I have always been a huge fan of the workouts that combine elements. I love interval training that involved strength and cardio. I am not one of those that subscribes to conventional wisdom that says you should lift on non-consecutive days alternating cardio and strength training. If I can get it in one intense sweaty package, I prefer that. Recently I have discovered the boot camp. I’ve done many in recent months. The newest one is a weight circuit with small bursts of cardio. It is simply titled “Boot Camp Workout #1”. As I am a lover of Pinterest, I found this workout there as well. The equipment you will need is a timer, heavy set of dumbbells, and a light set of DB’s. You perform each exercise for one minute, then begin the second circuit. As is smart with all workouts warming up is important. So with this workout you start with a 5 min warm-up of cardio of your choice. Then begin the first circuit.
1. Squats – Go with the heavy DB’s
2. Shoulder Press – Heavy again
3. Bicep Curls – Heavy weight again, I do approximately half the minute doing both arms and then single arm curls
4. Standing Skull Crushers (tricep extensions) – The workout suggest Heavy. Here I tend to go lighter.
5. Rear Delt Fly – Light db’s
6. Jump Squats – As many as you can do in 1 minute.
7. Crunches – As many as possible in 1 minute.
8. Push-Ups – Again as many as possible in 1 min. Sometimes when I am using this for just a strength routine and leaving out the cardio, I will do chest presses here with heavy db’s.
9. Upright Row – Again Heavy weight.
10. Plie Squats – Heavy DB’s. (This is a wide stance squat with toes turned out.)
You do five more minutes of cardio of choice at this point.
Then I rest for 2 mins and begin again.
After Repeating the circuit a 2nd time, add 2-5 mins of cool-down. I usually do some light cardio for 5 mins.
If you do the workout like this its about 40 minutes long total.
As mentioned before there are some days that I leave out the cardio aspect. I eliminate the Jump Squats and Push-ups as well. But add in chest press. This takes the exercises to #9 and you have a kick-ass 22 minute upper body routine, with a smidge of core and legs thrown in for good measure.
I can tell you this is a great arm workout. By the end my upper body is screaming. When you add the cardio in with it, you have a great total body cardio-strength training Boot-Camp!! Try it out!!!
Becoming Formerly Obese 