I’ve currently been doing a maintenance workout and it just hasn’t been cutting it. Going to the gym thinking you’re going to make up something good as you go along is usually a recipe for losing your previous gains, and that’s what has been happening. I’ve created a new workout for myself to get things going again, so I figured I would share. This one assumes you have access to a gym.
I’ve been balancing my workout lately with a Taekwondo class twice a week, so I am looking for something that I can fit into a three day schedule, with a balance in focus on functional strength and endurance.
Start off with a stretch for about five minutes. I won’t go into much detail on the stretch, but I’d recommend some ballistic streching followed by your standard static stretches. Focus on the muscle groups that you will be working later on.
After the stretching, we will perform one of the following routines. Switch between these circuits each time you do the workout, and repeat each circuit twice, with a two minute rest in between.
Total Body Circuit
- Decline push ups
- Pull ups
- Walking Lunges
- Dumbbell Clean and Press
- Hammer Curls
- Triceps Cable Pushdown
That circuit should get your entire body warmed up. As always, feel free to be creative with the exercises listed. For instance, you could substitute any of the push up varieties for the first exercise, or try performing the lunges from a Bosu Ball.
Ab Circuit
- Incline Crunches
- Bicycles
- Mason Twist w. Medicine Ball
- Leg Raises
- Reverse Crunch
- Front Plank
- Side Planks
After performing one of the circuits, move on to perform one of the following routines once a week.
Monday – Chest, Back, and Arms
In these routine, we have already warmed our body up, and we will continue to work our upper body further. Perform each of the exercises in a superset, and then rest 90 seconds between each superset.
First Superset
Dumbbell Bench Press – 3×8
Cable Rows – 3×8
Second Superset
Dips – 2×8
Pull ups – 2×8
Third Superset
EZ Bar Curls – 3×8
EZ Bar Skull Crushers – 3×8
Fourth Superset
Reverse Dumbbell Curls – 2×8
Triceps Cable Pull down – 2×8
You may find your heart rate creeping up during this workout. Bonus! That is because we keep moving with the supersets. Pick a weight that challenges you for the given amount of reps. You can use a weight belt for the pull ups and dips if you need to. Also, if you would like leaner muscle, you can change the rep count to 12 instead.
Wednesday – Endurance
While you may feel your heart rate rise on the other two days, that will be the main focus of this workout.
Farmer’s Walk – 2 minutes
Run – 10 minutes
Bike – 10 minutes
Run – 5 minutes
Farmer’s Walk – 2 minutes
Varied. Balanced. Simple.
Friday – Legs, Shoulders
This is another strength focused workout. We will be focusing on the rest of the body in this workout. Don’t skip the deadlifts, they are one of the most important exercises in this whole plan.
First Superset
Deadlifts – 3×8
Leg extensions – 3×8
Second Superset
Weighted Lunges – 2×8
Turkish Get Up – 2×8
Third Superset
Standing Overhead Dumbbell Press – 3×8
One Legged Calf Raises – 3×12
Fourth Superset
Lateral Raises – 2×8
Seated Calf Raises – 2×8
Be sure to close with a stretch. Take a shower, and grab a (healthy) snack. You worked hard!