TABATA Time
Tabata training is one of the most fast-paced, energetic workouts you can do. Tabata is a form of high intensity interval training that gets your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time, by focusing on completing as many reps as possible in an allotted time period.
Note: Since we’re putting our focus on time, you’ll notice that the category “reps” has been replaced with “time.” You will need the use of a timer and be prepared to work out in intervals of 60 seconds.
So what are you waiting for? It’s tabata time!
Focus: Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads
Time: 45 minutes
Warm-up: 100 standing side crunches, 100 jumping jacks, 100 jumping squats
Set 1
4 Sets
Bended knee crunch, straight leg crunch, toe touch crunch (you will lie on your back for all three of these exercises)
Bended Knee Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold one dumbbell in both hands; keep the arms straight as you bring your knees to your chest
Straight Leg Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold one dumbbell in both hands; keep the arms straight as you bring your legs straight up to meet the arms
Toe Touch Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Keep your legs straight the entire time and reach up with the dumbbell in both hands to touch the toes
Set 2
4 Sets
Squats, Lunges, Toe Taps
Squats
Equipment: Dumbbell
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold the dumbbell to your chest as you squat down to a seated position and rise up; do not lock the knees when you stand
Single Leg Lunges
Equipment: Bench
Time: 1 minute
Tips & Tricks: Focus your eyes straight ahead – this will keep your back straight; due to the angle of the exercise; it’s okay for your knees to extend over your ankles
Toe Taps
Equipment: Medicine Ball
Time: 1 minute
Tips & Tricks: Focus on tapping the top of the ball with the bottom of the foot to keep the ball in place
Set 3
3 Sets
Dead Lifts, Hamstring Curl, Step Ups
Dead Lifts
Equipment: Dumbbells
Time: 1 minute
Weight: Start with a heavier weight (15 lbs. for women, 25 lbs. for men), increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep a slight bend in your legs; do not let the weights drop lower than mid-shin before standing upright
Standing Hamstring Curls
Equipment: Hamstring Curl Machine
Time: 1 minute per leg
Weight: Start with a heavier weight; increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep your back straight and a slight bend in the support leg
Step Ups
Equipment: Bench (or stair)
Time: 1 minute per leg
Weight: Start with a heavier weight (15 lbs. for women, 25 lbs. for men), increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep the foot flat on the bench and weights by your side; do not lock the knees as you step up one leg at a time
A little cardio with my workout
We’re back with an arms and chest workout. We’ve discussed the importance of increasing your heart rate during workouts. It’s also important to have variety in your cardio, in order to “surprise” your body. This workout features some cool techniques you can use to get your heart rate up and start sweating!
Check out what’s in store below.
Focus: Chest, Back, Arms, and Abs
Time: 45 minutes
Warm Up: Five minutes of cardio
Set 1
3 Sets
Shoulder Rotation, Mountain Climbers, Walkout Push Ups, Lotus
Shoulder Rotation
- Equipment: Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first rep; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep your back straight; bring arms parallel to the ground before raising the weights parallel to the head.
Mountain Climbers
- Reps: 50 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Start in plank position; keep arms in line with the chest as you rapidly bring your knees forward one at a time
Walkout Pushups
- Equipment: Mat
- Reps: 15 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Walk hands down the mat until you are in a plank position, keep hands aligned with chest and bring chest to touch the mat before walking the hands back up, supporting your weight the entire time
Lotus*
- Equipment: Mat
- Reps: 20 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Focus on contracting the back muscles and lifting the head as you lift up.
*The lotus position is very similar to the Superman posture, except the arms are stretched behind instead of out front.
CARDIO 1: After the three sets are completed; sprint for two minutes on the treadmill
Set 2
5 Sets
Vertical Chest Press, Abs
Vertical Chest Press (Heavy)
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 5 per set
- Weight: Start with slightly heavier weight, increase the weight by 5 lbs after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Isolate the inner pectoral muscles as you pull your arms to center
Ab Roll Ups
- Equipment: Incline Bench
- Reps: 30 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Extend arms above head and grab on to the bench as you pull both knees to your chest and straighten; be careful not to rest legs on the ground in between roll ups
CARDIO: After the five sets are completed; set the treadmill to a 1.5 speed and side shuffle for two minutes, one minute per side.
Let’s hope this workout leaves you breaking a sweat! Good luck with getting your cardio on. Book an appointment with Body By Fadi today and discover what all the program has to offer.
Save The Bros, Yo!
We’re excited to announce that our very own Fadi Malouf is going to appear in the next Save The Bros video! If you haven’t seen the first one, check it out below and prepare to be warned about the potential collapse of the entire bro nation.
What is Save The Bros, you ask? It’s an initiative by Organic Valley to encourage all the gym rats of the world to stop pumping their bodies with “synthetic junk.” They make a protein shake called Organic Fuel that is made with all natural ingredients – including 26 grams of high-quality protein. Good stuff.
So check out the video below for a good laugh. And if you’re a bro, take a minute to think about the toxins you may be putting in your body each time you chug a protein shake and check our Organic Fuel – if not for you, for the fate of bro nation as we know it.
Stay tuned for Fadi’s debut in the next campaign!
A Bench & Ball Kind of Day: Arms & Glutes
The medicine ball, the exercise ball, and the bench are widely used pieces of equipment because there is a variety of exercises you can do with them to work any part of the body. Whether you consider yourself a workout beginner, or if you’ve been hitting the gym for decades, these items are must haves in your “workout closet.”
Today we’re focusing on a laundry list of exercises that work different parts of the body, while keeping you on your toes – literally. This workout only includes one set of exercises that you’ll perform two times through.
Note that many of these exercises involve sitting on an exercise ball. Sit on this type of ball with both feet firmly placed on the floor, hip-width apart or wider. Keep your back straight and your head aligned with your spine. Maintain this position on the ball throughout each exercise.]
Focus: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Glutes, Core
Time: 45 minutes
Warm Up: Five minutes of cardio
Set (repeated two times)
Toe Taps
- Equipment: Medicine Ball
- Reps: 50 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Focus on tapping the top of the ball with the bottom of the foot to keep the ball in place
Bicep Curls
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the back straight, bend the arms to meet the shoulders and straighten completely with each repetition
Shoulder Press
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the back straight; on each repetition, bring arms perpendicular to shoulders (but not lower) before pressing up
Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Hold a dumbbell with both hands wrapped around the dumbbell handle; keep elbows pointing forward and straight, but not locked
Shoulder Raises
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 20 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5 lbs. on the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the arms straight out to your sides as you slowly lift and lower the weights (do not lift more than a foot up)
Full Sit Ups With Ball
- Equipment: Exercise Ball
- Reps: 20 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Lie flat on your back; bend the knees and place the legs over the ball; extend arms to touch the toes as you roll up
Fire Hydrants
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; lift one leg straight out to the side and back down, keeping the knee bent; do not allow the leg to extend past the hip
Side Leg Kicks
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; lift on leg straight out to the side and kick forward, keeping the leg straight
Back Leg Kicks
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; kick one leg straight out behind you and slowly bring forward
Backwards Lunges with Press
- Equipment: Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Lunge backwards while simultaneously pressing upwards; be sure to keep the back knee two inches off the floor as you lunge
This is a great workout to focus on your arms and the glutes, and finish with an exercise that puts focus on both.
Looking for more? Want to get access to over 6,000 workouts like this? Book an appointment with Body By Fadi today and discover what all the program has to offer.
Five and Four: Chest, Back, and Glutes
Let’s Superset! Chest and Back
Welcome to Body by Fadi’s workout of the day, where we will give you the tools you need to complete a strategic workout with tips and tricks along the way to help you succeed!
Today, we’re focusing on chest and back supersets. A superset is where you perform two or more exercises back-to-back without rest. You can perform a superset that focuses o
n the same body part, or opposing body parts – such as chest and back.
A chest and back superset is effective because most chest exercises are pushing movements and most back exercises are pulling movements. So the muscles are alternately resting and working, which allows both muscles to work longer and increases effectiveness.
Check out the superset workout below!
Focus: Chest and Back
Time: 30 minutes
Superset 1
4 Sets
Barbell Chest Press, Walking Lunges, Standing Trunk Rotation, Lateral Pulldown with Squat
Barbell Chest Press
- Equipment: Pulley Machine
- Reps: 20, 20, 15, 10
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first 20 reps; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep elbows in line with the wrists; focus on isolating your pectoral muscles as you push upwards
Walking Lunges
- Equipment: Free weights
- Reps: 30 lunges per set
- Weight: Start with a set of dumbbells at a manageable weight; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Hold the weights straight down next to your sides; make sure that your knees do not extend over your ankles as you lunge
Standing Trunk Rotation
- Equipment: Cable (grasp the handle with both hands, arms fully extended)
- Reps: 15 per side, per rep
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep your eyes focused on the handle and your hips locked forward as you rotate
Lateral Pulldown in Squat Position
- Equipment: Pulley Machine
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the arms and back straight; focus on isolating your lateral muscles as you pull down
Superset 2
3 Sets
Incline Receptacle Chest Press, Squat Row, Single Leg Lunges, Vertical Chest Press
Incline Receptacle Chest Press
- Equipment Bench; free weights
- Reps: 15 per arm, per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep wrists in line with elbows and elbows in line with shoulders; slowly straighten and lower one arm at a time
Squat Row
- Equipment Pulley Machine
- Reps: 20 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Stand back until you have enough resistance on the cable; make sure thighs are parallel to the ground
Single Leg Lunges
- Equipment Bench
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: None
- Tips & Tricks: Due to the angle of the exercise; it’s okay for your knees to extend over your ankles when performing the lunge; focus your eyes straight ahead – this will keep your back straight
Vertical Chest Press
- Equipment Bench
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Isolate the inner pectoral muscles as you pull your arms to center
That’s it for today’s workout! Be on the lookout for more weekly workouts. Want to get access to more workouts like this? How about over 6,000 workouts? Book an appointment with Body By Fadi today and discover what all the program has to offer.
Blended Pumpkin Smoothie and Soup Recipes
Pumpkin recipes abound during the end of year holidays. Usually in the form of pies, ice cream, flavored coffee and more.
Thought I would take you a few minutes to prepare a couple blender recipes. Hopefully none of your pumpkin goes to waste!
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, fresh (best option) or canned
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 cup unsweetened soymilk or coconut milk beverage
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 to 1 cup ice
- 1 Cup Broth, MSG Free, Chicken or Vegetable
- 1/4 Canned or Freshly Made Coconut Milk
- 1 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, fresh (best option) or Canned
- 1/2 Cup Onion
- 1 1/2 Garlic Clove
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Turbinado Sugar or Brown Sugar (or agave nectar)
- 1/2 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- Salt / Pepper to Taste