Fitness & Weight Loss Booster – Workout 6

Workout 6 & Competition Winners!

I’m quite excited about this workout, mostly because it is deceptively simple. The workout introduces a new form of circuit, which can be incorporated into your usual training easily. The beginner group will be doing ascending sets, while the intermediate and advanced groups will do pyramid sets. These set structures are explained in the video below. This is the last workout of the week, so go for it, but work hard to maintain good form and technique throughout.

WORKOUT SIX
Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
ASCENDING SETS to 10:	PYRAMID SETS to 10:	PYRAMID SETS to 10:
Plank hold step overs	Lunges	Mountain Climbers
Lunges	plank hold knee tucks	Lunges
Leg Drops	Leg Drops	Plank hold knee tucks
Perform the Circuit Twice

Exercises & Set Structures

The system of ascending sets and pyramid sets is explained in the video. In short, you begin by doing one repetition of each exercise in the prescribed order, then you do two reps of each exercise, then three, then four and so on until 10. That makes an ascending set to 10. For a pyramid set, you will then descend by doing each exercise 9 times, then 8 times, then 7 times back to 1. A single rep of a leg exercise is one each leg. So one rep of lunges would involve two lunges – one per leg – and equally one rep of mountain climbers involves one each leg. As you proceed through the ascending and pyramid sets the routine becomes more tiring. Try to work continuously until you reach set 5/6 and then take no more than 15s rest between sets. The intermediate and advanced group will do the pyramid twice – that’s a total of 400 lunges (200 each leg) and 400 plank-hold knee tucks, 400 mountain climbers or 200 Leg drops. It’s quite an achievement. It’s a relatively short workout, but it requires focus and determination. If you begin to struggle significantly with the plank-hold knee tucks, switch to a double crunch with a weight.

Workout 4 Competition Winners (May 2011 Group)

This is not the Olympics so there was no formal judging system I’m afraid. Tom & Matt were locked in a room together until decisions were made, so we’ll have no appeals please! The participants have been judged on a number of criteria, so best time didn’t necessarily win – weights selection and age, for example, were also considered. The winners will shortly receive an email from me to arrange delivery/collection of their prizes.

Workout 4 Winners
Prize	Winner
Best Male Free PT Session & FG Merchandise	Gordon Rogers
Best Female Free Shiatsu Massage & FG Merchandise	This was a difficult and controversial decision and has been declared a draw between Kate C and Ceire.
Best Rower Free PT Session	Douglas Fraser
Biggest Effort FG Merchandise	Hope
Most unique rowing style FG cap	Jane Bonar

Subsequent Winners…

Workout 4 Winners
Prize	Winner
Most Determined Free PT Session & FG Merchandise	Matt Riddle

^{Workout 7}