I'm training for a bikini competition. 4 weeks left until my first show. 7weeks until the 2nd show.
Here's what I'm NOT DOING (nor have I been for the past 2 months of prep):
-regular fasted cardio
-90-120 minutes of cardio each day, plus weight training
-pilates
-lifting light weights
-hitting the gym twice every day. in fact, i rarely go 2x
Get the point? A lot of bikini competitors are notorious for spending HOURS on cardio equipment. (SO ARE THOSE FIGURE GIRLS...)
When I first started preparing for my shows, I knew the fasted cardio thing was OLD SCHOOL! That is NOT to say I HAVENT done fasted cardio during prep. I have! During the summer, I loved waking up early and going to the track before breakfast. But my goal there wasn't specifically to "burn more fat by doing fasted cardio." I don't like to eat before training, it feels amazing to run and do stairs without a bunch of food in your tummy.
A ton of articles I come across advocate HIIT cardio, and suggest that INTENSITY trumps DURATION when it comes to maximizing fat burn. Why shouldn't that apply to contest prep, when fat burn is a SERIOUS priority?
With that said, here's what I HAVE been doing:
-HARD cardio, like incline intervals on the treadmill, sprinting, and killing it on the stair monster.
The major change I made was to get in cardio 5 days a week, REGARDLESS. sometimes 6. Super sore legs are NOT good for sprinting or hauling ass, so THAT is the time that I'll get on the elliptical with an incline. Ellipticals are excellent for NO impact cardio. Perfect for "recovery"cardio.
-No cardio session longer than an hour.
-Either mixing segments of all-out cardio into my circuit workouts, or doing 20-30 minutes of HARD shit after my circuit workout.
-Adding plyometrics ... often. Burpees and squat jumps are my usual choice.
-Utilizing circuit style workouts, as opposed to the heavy heavy weight training I was using before.
-Lifting in the 12-15 rep range (mostly) 3-4 sets of 3-4 exercises backtobacktoback
-full body exhaustion AND cardio every saturday, the day before my REST day. I EARN IT.
So I'm giving you a sample of what I MEAN when I say FULL BODY EXHAUSTION.
***PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK***
Here's today's workout:
Stairs 12 minutes:
start level 60, increase each minute until 10 minutes
**60/65/70/75/80/85/90/95/100/105**
Sprint min 10-11
SLOW DOWN min 11-12
circuit 1: 3 sets 12 reps
prone on incline bench bilateral db rows w/25s
stiff deadlift to overhead press w/40lb barbell
Stairs 13 minutes:
same pattern, start at level 65 this time
circuit 2: 4x15 reps
decline abs
decline oblique twist
kbell DEEP squat w/upright row 30lb kettlebell
back to the stairs 15 minutes:
legs started to feel REALLY weak at this point (thank you lower carbs..)
2 mins each level.
**60/70/80/90/repeat until 12min**
sprint/recover until 15 mins
circuit 3: 3 sets
deadlift w/100lbs 10 reps
tricep rope pulldown 15 reps
stiff lat pull down 15 reps
Circuit 4: 3x15, to failure last set
parallel reverse hyperextensions
turned out reverse hyperextensions
dumbbell lateral raises
ALL DONE!!! You should be TOASTED. Looking back at the workout, I realized there's no CHEST involved. I trained my chest super hard the other day, and had ZERO energy for pushups or chest presses or cable flyes today. Not an excuse, but I didn't NEED to train chest anyhow. Usually, I do include pushups in my full body workouts though.
This is a solid 90 minute workout, no questions asked. I was absolutely dead! And THAT is how I AM TRAINING for my bikini competition.
**bonus info: Saturdays I deplete my muscles by working out like this, taper my carbs slightly, then Sunday is day of rest and very low carbs, and MONDAY is CARB DAY, with another upper body circuit workout and cardio. Tuesday, regular carbs resume and I train legs HEAVY on glutes and hamstrings.**
Happy training!!
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