Hi everyone,
The weather here this week is unreal! Sun is out, bikini has been aired and time to soak up some rays! But, of course I still find time to train 🙂
From time to time I like to show a little example of my gym training. It generally never varies too much, as I am always just trying to get better at the moves, lift more weight, or spice things up with higher rep work. Yesterday I had a great session training, after a few weeks of the “SI issue” annoying me and affecting the level at which I normally train. It was a little sore during this workout but it was sore all night at work – I knew it wasn’t the workout that was hurting it – so I just got on with it. I feel 10 times better today and have NO pain (thank God)!
After a few warm up sets of the exercises I kept the reps fairly low in everything and focused on maintaining good form.
The Workout
After warm-up sets:
- Front Squat: Set 1 – 3: 45kg x 5 reps, Set 4: 50kg x 5 reps, Set 5: 50kg x 3 reps – these were tough!
- RDL: Sets 1-3: 55kg x 5 – 8 reps, Set 4: 70kg x 5 reps, Set 5: 80kg x 4 reps (still working on my technique here)
- Glute Bridges: Set 1&2: 90kg x 12 reps (then thought Hip Thrusts would be better)
- Hip Thrusts: Set 3&4: 60kg x 10 reps, Set 5: 80kg x 8 reps – evil!
- Military Press (between sets of Hip Thrusts): Set 1: 25kg x 10 reps, Set 2, 27.5kg x 7 reps, Set 3: 30kg x 5 reps (got really tired on these).
Then I slept nearly the whole day … outside in the sun! I was so tired.
Anyway, this was just a quick gym update because I haven’t done one in a while.
Hope you are all having a great week.
I’ll be back soon with more *hint – New Workout* 😉
Cheers
Marianne
Hey Marianna.
How many times a week do you do strength workouts, and how do you set them up? For example do you do a back and chest day, arms day and then a legs day? so three seperate days for three seperate parts of the body. Or are your strength workouts usually just full body workouts with heavy lifting? I am trying to set up more of a regimen. I want to get stronger, not necessarily like you said in another post focusing on altering my body though i expect that to come along and want it to, but i just want to get better at training and being strong. Right now My workout routine is just kinda all over the place, I do like one of your total body circuits like once a week, and then i run about 3 times a week and group excercise classes the other two days that focus on aerobic activity, body weight excercises and agility. What is the best way to incorporate strength days?
HI Gina,
That’s a lot of questions right there LOL – but I understand it can be confusing about how to optimize your own training.
Your goals (to be better at training and to get stronger), require you to stick to a set program where the workouts remain the same each week for 4-6 weeks before having them changed. Read THIS and THIS to help you design your own program.
The type of body part splits you were asking me about is how body builders typically train. For most women, full body strength routines with minimal “extras” will be the most efficient way to get your goals met.
If you want strength, prioritise strength training and stop doing as many classes and runs. You don’t just incorporate strength training, it’s usually better to make that the foundation of your program and fit 1 or 2 other types of training in around it. Say you like to train 5 days per week: do 3-4 strength workouts and 1-2 conditioning workouts or a run.
It also sounds to me like you are doing too much. To get stronger and better at training, you need more recovery 🙂 Try training 4-5 times per week and make 3 of them full body strength workouts with the types of exercises I suggest.
If you have access to good equipment, then I highly recommend Get Glutes (my membership site)… it’s only $19.95 per month and you have 3 coaches at hand to help you through the workouts – it’s all structured and full body with en emphasis on booty training. You can watch our intro video and some of the homepage content HERE. We also give away a free workout if you sign up to the free email series.
Hope this helps you find the right direction for your training goals 🙂
Chat soon,
Marianne
Marianne thank you so much for your feedback ! So what you are saying, for example; is that I would pick like three of your strength workouts, and 2 of you conditioning workouts and do those same workout routines for about a month and then switch it up? Also one other question, what is the difference between your conditioning workouts vs your strengths ones? Is it mainly that your strength workouts are designed with reps and sets so that heavy weight can be used and with your conditioning workouts are designed with how many reps can be done for time with moderate but challenging weight?
Exactly, Gina 🙂 Conditioning workouts also tend to work on things you don’t get in your strength workouts: stability, core, plyometrics and, of course, metabolic cardio – like the intervals I do … a bit faster paced with lighter weights.
Hi Marianne, it looks like a great workout. Your front squat looks so good – I was struggling with those. Now I am 30 weeks pregnant so I stopped doing those, but I can’t wait to start practising again. I’m surprised that there is still enough to do for me in the gym so that I can get that fantastic feeling after a tough workout. Oh, and your ‘regular’ KB workouts are perfect even for pregnant ladies. I can’t stop doing them! 🙂
Congrats on the baby Jana!! Wish you well 🙂
It’s great that you are continuing to train throughout. Love it!!
Hey Marianne! Thanks for the reply.
I try to pick 3 exercises to do and train heavy 3 days a week. I also do a ‘cash out’ at the end of my workout typically with some sort of tabata.
I start with a 10 min warm up and end with a 10 min cool down. It is annoying because it takes up another 20 min, but I find that if I do not do that, I end up with muscle spasms in my back. Sigh….
So, for instance, I will warm up, then work on say deadlifts, push presses and pull ups, and end with a swing tabata.
Another day I will do lunges, push ups, and rows, ending with a tabata of snatches.
My third training day I will do squats, dips, pull ups or inverted rows, and end with a tabata of burpees.
I would like to add in some hip thrusters somewhere or 1 legged deadlifts (which I SUCK at), but like to get in and out of the gym in an hour.
Though your time of 1 hr 15 min is not outrageous. I expected that workout to be a 2 hr one! Or maybe that is just me.
I am technically challenged getting those plates on and off the barbells. Seriously takes me forever. LOL.
A good big pull normally does the trick. Or, if you roll the end up on to a small 2.5kg plate, you can easily slide the big plates off 🙂
killer workout! I did front squats today and really focusing on form, so nothing to crazy heavy yet but I love them and really have been working my way up! you are my inspiration!!
Thanks Naomi! Great job on your front squats. I prefer them to back squats anyday! Glad to hear you are happy with your progress.
Hi Marianne. Looks like a great gym workout. Can you tell me how long you spend at the gym doing a routine like this? I bring my kids to the gym daycare and I hate leaving them in there too long. Would love to do more heavy lifting though, so curious as to how long such a routine would take….. Thanks!
Thanks for the question Gina. This took me a little longer, because I was doing so many sets. So all in all about 1 hour 15 min. But I could design programs that only take 45 mins. You could even split your heavy training and cut individual sessions in the gym to 30-40 mins. How long do you spend in the gym, and what do you do with your time there? 🙂
Great gym workout! Question(s): When you perform the hip thrusts, do you focus on pushing thru the front of the foot (toes) rather than the heal in order to engage the glutes more?
Another question, can you tell me where you experience the SI joint pain? I’ve always had pain in the deep very lower back if the pelvis area, not the hip joints (can’t quite explain it) when I do single leg squats. I’m wondering if that is the SI joint?
Looking forward to your videos on how to strengthen the SI Joint area.
Love the pic of the cats. That made me giggle. At first I couldn’t figure out why the cat had so many tops on..duh, then it hit me. Too funny.
PS.. STILL waiting on my power cage to be delivered. It’s been on back order for over a month! Grrrr!!! Then I can do more of your gym workouts.
Hi Penny,
For the Hip Thrusts, I cue my weight through my heels, but it should be the whole foot. However beginners often have difficulty controlling the spread of weight and gravitate towards lifting the heels, so saying “weight through heels” is best. I am not sure that the weight being through the toes would activate the glutes more anyway. I have seen the toe-floor contact as being a great way improve quad activation, but this may be a debate for experts, as I am not basing this on any research I know.
SI thing: Yes! That is where I feel it too. And Single leg stuff aggravates it! So does lying down 🙁 Very hard to turn over in bed!
I am still testing the “SI experiment”, with little success actually, so I am now trying something else. I will report on it all once I have reached my conclusions, but I am cautious about offering the wrong advice. Thank you for your patience 🙂
Hope your Power Cage arrives soon!
Thanks for the feedback. I figured one should push more thru the heals (or whole foot) rather than the toes. I thought I read somewhere to push thru the toes if you find you’re using the hams rather than the glutes, which is what I feel I do. If I don’t have DOMS after a workout, I feel like i’m doing it wrong. It’s a mind thing! I know that’s not supposed to be the case …right? augh…
It’s good to know I finally figured out what that pain is! While mine is mild and not a constant pain, I can’t imagine the pain you feel evey day with that! I hope what you are researching works for you.
OH..good news. The power rack is on it’s way! That means SQUATS! yay!
i meant ‘heels’..