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101 Fat-Burning Workouts & Diet Strategies for Women

Triumph Books

Look Great In Eight

Burn fat and add sexy curves with this progressive eight-week body blast. Using a menu of exercises, basic training techniques and a calendar to put it all together, you will notice a difference in your physique in two months. The best part is that you get to choose the exercises to do. So forget about [insert your dreaded exercise here]. This program is about sculpting a lean physique and enjoying yourself.

Hey you, the girl with the nice body and serious dedication to fitness. Yes, you! You work out all the time, you've been exercising for years, and even though you've noticed some great changes in your physique, you still want more, don't you? If it's true that the better shape you get in, the higher the bar rises for the shape you want to be in, then this is the workout for you.

Fast-paced and progressively challenging, this eight-week program focuses on increasing muscle tone and definition with an emphasis on wasting fat from your body. It's hardcore, serious and time-consuming. If you follow it — for the results it was intended to produce — be prepared to push your body beyond its comfort zone, further than you've ever taken it before. Be prepared to come out on the other side of eight weeks with a body that sets the standard rather than one that follows.

EIGHT THE HARD WAY

No doubt, this program will have you working hard, fast and often. It has to if it's going to be effective. Nothing good comes easy, but if you do it right, it may come a little quicker, and that's the premise of this workout. Eight weeks is a reasonable amount of time to commit to a serious exercise program without risking burnout, overload or boredom. It's time enough to see and feel your body transform, to reach new heights and realize more of your potential.

If you're looking for a way to lose 20 pounds or to build a fitness-competitor physique, we have to tell you, it's going to take longer than a mere eight weeks. It isn't going to happen in a couple of months, with this program or any other. But what you can expect is to have a stronger, leaner, shapelier body and to feel great about making the time and effort to achieve it.

Each week focuses on a different style of training, which helps to keep your body from becoming accustomed to a particular workout or set of exercises. You'll do circuit, heavy, high-rep and supersets training, repeating the cycle — with few changes — the last four weeks. The cardio portion of the program is progressive, geared to increase in not only frequency, but duration and intensity, as well. This is to kick your body into fat-burning mode, especially in the last few weeks when your metabolism is already burning hotter.

When doing the cardio intervals, follow the suggestions for the work-recovery ratios. For example, on a day where you do 30 minutes at 1:1, this means you warm up for five minutes, bump up the intensity for one minute (work), then bring it back down for one minute (recovery). During the work portion of the session, raise your heart rate to 80%-85% — or higher, depending on your level of fitness — then drop it back down to 60%-65% during the recovery phase. You can also extend the work-to-rest periods, as long as they're kept even. So if you'd rather, you can work at a high intensity for two minutes and then recover for two minutes. Or bring those numbers down if you prefer.

THE FINE PRINT

Don't neglect flexibility training. To help keep muscles supple, reduce the risk of injury and help maintain joint health, warm up for 5-10 minutes with a low-impact activity and then begin your stretch session. Two days of flexibility training are automatically built in. If you'd like to devote more time than that allotted to this part of your training, by all means, go right ahead.

You'll also notice three days during the eight weeks designated as rest days, where you have the day off completely. Don't train on these days — at all. Instead, take the time off to reflect on your level of dedication thus far and appreciate the downtime. Probably your most highly anticipated day will be the dietary cheat days, of which there are three. On these days, you have license to eat whatever you want, within reason. Bon appétit!

When doing resistance and cardio training on the same day, lift first. Hit the weights when your muscles are fresh to reduce the risk of injury. Follow the 90-minute rule: Keep your workouts under 90 minutes in length. As long as you spend your time wisely, you should be able to accomplish all the goals for each day within the time frame. And of course, we can't say it enough: Make sure that you take the time to stretch your muscles to reduce injury and soreness.

WEEK-BY-WEEK BREAKDOWN

#1 WEEK 1

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: CIRCUIT

Choose one exercise for each major muscle group. Go through the circuit, doing one set of each exercise and resting as little as possible. When finished, start at the beginning and repeat two more times. Choose weights that bring you to momentary muscle failure within 12 reps. This week, you'll work your entire body on three different days in a total-body workout. Rest between sets for only as long as it takes to set up your next exercise.

CARDIO: Do four days of cardio, focusing on long sessions — 40-60 minutes — in a lower heart-rate range. Do one day of higher-intensity intervals for a change of pace. On the recreational cardio day, this is your chance to break away from the routine and engage in whatever activity you enjoy most. You can go for a hike, a long walk, even go dancing; the important thing is to have fun and share the experience with someone.

#2 WEEK 2

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: HEAVY

Work on the bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major muscle group being worked and do four sets of 8-10 reps. Lift heavy enough to reach muscle failure by the last couple of reps. Always use the first set of an exercise as a warm-up. This week you'll work each bodypart once in a split routine. Rest between sets will vary, depending on the bodypart being trained, but you'll probably need anywhere from 1-2 minutes to allow some muscle recovery.

CARDIO: This week, cardio sessions will remain at four; however, the emphasis is on higher-intensity training — keeping your heart rate up for a relatively short amount of time. Three workouts will be 25-30 minutes long at 80%-85% of your max heart rate, with one long, lower-intensity day thrown in for variety.

#3 WEEK 3

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: HIGH REPS

Work on the bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major muscle group being worked and do three sets of 15-20 reps. Choose weights heavy enough to fatigue your muscles within the suggested rep range. This week you'll work each bodypart twice in a split routine. Rest between sets should last 60-90 seconds.

CARDIO: Bumped up to five times this week, you'll train for 30-40 minutes at 70%-75% of your max heart rate during four of the sessions. You'll also do one session of higher-intensity intervals for 30 minutes.

#4 WEEK 4

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: SUPERSETS

This is where you work two muscle groups back to back with no rest. For example, when you train biceps and triceps, you'll do a set of dumbbell curls, then without rest, go straight into an overhead dumbbell extension. Work on the two bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major muscle group being worked and do three sets. Choose weights heavy enough to reach muscle failure in 12 reps. Move quickly between exercises, resting as little as possible. This week, you'll train each bodypart only once. Take no downtime between sets here: Move right from one exercise to the other.

CARDIO: Staying at five sessions this week, most cardio sessions will last 25-30 minutes and you'll train at 75%-80% of your max heart rate. Of course, one workout will consist of training at a lower intensity for a longer period.

WEEK 5

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: CIRCUIT

Follow guidelines for Week 1.

CARDIO: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

WEEK 6

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: HEAVY

Follow guidelines for Week 2.

CARDIO: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

WEEK 7

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: HIGH REPS

Follow guidelines for Week 3. Bodyparts trained together will differ from Week 3.

CARDIO: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

WEEK 8

RESISTANCE TRAINING FOCUS: SUPERSETS Follow guidelines for Week 4. Bodyparts trained together will differ from Week 4.

CARDIO: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

STICKING WITH IT

If after the eight weeks you like what you've accomplished and want to keep going, it's simple to do. Since the program already has variations built in, you can repeat the eight weeks over again, making small changes such as introducing new exercises into the mix and matching up different bodyparts to train together the second time around. You can also try breaking up the workouts into a.m. and p.m. splits: Do cardio in the morning and weight training in the evening. If you really want to blast whatever fat you might still want to lose, try doing cardio twice a day a couple of days a week (also in the a.m. and p.m.). Just remember to keep the intensity low and go long. (You could also follow "The Next Level" program in Chapter 2.) Finally, to keep the fire burning, schedule in a week of rest every once in a while. This gives both your mind and your body a much-needed break, helping you to return to the gym renewed, refreshed and ready to go!

IF YOU'RE A BEGINNER ...

Don't be discouraged by the hardcore nature of this program. With a few modifications, you can follow along and expect an even more dramatic change in your mind and body than those who've been doing this a long time. Instead of following the calendar as it's given, make these changes and then proceed (after getting your doctor's approval, of course).

• Weeks 1-4: Follow the circuit format of resistance training. Choose one exercise per bodypart and do two rounds of each, keeping reps at 12-15. Do not go to muscle failure. Cut all cardio sessions down to 20 minutes and delete the interval days.

• Weeks 5-8: Follow the high-rep suggestions of weeks 3 and 7. Choose two exercises for each bodypart and do two sets of 15-20 reps for each. Again, don't go to muscle failure; there's plenty of time for that later. Do four days of cardio, two days at 20 minutes and two days at 25 minutes, if possible. Keep your heart rate steady at 65%-70% of your max.

abs

Hip Thrust]BDL

Lie face-up on the floor with your hands extended at your sides. Lift your feet up so your legs are roughly perpendicular to the floor. Contract your abs to raise your hips and glutes straight up off the ground, pushig your feet toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a count before lowering your glutes back to the floor. Repeat for reps.

delts

Arnold Press

Sit in a low-back bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand above shoulder level with a pronated grip (palms facing forward), your head straight and eyes focused forward. Keeping your shoulders back, press the dumbbells overhead in an arc, but don't let the weights touch at the top. Slowly reverse the motion to return to the start position.

quads

Leg Press

Sit squarely in the leg press machine and place your feet on the sled, shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up and lower back pressed into the back support, carefully unlock the weight from the safeties. Bend your knees to lower the weight, stopping before your glutes lift off the pad. Hold for a brief count, then extend your legs to press the weight up, stopping just short of locking out your knees. Squeeze your legs hard at the top, then repeat for reps.

back

Seated Cable Row

Attach a close-grip handle to a row apparatus and sit upright on the bench facing the weight stack. Place your feet on the platform, legs slightly bent. Reach forward to grasp the handles; keep your back flat and chest up. With your torso erect, arms fully extended, pull the handles toward your midsection. Keep your elbows in, your torso erect and your head in a neutral position. Squeeze your back muscles. Hold for 1-2 seconds before slowly reversing the motion to return to the start position.

hams

Deadlift

Feet flat under a bar, squat down and take a slightly wider than shoulder- width grip. Allow the bar to rest against your shins. With your chest up and back flat, lift the bar by extending your hips and knees fully. Keep your arms straight throughout the movement, as you drag the bar up your legs till you are in a standing position. Squeeze your back, legs and glutes, then lower the bar along the same path until it touches the floor. Allow the bar to settle before beginning the next rep.

Romanian Deadlift

Stand upright holding a barbell in front of your upper thighs with a pronanted (overhand) grip. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Keeping your chest up, abs tight and the natural arch in your low back, lean forward from your hips, pushing them rearward until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor. As you lean forward, keep your arms straight and slide the bar down your thighs toward the floor until it reaches your shins. At the bottom, keep your back flat, head neutral and the bar very close to your legs. Flex your hamstrings and glutes and lift your torso while pushing your hips forward until you bring the bar back to the start position.

triceps

Overhead Cable Extension

Sit or stand facing away from a high cable pulley. Grasp a straight bar or rope (shown) attachment with your arms bent at 90 degrees. Squeeze your triceps as you straighten your arms to full extension. Hold for 1-2 seconds then reverse the motion to return to the start position. Repeat for reps.

biceps

Cable Curl

Stand facing a cable weight stack. Attach a curl bar to the low pulley cable. Take an underhand, shoulder-width grip on the bar. With abs tight, chest up and head straight, contract your biceps to curl the bar toward your chest, keeping your elbows at your sides. Hold and squeeze at the top, then slowly return the bar along the same path. Repeat for reps.

delts

Front Barbell Raise

Stand holding a loaded barbell directly in front of your thighs, your abs tight and chest up. Keeping your arms straight, raise the barbell in front of you just above parallel to the floor. Pause, then lower to the start position and repeat for reps.

chest

Dumbbell Flye

Lie face-up on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and extend your arms above your chest. Bend your elbows slightly. Slowly lower the dumbbells in a wide arc down to your sides. Keep your elbows locked in the slightly bent position throughout the movement. Stop when your elbows reach shoulder level before reversing the motion.

glutes

Step-Up

Stand erect with your feet close together facing a bench. Step up onto the bench with your left leg, pushing through your left heel as you rise. Bring your right foot up onto the bench, then step down with your left foot followed by your right. Repeat, leading with the right. Alternate the leading foot for reps.

The Next Level

If you've got at least six months of consistent training under your belt and want to take your body to the next level, check out this fast-paced, fast-acting workout program. We'll guide you through, step by step, on how to transform your body from adequate to astonishing — but it'll take a good six-week effort on your part!

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Excerpted from 101 Fat-Burning Workouts & Diet Strategies for Women by Muscle & Fitness. Copyright © 2008 Weider Publications, LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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