The South Beach Diet Super Charged
Page 15
Switch legs and repeat the exercise.
Do 8 reps with your left foot on the step and 8 reps with your right foot on the step (this is 1 set). Work up to 3 sets.
Variation: Once you feel strong enough, try this more difficult variation. Lift the heel of the foot that is not on the step while you pulse up and down with both legs (this is 1 rep).
Do 8 reps with your left foot on the step and 8 reps with your right foot on the step (this is 1 set). Work up to 3 sets.
Caution: Stop if you have any knee or hip pain.
SINGLE ARM REACH
Great for flexibility and range of motion in the shoulders.
1. Stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart. Hold both arms at chest height, with your upper arms parallel to the floor, elbows bent at 90 degrees, and palms facing toward you. Keep your chest open and lifted on all movements. Your chin stays parallel to the floor and should not jut forward.
2. Straighten your right arm as you raise it toward the ceiling, feeling the muscles under your arm contract. When your arm is straight overhead, rotate your hand and arm away from your body.
3. In a fluid motion, keep your right arm straight as you slowly move it behind you and down. This movement should feel as if you are reaching over and behind the passenger seat of your car.
4. Without stopping, continue to move your arm down and around until your elbow is at your hip. Return to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
Do 8 reps with your right arm, then 8 reps with your left arm (this is 1 set). Work up to 3 sets.
Cautions: People with existing shoulder injuries or previous rotator cuff or impingement issues should be careful doing this exercise.
BEAUTIFUL BICEPS
Enhances upper-arm shape and strength.
You can use 1- to 3-pound hand weights or perform this exercise without weights. Don’t use weights if you have shoulder injuries or feel any shoulder pain as you do the exercise.
1. Holding a weight in each hand, stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart. With your palms up, bend your arms, keeping your elbows at chest height as though resting them on an imaginary table. If you’re not using weights, hold your palms open and facing toward you.
2–3. While keeping your elbows at chest height (try not to lower them), do 4 basketball-size outward circles with your forearms. Without stopping, reverse direction and do 4 inward circles.
Do 3 sets of 4 circles outward and 4 circles inward.
SHOULDER STROKE
Strengthens shoulders, chest, biceps, and triceps. Improves posture and increases shoulder mobility.
You can use 1- to 3-pound hand weights or perform this exercise without weights. Don’t use weights if you have shoulder injuries or feel any pain during the exercise.
1. Holding a weight in each hand, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Turn your palms down and hold both arms straight out at chest height, parallel to the floor. If you’re not using weights, make fists and turn your palms down.
2–3. Keeping your left arm at shoulder height, lower your right arm to your right thigh, then, without stopping, raise your right arm to shoulder height and lower your left arm to your left thigh (this is 1 rep). Don’t stop between reps.
Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
Tips: Your fists should not be raised above your shoulders. The muscles under your arms should contract, and you should feel a pulling sensation from your shoulder blades. Make sure your shoulders don’t hunch up—it will put a strain on your neck. Watch your posture. Your chin should be parallel to the floor and your chest lifted as you do this exercise.
FAB ABS
Creates a supersexy six-pack and flat abs. Stretches chest muscles. Improves balance and coordination.
1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your arms straight behind you. Your hands should be flat on the floor with your fingertips pointing away from you. Contract your pelvic-floor muscles and pull your abdominal muscles in tight to keep you balanced as you lift your feet 3 to 4 inches off the floor.
2–3. Tightening your abdominals, straighten and bend your legs (this is 1 rep). Repeat 8 times in a fluid manner. If you’re not strong enough to extend both legs, extend one leg at a time, alternating legs.
Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
Variation: When you have mastered the basic exercise, make it more challenging by doing circles with both legs extended. One outward and 1 inward circle is 1 rep.
Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
AB CIRCLE
Shapes and flattens lower and upper abdominals.
1. Lie down on your back with your body propped up on your elbows. Press your forearms and palms firmly into the floor, fingertips facing forward. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to keep your chest lifted. Bend your knees out to the side and press the bottoms of your feet firmly together. (The harder you press your feet into one another, the more intense the work.) Lift your feet off the floor about 4 inches, keeping your soles pressed together.
2. Circle your feet out, up, around, and back toward your body as you circle toward the start position (1). Repeat 4 times.
3. Still keeping the soles of your feet together, reverse the direction of the circle. Repeat 4 times.
Do 3 sets of 4 circles in each direction.
BEACH KNEEL
Tightens and lifts the butt, strengthens the back and improves posture, and stretches the chest, hips, and thighs.
1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart. Tighten your butt muscles and pull your abdominal muscles in tight.
2. Slowly lean back without bending at the hips. Use your butt muscles and muscles in the back of your upper thighs (your hamstrings) to support your body weight. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then return to the starting position (this is 1 rep).
Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
Caution: People with knee injuries or back pain should not do this exercise.
THE SOUTH BEACH SUPERCHARGED FITNESS PROGRAM
PHASE 3
INTERVAL WALKING
Congratulations on graduating to the Phase 3 Interval Walking part of our fitness program! After at least 6 weeks of intervals on Phases 1 and 2, you’re sure to be seeing results not only on the scale but also in the way you feel. Your body and heart are stronger, you have more energy, you can breathe more deeply, and you’re probably a lot happier. You’re making the right food choices, and you’re doing a beneficial new form of exercise—it’s an unbeatable combination. And thanks to your revved-up metabolism, you’ve vastly increased your capacity to burn fat and calories—all the time.
Because Phase 3 Interval Walking offers the blueprint you’ll use for exercising long term, I want to give you some information on how this phase really works, so you can adapt the intervals to any form of cardio you enjoy.
If you study the Phase 3 charts on “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section, you’ll see that each week varies a bit in terms of the amount and intensity of work and recovery. Here’s how.
Weeks 1 and 2: The Slow Build. During the first 2 weeks of Phase 3, the work becomes a bit more challenging each day as the level of intensity keeps increasing. It’s a slow and steady build with a break on Week 2, Day 2 to help you handle the increase in difficulty. In addition, the amounts of work and recovery change over these 2 weeks to further vary the intensity of your workout. This allows you to demand more and more from your body while still providing enough time to recharge between bursts of increased activity.
Week 3: The Supercharged! Week. During the third week of Phase 3, you’ll be able to work at your highest intensity as the work periods shorten and the recovery periods lengthen to allow you to replenish more of your energy. The repetitions peak on Day 5, then decrease on Day 7, so you can work even harder. Intensity is the name of the game, but you also need recovery. There’s a good reason for this: If you were to continue to increase both the intensity and duration of your workout each day, you could suffer from excessive fatigue, leading to reduced gains and possible overus
e injuries (see Chapter 5).
Week 4: The Mellow Week. During the final week of Phase 3, there’s a marked decrease in work intensity and time. After Week 3, this should feel like a breeze. But don’t try to make it harder. Remember, you need this time to refresh yourself for the next 4-week cycle.
The key to interval training is knowing how to pace yourself. Therefore, I can’t stress enough the importance of recovery. It is not simply a rest period; recovery serves a critical purpose: It gives your body time to recharge so that it’s able to work to its maximum potential when called upon again. If you don’t take your recovery periods seriously, you are only cheating yourself because you will never truly achieve your Supercharged! potential.
THE TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
You deserve equal kudos for being ready to move on to the Phase 3 Total Body Workout, particularly if you never exercised before starting this fitness program. During Phase 3, you’ll appreciate the incredible progress you’ve made over the past weeks. In fact, you may be surprised at how easily you’re able to adapt to these new exercises. The individual movements are more challenging, but you’re ready for them.
In addition to being stronger, you will have developed a new body awareness. And it shows, not just when you’re working out, but in the grace and easy you express as you perform your daily activities. More important, you’re steadier on your feet, which will help prevent injury. By now, you feel so good after your workout, you find that you’re actually looking forward to doing it.
THE SOUTH BEACH SUPERCHARGED FITNESS PROGRAM
PHASE 3—WEEK 1
DAY 1—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 45 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 15 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 15 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 2—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See Phase 3 “Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 3—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 15 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 20 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 4—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 5—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 30 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 16 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 6—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Moderate Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 7—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Supercharged!
Walk for 45 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 12 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
THE SOUTH BEACH SUPERCHARGED FITNESS PROGRAM
PHASE 3—WEEK 2
DAY 1—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 2—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 45 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 30 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 12 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 3—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 4—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 60 seconds at Supercharged!
Walk for 30 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 10 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 5—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Moderate Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 6—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 45 seconds at Supercharged!
Walk for 15 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 10 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
DAY 7—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
THE SOUTH BEACH SUPERCHARGED FITNESS PROGRAM
PHASE 3—WEEK 3
DAY 1—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 60 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 30 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 10 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 2—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 3—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 45 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 30 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 10 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 4—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 5—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Supercharged!
Walk for 45 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 12 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 6—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Moderate Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 7—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Supercharged!
Walk for 60 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 9 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
THE SOUTH BEACH SUPERCHARGED FITNESS PROGRAM
PHASE 3—WEEK 4
DAY 1—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 Exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 2—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 45 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Repeat 12 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
DAY 3—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Easy Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 4—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 3-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Revved Up.
Walk for 60 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 8 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Easy P
ace.
DAY 5—TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
Phase 3 Exercises: See “Phase 3 Weekly Exercise Plan” Section.
Take a recreational walk at Moderate Pace for 15–20 minutes (optional).
DAY 6—INTERVAL WALKING
Warmup: Start with a 2-minute walk at Easy Pace.
Walk for 30 seconds at Moderate Pace.
Walk for 60 seconds at Easy Pace.
Repeat 6 times.
Cooldown: End with a 2-minute walk at Moderate Pace.