The Health
Street Workout
By Suketu Patel
Introducing
the Health Street 18 minute a week workout. Just 6 minutes of
activity per day and only 3 times per week. The real key to
this workout is intensity.
Who is this for?
This plan is for
individuals who have goals of getting into prime shape but with little time to
spend at the gym. The plan is applicable for those who aim to increase
muscle mass, build strength, improve conditioning, and even boost ones
metabolism.
High intensity training is
effective for both men and women. The age old myth that women who workout with
heavy weights will easily bulk up is nothing more then fiction. There are a
number of reasons why heavy lifting won't result in excess mass for women from very low testosterone levels, lack
of adequate protein, and lastly because putting on muscle is
a tremendously long journey. Results, even for men will not come over
night.
The real truth is that
high intensity, heavy weight, and low rep training focuses on strength over
bulk. Working out in the higher rep range which most women often do is actually superior in
promoting muscle growth. For more info read, The Top 10 Reasons
Heavy Weights Don't Bulk Up the Female Athlete .
In addition the Mayo clinic lists the following benefits of strength training.
In addition the Mayo clinic lists the following benefits of strength training.
- Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
- Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body gains a bigger "engine" to burn calories more efficiently — which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.
- Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle helps protect your joints from injury. It also contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
- Boost your stamina. As you get stronger, you won't fatigue as easily.
- Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
- Sharpen your focus. Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve attention for older adults.
How is this plan different?
The key difference between
the Health Street Workout and many other time sensitive based plans is the
focus on maintaining a high level of intensity per each set of exercise. When an individual
works with weights and resistance that is closer their one rep maximum they
strain, tear apart, and utilize muscles to a far greater degree than with
lighter resistance. The outcome of this is as the body recuperates, the muscles
repair and rebuild to an even stronger form. A workout that combines both efficiency and
intensity will result in a maximum work output in minimum time.
The concept is very
simple. Any exercise or set will be done at or near the maximum weight while maintaining
that rep range. By cleverly utilizing rest periods an individual can ensure
that they perform every exercise to their absolute potential.
How to approach:
How to approach:
-- This workout plan has 2
variables that can be altered depending on the goals of the individual: Number
of reps and Rest time.
-- The rest interval is based on an
individual’s fitness level. As he or she continues the plan they will notice a
gradual progression with increased muscular endurance resulting in shorter rest
periods.
-- Each set besides the warm-up is
performed until failure or 1 rep before failure.
Strategies to maintain intensity:
- Warm
up well with a lighter weight load.
- After
a proper warm-up, begin the first set of each exercise at a weight close
to your max and maintain that weight for the next few sets. For the last
set of the exercise lower the weight to ensure you can still do the same
amount of reps. (Think of a batter using a weighted bat for warm up
before stepping to the plate)
- While
fresh you want to use your energy for heavily weighted compound exercises.
- For
the next exercise you have two options depending on your muscular
endurance, either continue working out that muscle group or switch to
another opposing group. The benefit of switching is that now that muscle
group can recover while you utilize your time and energy on another.
- Incorporate smaller muscle groups between sets to maintain a rapid heart rate through your workout.
- Lightly massage and stretch the relevant muscle group during rest periods to help flush out the lactic acid that gives us that burning feeling.
- If your schedule permits consider adding a short but intense cardio session after strength training. With your energy reserves depleted this cardio session will help promote an even amount of fat loss.
Focus
|
Strength
|
Balanced
|
Cardio
|
Reps per Set
|
5 to 8
|
8 to 12
|
12 to 18
|
Rest bet. Sets (seconds)
|
60 to 120
|
45 to 75
|
30 to 45
|
Duration (1.5 sec/rep)
|
7.5 - 12 seconds
|
12 - 18 seconds
|
18 - 27 seconds
|
Work done per exercise (4 sets)
|
30 - 48 seconds
|
48 - 72 seconds
|
72 - 108 seconds
|
Work done per workout (22 Sets)
|
165 - 264 seconds
|
264 - 396 seconds
|
396 - 594 seconds
|
Work done per 22 set workout
|
2.75 to 4.4 mins
|
4.4 to 6.6 mins
|
6.6 to 9.9 mins
|
Work done per week (22 sets x 3 days = 66 sets)
|
8.25 - 13.2 mins
|
13.2 to 19.8 mins
|
19.8 to 29.7 mins
|
Sample Plan:
Click on the exercises to to view the proper form.
Day 1: Chest, Calves,
Abs
|
Exercise
|
Warm-ups
|
Sets
|
Excercise 1:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 2:
|
1 warm up
|
3 sets
|
|
Excercise 3:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 4:
|
3 Sets
|
||
Excercise 5:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 6:
|
3 sets
|
||
Excercise 7:
|
3 sets
|
||
Total
|
24 sets
|
Day 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Shoulders
|
Exercise
|
Warm-ups
|
Sets
|
Excercise 1:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 2:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 3:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 4:
|
1 warm up
|
3 Sets
|
|
Excercise 5:
|
1 warm up
|
3 sets
|
|
Excercise 6:
|
3 sets
|
||
Total:
|
21 sets
|
Day 3: Back, Triceps, Abs
|
Exercise
|
Warm-ups
|
Sets
|
Excercise 1:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 2:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 3:
|
1 warm up
|
4 sets
|
|
Excercise 4:
|
1 warm up
|
3 Sets
|
|
Excercise 5:
|
1 warm up
|
3 sets
|
|
Excercise 6:
|
4 sets
|
||
Excercise 7:
|
2 sets
|
||
Total:
|
23 sets
|
No comments:
Post a Comment