getting back to reader questions/comments ASAP; we’re happy to help.
Glad to hear Week 1 went well for you. Some soreness should be expected, but hopefully nothing too major that prevents you from accomplishing workouts. Based on the results we’ve seen from real-life clients and blog readers alike, I think this plan will do wonders for you. Be sure to keep us up to date on your progress! 🙂
We took down the sign up page but will be extending the promo period by a few days. I’ll just go ahead and manually add your email address so you’ll be sure to get the premium promo code before our launch on Monday. Thank YOU for your support, we really appreciate it.
Matt
Hello!
Similarly to Phoebe, I am getting ready to start this program and have read through most of the exercises. I was wondering as well, if there is a site or a link that describes some of the exercises, or shows someone doing them? I am also wondering when I get to part 2, what a burpee is? I have not done a ton of strength training, but am looking forward to having something that is so well laid out, and different each day. I think it will be a good match for me!
Hey Heather!
First off, thanks for following our blog, we really appreciate it. Secondly, congrats on taking the next step and starting this total body transformation.
Now, as far as where to find these exercises, you’re in luck. Our full site will be launching next Monday. We’re going to feature hundreds of video workouts OnDemand for you to follow along with, as well as video demos of every exercise under the sun. In the meantime, I would consider googling exercise names and browsing for videos.
If you head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email address, we can send you a promo code for a free premium membership which will give you access to all of the OnDemand videos, exercise video demos, and more. Thanks for reading our blog, we really appreciate your support. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to send them over.
Matt
H there Matt,
Thanks for the info! I have tried to get into the shareitfitness.com site, but it appears to be under construction still and I can’t seem to find anywhere to leave you my email address? I did sign up for a bronze membership yesterday, so maybe you could get my email from that? Let me know, I would love to be able to use the promo code! Thanks in advance!
Heather –
Just to be on the safe side, and so we don’t miss your email, go ahead and send an email to info@shareitfitness.com from the email address you’d like the premium membership promo code sent to. We’ll just go ahead and manually add you. Thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you on our full site come Monday!
Matt
Hi, I had similar questions and tried to leave my email address, but it wouldn’t let me when I headed to the site. Is there any way I can still get my email address to someone? Thank you.
Sure can Katie. We’re extending the pre-launch sign up period by a few days…we’ll just have to manually add you for the time being. Feel free to send an email to info@shareitfitness.com from the email address you would like the promo code sent to. If you could make a brief note requesting the promo code that will help whoever processes your mail. Thanks for following us and look forward to seeing you on our site next week!
Matt
Hi,
I’m on week three and Thursdays workout for tomorrow. Can you tell me what version of “knee tuck” I am to do?
Thanks!
Hi there. This variation of knee tuck should look like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG9Csr4O7Nw
Jump vertically and bring your knees in so they are just above your waistline, before returning to your start position. Hope this helps. Feel free to send over any additional questions you may have. Thanks for following our blog!
Matt
Hi,
What if you want to build bulk/tone but don’t need to lose weight? I seem to lose weight too easily and worry doing so much cardio will not be beneficial as I am quite petite as is. Or do you need to incorporate it as a whole routine?Thanks!
Hey there. If you want to add some muscle and lean out, I would suggest limiting your cardio and including more compound lifts to your current routine. I’d suggest HIIT cardio 2-3 times a week, but your main focus should be on exhausting the muscles in your body with strenuous and VARIED exercises. Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Matt
Whoever posted this I thought I should let u know where ever you got my picture for this I don’t appreciate you using it without my consent and for the record that’s not my workout plan!
Hi, I’m from Comombia , I will try to do this routine, but there are any exercises that I can’t understood, maybe have you some video for this routine?
Thanks!
Hey Dayana. If you head over to shareitfitness.com and leave us your email address, we will be able to send you a promo code to our full site which is launching on Monday. From there you will find video demonstrations of every exercise imaginable. Thanks for reading the blog!
Alright, I’m ready to commit…Again! It’s true, I have had that body before and I let myself get fat during school so, I’m taking the summer off from classes to get it back! What do you recommend as far as supplements. I plan on picking up some safflower, reservatrol, CLA. What else would you suggest?
Monday is my start date. I hope that someone will answer my question….I’m not trying to be a bother. Thank you for your time.
Not a bother…was just out of town the past few days without an internet connection. As far as supplements go, whey protein, taken immediately after each workout is the most important, in my opinion. Aside from that, I’ve never been big on supplements. I really find that a very clean diet, well designed workouts, and whey protein are more than enough to completely transform any body.
Glad to see you actually answer these questions. I work out in a gym with very limited equipment, i.e. – cardio stuff, a few machines, and free weights. Thats about it. No barbells or anything like that. So is there a way to substitute out for exercises like deadlifts that usually require that?
Well, I would use dumbbells whenever possible. Try doing dumbbell deadlifts for example. Otherwise, try browsing our exercise video database on ShareItFitness.com to get some ideas about exercises that would work well for your goals and situation. Any other questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Thanks!
Matt
I just have to say that I’ve just completed phase I of the Total Body Blitz program….I can’t express how much I love the diversity of the program…it’s like sticking your hand in a bag and wondering what you’re going to pull out!!! Like a comment below, I have been in school the last year and a half and have taken this summer off to address the supposed mythical Freshman 15, lol….I have been in great shape, but…well…when you become sedendary….school, sitting and studying, or for whatever reason….it slowly rears it’s ugly head and before you know it……it’s like, when the heck did this happen? I was once in management and hired a trainer a few years ago who was one of the few greats in this small town but very expensive…..I have since left management and went back to school…I am unable to pay trainer fees anymore and just when I wanted to scream in frustration….here comes Share It Fitness and I am forever grateful!!!!!!!! I love you!!!
So happy to see comments like this. Congrats for sticking with part 1. Looking forward to hearing what you think about part 2. If you’re into group fitness and/or personal training, I think you’d really enjoy what we have to offer on http://www.shareitfitness.com. We’ve got an OnDemand fitness class library filled with group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts….its free to sign up at the moment and might really help supplement your total body blitz plan. Anyhow, thanks again for your support and hopefully see you in the community!
Matt
Grace, if you DO go sign up at our site, we would really appreciate you posting this wonderful testimonial in our official Testimonials section. We want others to know just how great this program is and be encouraged to try it and our other programs! Once you register for the site, you can add a testimonial by Clicking About–>Testimonials–>Add Testimonial. We surely appreciate it and wish you all the success as you continue to work through the Total Body Blitz program!
Im sorry, what is HIIT? High intensity!?
You got it..High Intensity Interval Training…Periods of all out effort, followed by a longer period of relaxed pace.. i.e. 30 seconds sprint/followed by 1:30 jog…repeated for 20-30+ minutes.
This can be done for almost all types of cardio though..biking, rowing, swimming, etc…
“High Intensity Interval Training”. it’s when you are varying between anaerobic and aerobic exercises- the 20 seconds of sprint (anaerobic) and Minute 30 jog (aerobic). It give you a burst of anaerobic exercise (without oxygen) which helps with stamina and endurance as well.
AKA: Crossfit!
These exercises were around long before Crossfit! 🙂
I am in my early 60s and want to improve my looks and overall health. Unfortunately, i have had a flair up of arthrtis -this year that has kept me for exercising since Jan-
do you have any routines for someone like me? I have to start off slow and then build up, the knee issue is so problematic.
thanks
Hey there Marg. Thanks for checking us out. We most certainly have workouts for people of all skill levels. What I would suggest you do is head over to our full site, http://www.shareitfitness.com and sign up. We just recently launched and we’re still giving away free premium memberships. This will give you access to our entire video exercise OnDemand library. In there, you’ll be able to find tons of fitness classes on video, that have been made for all skill levels. Just start easy (search for beginner to intermediate classes) and work your way up. If you have any trouble signing up, just leave a comment here and I’ll walk you through it. Thanks for following us and hope to see you around the site!
Matt
I know this is going to be a stupid questions, but what does HIIT mean? Thanks, Heather n GA
Whatsup Heather n GA! No stupid questions around here! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This involves short periods of all out intensity (90-100%), followed by longer periods of a relaxed pace. For example, 30 seconds of all out sprinting, followed by a 1 minute 30 second jog. You would then repeat this cycle 10-15 more times for 20-30 minutes worth of HIIT cardio.
Thanks for checking out our blog..if you like what you’re seeing here, you should check out our full site, which just launched a few days ago. You can find it at http://www.shareitfitness.com. We’ve got tons of workouts, OnDemand video fitness classes, forums, etc. Lot of good stuff to be found over there.. In the meantime, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Matt
This is a great plan! I wish there were cheaper in-home ways to do some of these tasks, as I can’t drive to a gym and have no money or space for any machines, but I think I’m going to try this out and substitute some activities for those I can’t do. Thank so much!
Thanks for the kind words. So glad you made this comment; our full site launched just a few days ago, I think you’d really like it a lot. You can find it at http://www.shareitfitness.com…you can register directly here: http://shareitfitness.com/subscribe.html
We’ve got tons of workouts,video fitness classes OnDemand, forums, etc. Lot of good stuff to be found over there.. Best of all, soo many of our OnDemand fitness classes can be done at home with little to no equipment. We’re still offering free premium memberships, so head on over there and start getting your sweat on!
In the meantime, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Matt
Week three lost five pounds so far and gained lots of tone and definition love this plan!!
Awesome! Love hearing that! Just remember, as you continue to add muscle and lean out, the scale may not be moving as low as you’d expect since muscle weighs more than fat. Use your physique and waistline as an indicator of your progress if the scale stops being so kind 🙂
Im planning on starting this plan, but I have a question though, by the end of the 4 weeks you just start all over again? oh and also, where can I find images for some of the exercises that you list here? Thanks Priscilla 🙂
Glad to hear you’re starting our Total Body Blitz series…Think you’ll really like it, it’s helped a LOT of people before you. At the bottom of the post, you’ll find a link for part II of this plan. (http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/do-this-look-like-that-total-body-blitz-workout-part-ii/#.T9Z8b3YR5NU)
You’ll find a link to part III at the end of part II. Just follow along.
You should come over to our full site, http://www.shareitfitness.com. We have OnDemand group fitness classes and DVD style workouts for you to do to supplement the Total Body Blitz plan..In addition, we have video demos of all of the exercises found in this plan. Last, but not least, we have a forum where people on the Total Body Blitz plan can talk, ask questions, and motivate each other. Best of all, we’re still offering our premium memberships for free…so you’ve got nothing to lose! 🙂
Hope to see you around the site!
Matt
Is this program ok for beginners…meaning someone that used to workout a lot (jogged 4-5x a week) but barely gets to workout 2x a week now? And had a period of off workouts for months! I need to lose about 30 pounds and get back into lean shape. I’m hoping this isn’t just for those already in shape!
Hey Heather, thanks for the question. To be honest, this program is pretty intense. If you’ve been out of the loop for a while, and we’re primarily doing steady-state cardio (jogging at one pace) you’d probably want to work your way up. Good news is, we’ve got something designed for people like you in mind, found here:
http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/ease-into-fitness-a-progressive-plan-for-beginners/
That said, I wouldn’t stick with just one workout. Our full site just launched last week and features hundreds of OnDemand video workouts for ALL skill levels. You can find us at http://www.shareitfitness.com. Simply register (it’s free for a limited time) and you’ll have access to our OnDemand library, forums, and all the other features.
Thanks for reading our blog and hope to see you on the site!
Matt
What do you exactly mean when you say 60 minute HIIT cycle?
60 minutes of HIIT cycle means short periods of intense cycling, followed by more relaxed periods.
i.e. go all out for 30 seconds, followed by 1:30 of a relaxed pace. Repeat this combo for a full hour.
Hope that helps! Let me know if not.
Matt
I have bad ankles, so box jumps may be a bit rough for me. Is there anything that can replace this exercise with similar results? Can I substitute that where box jumps are used?
Hey there Sabrina.
I would suggest avoiding any heavy plyometrics or exercises that cause pain in your ankles. A good substitute for box jumps is turbo squats. Essentially body weight squats at an elevated pace. These explosive movements deliver the cardiovascular benefits of box jumps, and almost the same level of muscle fatigue. If you want a demo, head over to shareitfitness.com and sign up. We just launched our site and it’s premium memberships are still totally free for the time being. We’ve got exercise video demos, as well as hundreds of fitness classes in our OnDemand video library…a great supplement to our workout plans on the blog. Anyhow, hope that helps and let me know if you have any further questions! Thanks for following our blog.
Matt
What kind of diet do you recommend doing while completing this 12 week course?
Try using this golden ratio diet plan: http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/follow-the-golden-ratio-to-a-perfect-body-general-diet-plan-for-active-people/#.T-pjcnaN9NU
A general, clean eating plan, that will give you options each day rather than strict rules you must follow. Hope that helps!
I am really excited to try this new workout! My only concern is that 9 months ago, I was diagnose with hip bursitis. I did physical therapy and have been back to a “normal” workout routine for 3 months minus the running. My cardio consists of biking, swimming, elliptical, and stairs. I haven’t gotten the courage to start running again and I am afraid that doing the 60 minute jog in the first week might be hitting the pavement too hard. Any thoughts/suggestions on what I could substitute?
Why not try doing shortened HIIT sessions in place of the long runs? Try to keep your HIIT sessions to 20-25 minutes at first to avoid over using the hip. As always, talk to you doctor before engaging in any fitness plan and follow his recommendation.
I am just starting the program and love it so far. However, my gym doesn’t have a rowing machine? Any suggestions for an alternative?
Not a problem. I would replace this with a little cardio/strength superset…Try this…
100 jump rope skips/10 bent over barbell rows/rest 30 seconds/repeat
Shot for a total of 10 times through the above combo! Hope that helps!
If you want additional help, workouts, video fitness classes, or other content..you should head over to our full site at http://www.shareitfitness.com. Premium memberships are still free for a limited time. Thanks for reading our blog and hope to see you around the site.
Matt
I’m about to finish the first month of this workout and even though it is pretty tough at times, I loveee it!
Look at Barbara doin work! Congrats on making it through month 1. We’ll be here if you have any questions as you head into month 2. Additionally, if you want to connect with others on this program for support, guidance, etc. head over to shareitfitness.com and make a free account. We’ve got forums dedicated to Total Body Blitz, OnDemand workout videos to complement this program, and a bunch of other cool stuff. Thanks for reading our blog, we really appreciate it, and hope to see you around the site.
Matt
Not for beginners right? I’m way outta shape but don’t know where/how to begin!!
No problem Lu! While Total Body Blitz is a more advanced workout plan, I would suggest giving something like this a try:
http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/ease-into-fitness-a-progressive-plan-for-beginners/
Do that for about a month or two and you should be good to move on to Total Body Blitz.
Also, if you haven’t already, head over to http://www.shareitfitness.com and sign up. We’re still offering free premium memberships for a limited time which gives you access to tons of OnDemand fitness video classes and other content. You can search for video workouts by experience level which will further help you get yourself up to speed. Thanks for reading our blog and hope to see you around the site!
Matt
Thanks!!!!! I’ ll be back here in a while then haha!!!!
Is this routine designed for women or men? When it says squats; do you mean assisted, unassisted or machine? Are the calf raises, walking lunges and reverse lunges weighted or not?
Can you explain this one…Friday – 30 minutes HIIT cycling (:20/1:00 format)?
Hey Christine,
First off, routines and exercises should never be gender specific. What works for men can work for women, and vice versa.
When it says “squats” I am referring to Smith Machine squats. Sorry, could have been more clear there.
Calf raises should be done using weight if you have that available to you.
As far as the lunges go, hold dumbbells in your hands for extra resistance.
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It involves short periods of all out effort, with longer periods of a more relaxed pace. For this HIIT cycling workout, you’ll pedal as fast as you can for 20 seconds. You’ll follow that with a more relaxed pace for 1 minute. This is what I mean by (:20/1:00 format). Repeat this combo for the full 30 minutes. Hope that helps! Any other questions, feel free to ask.
Matt
You look amazing. I’m currently doing the Asylum workout by Beachbody. Its intense but very effective.
Sounds good..just make sure you don’t stick with the same routine for too long. I see this happen far too often and people slowly stop making progress. Keep challenging your body with different types of workouts. What I’ve seen work best for myself and other people have been cross-training workouts, i.e. combining various parts of different workout plans together, along with different types of cardio (running, biking, jump roping, swimming, rowing, etc.), with a healthy dose of compound lifts. If you ever have any questions or need advice, please don’t hesitate to ask…we’re here to help!
I have a stupid question. i’m starting day 1 today but on day 2, do I do the 5 sets of 8 squats then move on to the barbell deadlifts? Or 1 set of each then repeat 5 times?
No stupid questions around here. You’ll do all sets of squats, then move on to the barbell deadlifts once you’re finished with the squats. Any other questions, feel free to ask!
Matt
On Week 3, Tuesday, is that 8 sets of the 100 lat pulldown burnouts, repeated 5 times?
Nope…that would be insane! When you see “burnout” that means you should complete the 100 reps (on light weight) in as few sets as possible. Ultimately, you’ll be doing 100 reps of lat pulldown..no more than that. Hope that helps!
Matt
Hi! First of all, I loved the training, I am in week two, and wanted to ask, you must have the appropriate weight to see results? because I exceeded by 5 kilos of my normal weight, I thought losing weight first and then start trainingAnd finally, some kind of feed recommended for weight loss? 🙂 Many thanks!
Hey Sabrina…
I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re asking here. Can you clarify for me? Thanks.
Matt
I am a good 50 pounds overweight and have arthritis (exaggerated by my weight of course). Should I go ahead and start this routine and just take it easy and do what I can or do I need to lose some weight first? I’m trying to get back into shape and lose the weight.
Hi,
I need to loose about 50lbs to be considered a “normal” healthy weight. Ive done week 1 and 2 of this program, love it, and have lost about 9lbs so far. before i invest more time in this workout, I just want to make sure this is what you would recommend for me. My goal is to loose 50lbs and to tone up as i don’t wanna be all jiggly once i reach my goal weight. Thank you for your opinion and time!
Hey Mackenzie!
First off…did you just say you lost 9 lbs in the first week?? Congrats! That’s a big achievement. You’re 20% towards your goal weight! My recommendation would be to stick with this plan and continue (I’m assuming you are if you lost 9lbs) to eat clean. Limit your sugar, bad carbs, etc.
Ideally, you’ll use the Total Body Blitz plan to lose the weight and start adding muscle. Once you have finished up, we can re-evaluate and put you on something a little higher intensity to really add additional lean muscle mass to trim and tighten your physique.
In addition to the workout plan, I would recommend supplementing some of the workouts with the OnDemand fitness classes on our full site, http://www.shareitfitness.com. We’re still giving away free premium memberships, so come on over, sign up, and check out our workouts under ‘OnDemand Fitness’. You do those three things (workout plan, eat clean, and OnDemand workouts) you’ll be looking fantastic in no time.
Any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Matt
Oh Matt, I wish it only took 1 week but it took 2. I’m starting week 3 today.
Thank you for getting back to me so fast! You are great motivation! I signed up for your site and it is AMAZING I just have no idea where to start, there are too many options! What type of OnDemand videos would you suggest? I love Pilates but feel I should maybe be doing more cardio?
Thank you very much for all your help
No problem, happy to help. People like you are what makes doing this so enjoyable. One class that is a bit higher intensity that comes to mind off the bat is “Cardio Core”. Just search for it under the Cardio Classes or by name. If you want more options, just browse our cardio and/or strength classes (most have elements of both) and find one that is your desired length and difficulty. If you want a little extra work I’d consider doing a pilates and/or yoga class on the weekend to just kinda of chill out, but still get some work in. Please don’t hesitate to keep the questions coming!
Matt
This may be a stupid question to ask, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I am 26 years old, and in the past I’ve worked out pretty hard. I have been out of the game for about a year in most part due to having some tendinitis and arthritis issues. I experienced problems in my wrist and ankle, but have had the worst time with hip swelling and soreness. I did a 20 minute ab exercise a day ago and can barely move today, with the majority of the pain being in my hip and pelvis area. Do you think this is more so due to the fact that I haven’t worked out in quite some time? I’m starting to worry that I may never be able to get back into any intense workout routine. I wanted to begin total body blitz next week, after warming up and working out slowly this week. However, the pain is making working out this week pretty tough. Any advice you have would be amazing.
I would keep an eye on it. It’s possible that you injured yourself and may need a doctor to take a look. If the pain is still to the point that you can barely move, get yourself checked out. You’ll absolutely be able to ramp your fitness abilities back up…you may just need to take it a bit slower. Wait a few days, see how you feel, if the pain is gone, I’d recommend starting TBB! 🙂
Matt
Hi Matt!
I am loving this program and am already SO sore (which tells me I’m getting it right, ha). I had a question about Week 2, Monday and Friday. So Monday we do 5 sets of 50 squat jumps and calf raises? So 250 of each exercise? (Just making sure I’ve got this right.) And then Friday we only do 50 of each exercise but for time?
Also, my gym doesn’t have cycling bikes and I reallllllllllly hate the reclined bike. Is there another exercise I can do on the cycling days instead? Like sub in the rowing machine or jump rope?
I hope to be able to send you before and after shots in 12 weeks! 🙂
Thanks! Sophie
Hey Sophie! So glad to hear it’s working out for you. You’ve got it right…250 reps each on Monday..seems like a lot but you can get these done in less than 6-7 minutes each. On Friday, it’ll be one set of 50 for time..go as fast as you can, but make sure to keep your form.
If you don’t have cycling bikes, don’t sweat it. Doing something like jump roping, 10 rounds of 2 minutes each, 30 seconds between rounds is a great workout. If you are up for a little more cardio after that, I would suggest doing some rowing, making sure to mix up the pace at which you’re rowing, i.e. fast for a short time..slow for a longer time…
Hope that helps and if you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
We’ll be looking forward to your pictures..we love when our readers show us, and everyone else all the hard work they’ve been doing! Great motivation..
Lastly, if you’re not signed up for our full site, shareitfitness.com you should head over and check it out. We’ve got tons of OnDemand fitness classes on video that serve as a great supplement to the plans found on the blog.
Anyhow, thanks again and hope to see you around the site!
Matt
If im 5’2 180 lbs and following phase 1…how many calries should i be eating a day? any help?
It’s hard to say as every body is different. You will likely need to play around with things and find a happy medium for your body. My advice would be to consume roughly 1,500 HEALTHY calories and see how that works for your weight loss. By healthy calories I mean no refined sugars, low amounts of simple carbs, a lot of whole grains, lean protein, avoid saturated fats, etc. Eat healthy and stick to a plan, and the weight should start dropping in no time.
Matt
Hi,
Im just starting the program and im doing my research! HIIT cardio is a new concept to me. When you say 100% & 60% intensity, are you referring to heart rate? Im 5’9 155lbs… Thank you! Lynnsey
Hey Lynnsey. When I say 60%/100% it has nothing to do with heart rate. I’m talking about your intensity. 100% would be an all out sprint, running/biking/etc. as fast as you possibly can. 60% would be a much more relaxed pace or jog. By combining all out intensity for short periods with a longer, more relaxed intervals, you are able to burn more calories and fat, better improve cardiovascular function, and build explosive, lean muscle in the process. Hope that helps…any other questions, please ask.
Matt
I know part one is only for 4 weeks and part two is also for only 4 weeks. If I do each week for 2 weeks instead of one, i will have a longer work out program but will I see better results?
For sumo squats, should I use a dumbbell or barbell?
Feel free to mix it up. It certainly doesn’t to be with the same piece of equipment every time out. Consider mixing it up each week.
Matt
“Fitness is simple..it really is.” I have been saying this for years. Thank god somebody else is spreading the word. People try and make it complicated to make profits from you and sell you their services/products you don’t need at all!
I’ve been preaching this for years…..it really isn’t a complicated thing..
Hi,
I have always stayed active and have been in average shape, I would consider myself a moderate exerciser. Lately, I noticed that I continue to gain weight instead of loosing and my body fat ratio is also high, about 28%. I am 43 and now weigh 130 lbs, before I had kids in my early 30s, I used to weigh 112 lbs. I would love to be under 120 lbs with body fat ratio of about 20. I work full time so going to the gym did not work for me, since I could not make time for it so I started working out at home. Can the above routine be done with minimum equipment at home, such as dumbbells, and still achieve results.
I feel desperate now and the fact that I continue to gain weight is really demotivating me from working out:)
Hey Mia – This is routine is definitely more for people with regular gym access. That said, there are literally thousands of ways to workout at home and see just as awesome results. I’d suggest trying another one of our plans, or making your way over to our full site, http://www.shareitfitness.com. We’ve got hundreds of OnDemand exercise videos for you to workout with. Most are 20-40 minutes in length, so you’ll be sure to get a great workout. On the blog, check out our complex workouts or the INTENSE at home workout plan. Any other questions, please ask!
Matt
Ok ive never actually given the whole workout a try. But im 60 lbs overweight. And want to avoid health risks. Im pretty much a couch potatoe. And im not a member of a gym. If I try the Mon/Wed/Friday workout and incorporate the hour of jog/run 1:30/30. Will I get the same results as the one’s from the above workout?
Hi Claudia – I apologize for the delay. With the holidays and traveling, my internet connectivity has been less than desirable! To answer your question…
It’s tough to answer. Every body is different and will respond to an exercise plan different. Also, it really depends how hard you’re going during your workouts. TBB is designed to be a 5 day a week plan, so if you cut it down to 3 days a week, I’d venture to say results will be a little slower to come for you.
I’d consider this program to start: http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/intense-at-home-fat-burning-cardio-workout-no-equipment-required/#.UN28DnCyxdg
It is completely done at home, so will be perfect for you. Additionally, you should check out our website, http://www.shareitfitness.com. Sign up as a beta member (its free) and you’ll have access to hundreds of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts you can do over your computer or TV, again, all at home. People combining both our full site and the workouts featured on our blog have been making tremendous progress.
Thanks for writing in, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to send them over.
Matt
In looking over the exercises, I see that there are a few times were HIIT rowing is required. Unfortunately the gym I belong to does not have a cardio row machine, what should I substitute?
No biggie – simply sub in HIIT sprinting/cycling/jump roping…It won’t break the workout plan if you can’t get access to a rower.
Hey Matt- I’m sorry if you have already answered a related question (there’s so much to read through). I have low back issues (pain during the day…limited mobility esp’ in the mornings…not exactly sure of the cause but I do see a chiropractor). I am also a good 100 lbs. overweight….anything on here I shouldn’t do? I know the jump rope is out for now…suggestions on what to replace it with? Thanks so much!
The gym I go to does not have a leg press machine. Should I sub w hack squat? More lunges? Front loading squat? Help please and thank you.
Shouldn’t be a problem substituting with lunges. The leg press machine places a heavy focus on the quads, so lunges are a logical substitution. Hope that helps, let me know if you’ve got any other questions! Thanks for checking us out.
Matt
Hi Matt, I had a question about the program, and hoping you would offer a suggestion. I can only make it to the gym 4x a week, Wed. being the day I can’t get there due to my schedule. I’ve managed to lose all my “baby weight” after my second child and really am looking just to tone everything up. I’m wondering if I could/should cut out one of the cardio days & attempt to split it up between two of the other days. I realize that on leg days I really probably wouldn’t be able to handle the HIIT cardio,
but maybe any cardio is better than none. I’m sure I might not get the same results, but I am interested to see what you suggest. Would it be more beneficial for me to try to make up the day I miss on Sat?
I actually have another question. Is there a recommended weight to start with for the lunges, squats, deadlifts. What would you consider to be heavy weight? I was extremely sore after week one and I really didn’t do more than 20 lbs. How much should I be increasing the weight for week 2? (roughly, I know every body is different)
Thank you very much for all of your knowledge and fitness expertise. So far this program is killer!!! I can’t wait to see where I will be after the first month.
I wouldn’t necessarily cut anything out. I would just follow this routine, turning the 5 day plan into a 6 or 7 day plan. You can still do all of the workouts in order, just complete them in as many days as is necessary for your situation.
Additionally, if Wednesdays are tough to get to the gym, you should check out our full site, http://www.shareitfitness.com. We’ve got hundreds of OnDemand fitness videos where you can work out with actually instructor from home. Might be a good way to get your exercise in on those busy days.
I think starting with 95 pounds on the squat, 45 pounds on lunge, and 50 pounds on deadlift is a good starting point. Remember, you shouldn’t be able to knock out 15+ reps on these exercises. Use a weight that challenges you and really gets your heart rate going. But as you mentioned, every body is different, so these are just guidelines at best. Thanks for checking us out and let me know if you have any other questions!
Matt
Hi Matt
Couple of Qs: 1) I can’t maintain sprinting pace for an hour during the HIIT. Should I just keep going and try to build endurance even though at the end it’s basically jogging pace not sprinting, or stop after a shorter time? And 2) can u split the cardio up eg do some after an upper body workout?
Just did the first week’s lower bod workout – OUCH!! Thanks 🙂
The 1 hour of HIIT sprinting should be viewed as a long term goal. When making general fitness plans for the masses, it’s hard to give a time/weight/etc that is appropriate for everyone.
Do your best to push as long as you can, then reduce it to a jog…or, if you have an incline treadmill, bump the incline and run some hills to finish out the hour. That said, if an hour is really tough for you, there’s no harm in going for less. Personally I keep my HIIT sessions at 30 minutes, but I’m doing :45/:45 and doing an all out sprint of 14 mph. Just do what works for you and your intensity.
As far as Q2 goes…You can definitely do this. In fact, doing your cardio after your weight training is a great idea – you’ll actually burn more fat!
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach back out to me. Thanks!
Matt
Hi Matt!
I am on Week 3, Day 2 of this workout and just wanted to share my excitement. I was SO sore after the first week, but now on week 3, I am shocked at the progress and strength I have gained already! This is the perfect combination of exercises to seriously push my body to excel. I have never had this kind of positive reaction to a training program in the past!!! I really appreciate you taking the time to put this together for all of us. I can’t WAIT to see where I will be in the future! Life changing for my mind and body. I can’t thank you enough!!!
That’s amazing! So happy to hear about your progress. When your progress starts to stall (and it likely will) make sure you find a way to keep yourself determined and on track. Everyone goes through this, but it’s the one’s who get themselves to stay consistent that realize the best, and most permanent, progress.
If you need any help or have any questions along the way, feel free to reach back out!
Matt
Hi Matt,
I just started this workout and my main goal is to gain more definition in my legs and arms and most importantly abs. My main question is this a good workout to get more defined abs or is there something else I should combine with this workout plan? thank you
Hey Sarah – thanks for leaving your comment.
First off, in order to gain definition, you’ve got to burn away the fat covering your muscles. When you have less fat covering your muscles you look more defined, toned, etc.
The total body blitz is a great plan for this. I would suggest subbing in “The Greatest Ab Workout in the World” once a week..or if you feel able, throw it in for a 6th day of work. Just do a search on the blog for the above workout.
If you have any other questions, please let me know!
Matt
Hi Matt,
Would it be possible to condense this into 4 days? I’m also a swimmer and want to keep swimming a couple days a week. How do you recommend incorporating swimming into this plan? Thanks!
Hey Jenny – If I were you, I’d spread things out so you’re working with a 6/7 day routine. Day 1-4 as scheduled, day 5 will be your swimming day, day 6 rest, day 7 swimming, day 8 rest. At this point, you’ll move on to the next week in the Total Body Blitz routine.
Of course you can feel free to change up your swim/rest days as needed, the above is just an example.
This way, you’ll still be performing all of your Total Body Blitz workouts, just completing each phase over a longer period of time, which is totally fine since you’ll be supplementing with swimming.
Any other questions, feel free to give me a shout!
Thanks for checking us out and hope to continue seeing you around here!
Matt
Thanks for these pearls of wisdom! I do have a question if I may; what do you suggest to replace the jogging as I have torn meniscus I’m both knees. I can’t do the jogging or jump lunges until I Lose more weight and Finish my P/T.I basically can’t do much in regaRds to bouncing knee pressure. Thanks!
I would check out some of the other workouts we have on the blog, or video workouts on the website (shareitfitness.com).
Using uptempo weight training sessions like metabolic conditioning, circuit training, should give you a good cardiovascular workout, which will help you burn calories and shed fat….with the added benefit of working your muscles at the same time.
Matt
Sounds good thanks!
Question on the days you have sets of so many weighted exercises… are you supposed to treat them as a circuit or so the 3 sets if lunges and then move on to the next?
Go for 3 sets then move on to the next. Any other questions, let me know! Thanks Ashley.
Matt
Hi Matt: I’m SOOOOO ready to change my body composition and I feel this program will kick my ass as it needs to be kicked BUT I have a RC injury. Any movements involving putting any body weight on my shoulders like the burpee, pushups, mountain climbers etc, and of course anything that involves pulling upwards like the snatch, plus anything involving pressing over head, close or wide grip pull downs are out of the question right now. That doesn’t leave me with much choice for back, shoulder and chest workout exercise catalogue, however, most exercises for biceps & triceps, and bent over rows and extensions seem OK and tend to not agrivate the injury. Any suggestions for additonal exercises that won’t kill my shoulder on the upper body days but also compliment the format noted above?
Hey…thanks for the comment!
I would suggest browsing through some of our blog workouts OR checking out one of our FitPlans, which are our video-based workout programs. I think a combination of two plans, or a customized plan would be best. For starter’s check out the HIIT training plan AND the MetCon challenge…both found on the blog. Keep in mind, you can always substitute overhead presses, etc. for other movements. Why don’t you look into those two, let me know if its more in line with what you’re looking for and then we’ll help you plan from there!
Matt
Hi Matt, I was just wondering if we should be adding weight to things like squats, or lunges, if it is not specified in the workout (e.g. week 1 workout 2). Thanks!
Hey Raelle – if you’d like, I think it can be helpful. That said, I think we’ve definitely got some more intense programs that TBB on the blog. If you let me know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish I can steer you towards something that might be a bit better suited towards you.
Matt
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your response! I am looking to reduce my body fat percentage while building muscle so I can create a leaner look! Losing about 5 pounds in the process would be amazing, too. The reason I initially started the TBB is because CHAARG recommended it. What do you think would be best? Should I just reactivate my membership on the FitPlan?
Hey Raelle – sorry I missed this one. I think FitPlan is a great way to get results. Personally, TBB was created a while back and intended moreso as a beginner program. Of course it can be modified, but honestly, our workout programs have evolved quite a bit since then. If you felt FitPlan was helping, I’d follow up with that until the next CHAARG plans is out!
Matt
Hey Raelle – sorry I missed this one. I would definitely add weights, even if not specified, whenever you feel you’re able.
Matt
Hi Matt! Can I incorporate strength training and endurance training in every session I do. Or can I just split them in two during interval days. I am new in workouts and I can’t seem to make it to the point that I am confident at what I’m doing so far. Please enlighten me on this.
Hi Matt! I meant to write to you a long time ago, probably a couple of years back. When I first started choosing a program, I didn’t understand much about HIIT, lifting, nutrition, etc. I was around 30% bf, not overweight but one of those sedentary girls whose weight were always fluctuating , never happy, no energy, and not knowing what I really wanted from my life. I’ve found this program, and even not knowing much, followed 100%. At the end of the first part, and after falling in love with exercising, reading a lot about it and nutrition, I had started my journey, started to change my body in ways that I wouldn’t dream of! After the first part, I decided to follow other weight lifting programs, but I’ll never forget were I started. By last year, I had a six pack!
And that’s why I’m back: I have a two months daughter and I need something to start over again, something that I trust: ill start the program again, to shred the baby weight, and I would like to thank you to put your time and patience to help people like me 🙂 even not knowing… Thank you! And I hope I can be even better than before… I’ll let u know!!