Exercise swaps for faster results

It’s easy to get discouraged by your lack of results.

You’ve been training consistently, eating right and yet the scale mocks you. You may resort to desperate measures such as cutting even more calories and exercising like a madman. Maybe you’ve even dreamed of smashing the scale into a million pieces.

Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Sometimes small changes are all that are needed. Next time you’re in the gym, stop being frustrated by your lack of progress and start making these exercise swaps in your current routine.

1. Out – Straight sets. In – Supersets

Gym-goers often do one set of an exercise, rest, do it again and then repeat this sequence for their entire training. Straight sets are great for building strength with exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and rows.

However, when you’re looking at building muscle or burning fat (or both), supersets are perfect.

Supersets are two exercise done back to back with little or no rest in-between.  An exercise pairing of a leg exercise with an upper body move will allow you to:

• Increase your workout intensity
• Cause your heart to work harder to push blood from your lower body back up to your upper body, increasing your overall calorie burn
• Save time and hit the showers early

For example

1A. Squat, deadlift or single leg exercise 8-12 reps

1B. Upper body press or pull variations 8-12 reps

Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat once or twice.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxMHSb09mNk&w=560&h=315]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVnyDQqmhPo&w=560&h=315]

Doing three supersets per training session, two-three times per week will have you well on the way to breaking your funk.

2. Out – Leg press. In – Goblet squats

First, let’s get this out of the way – there is nothing wrong with the leg press machine. You’re able to move massive amounts of weight will little or no risk.  That’s because the machine supports your body and there’s little or no core engagement.

Enter the Goblet squat. Holding the weight at the front of your body acts as a counter balance that prevents poor squatting form and also provides resistance for your muscles.

You’ll be moving less weight, but you will be working more total muscle, which is win-win for your fat loss efforts.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xwGFn-J_Q4&w=560&h=315]

 

3. Out – Sitting down. In – Standing up

There’s nothing wrong with sitting down and exercising.

However, we spend the majority of our day sitting down at work and sitting down watching our television, smartphone and laptop computers. Sitting for prolonged periods of time is one of the biggest culprits inhibiting your body’s natural calorie-churning engine.

Undo some of this by doing your whole exercise routine standing up. You’ll burn more calories and improve your core strength and balance.

Do this following routine for 4 weeks and notice the difference

Instructions

1. This is 3 a day a week program. Rest 48 hours between trainings. For example Monday- Wednesday- Friday.

2. Complete the following routine has a circuit and rest when needed between exercises. Rest 90- 120 seconds at the end of each circuit.

3. For single arm/leg exercises do the prescribed repetitions on each side.

4. Use a weight that allow you to complete all the repetitions with good form.

 

Day 1- 4 circuits – 5 repetitions for each exercise. Heavy weight.  Farmers carry 40 yards

Day 2 – 3 circuits – 10 repetitions for each exercise. Heavy- moderate weight. Farmers carry 40 yards.

Day 3- 2 circuits- 15 repetitions for each exercise. Moderate- Light weight. Farmers carry 40 yards.

Click on each exercise for a video demonstration.

STAND UP ROUTINE

1A. Goblet squat– Keep chest high and drive your heels into the ground.

1B. Single arm row– Keep chest open and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do both arms

1C. Single arm push press– Keep elbows close plus load and explode. Do both arms

1D. Goblet side lunge– Keep chest high and push into the hip. Do both legs

1E. Farmers carry– Strangle the dumbbells plus squeeze your shoulder blades back and down.

You’ll be a lean mean calorie-burning machine in no time.