Week 3 of LIIFT4

LIIFT 4, WEEK 3. 

Day 1: Chest and Triceps 50/50

Oh man. Is it a good thing that the weeks starts out with a 50/50 since you've had two days off or does it just add to the Monday blahs? While we ponder this, lets get into the warm up! ;) 

Your first block is all chest. You start off with ten reps of chest presses, followed by ten reps of chest fries. You take a short break in between the two moves but you repeat each one for a total of three times. 

Block two has both a chest move and a tricep move. You're doing rotating press and then tricep kickbacks. Ten reps of each repeated for a total of three times. 

Your third block is kind of evil. You start with skull crushers, and then you roll over and do tricep pushups. As usual, ten reps of each and for a total of three times. 

Onto the HIIT portion of the workout. You're doing three moves and you're doing the 60, 45, 30 time period. You start out with 180 squat jumps for 60 seconds. This is a killer for real. You do 45 seconds of soccer runs. And then 30 seconds of plyo jumps. And your repeat that three times. Despite my legs just being burned up and served for dinner, I actually really like this combo of cardio moves.

The core component is dumbbell extensions and side reaches. 

Day 2: Back and Biceps Circuit

I keep thinking that the circuit days are easier because there is no HIIT. That is not the case. When I going to learn?

So after your warmup, you start in block one with ten reps of the following four moves: pullovers, top curls, reverse flys, and bottom curls. In top curl you start at the top and only go halfway down, and with bottom curls you start at the bottom and only go halfway up. You repeat these for a total of three times. 

In block two you're doing another quad set of wide rows, wide curls, traditional rows, and then hammer curls. I'm telling you that these blocks still burn out my biceps. You do ten reps of each a total of thre times. 

Your burnout is 30 seconds of back extensions and 30 seconds of full bicep curls. Repeated three times. After all the curls you've done, this burnout just totally burns out your biceps. My back feels it too with the back extensions. It's crazy. You're laying on the floor right, so you'd think it's be easy but noooo. Joel's back extensions are different than Jillian's back extensions (or as she calls them, "Supermans") as well. You keep your feet onto the floor and you're only lifting your upper body off the floor keeping your booty tight. I keep forgetting to mention that. 

Onto the core component, which is dumbbell crunch and bicycle twist. Each one for 30 seconds, repeated for a total of three times. Hurray, you have tomorrow off! 

Day 3: Shoulder intervals

Shoulder intervals are my favorite day! Yes! Uh, until you find that swimmers are in your future. 

After your warmup, block one takes you into ten reps of front raises and ten reps of upright rows. Your cardio is 30 seconds of one leg jumps. These kind of remind me of knee thrusts. 

Your second block is ten reps of side raises, and then ten reps overhead presses. Your 30 second cardio interval is speed skater. 

Your last block is mean. You're doing shoulder flys, which is where you're leaning slightly forward with your elbows bent (as if you're getting ready to press overhead), but instead of pressing overhead, you're bringing your elbows in close. Joel tells you to go light on this and he is not kidding. Next you're doing swimmers, which is also just super mean. It's a front raise/side raise in one, and you bring your weights forward and back. It's tough and another go light move. Your 30 seconds of cardio is squat jumps. 

Core component is weighted side crunches and windshield wipers. Wait inside crunchers are where you are up in crunch holding a dumbbell and going side to side over your knees. It's not like a russian twist, it's more like a rainbow over your knees. It's an oblique burner for real. You repeat each three times. 

Day 4: Legs 50/50

All righty. It seems fitting that leg day is Friday because this workout is so tough and you definitely deserve the two rest days that are coming up. After a quick warmup, your first block jumps right into sumo squats, and then 10 reps of bridges. You're holding onto a weight during sumo squats, and in bridges, you're laying on your back, with weights on your hips and your thrusting your hips up. What a booty burner. You're doing ten reps of each, a total of three times.

The second block is my favorite. You're doing regular weighted/front loaded squats, and then 10 reps of calf raises. You start off with regular calf raises, the second time you're doing pigeon calf raises (toes in), and then the third time you're doing duck calf raises with your toes out. You burn out a new part of your calf each time. 

The third block is mean and a lot of it is because of alternating side lunges. Going left, and then going right counts as one. Ten times. Then you're doing ten deadlifts. Repeat for a total of three times. Now on to the HIIT component. 

You're doing the 60, 45, 30 method, and you're doing soccer runs for 60 seconds, catchers for 45, and lunge jumps for 30. You repeat those moves for a total of three times. This is tough. Your legs should be completely done by the end of this. The good news is there is no triple bear. ;)

Oh, and your core component? Side plank on each side for 30 seconds. I'm telling you, this just is a total ugh. I've never been do happy to be done with a workout. ;) It's TOUGH! But it's effective. ;) 

On to week 4!!