Workout of the Week: Treadmill + Arms & Shoulders

If you've been enjoying adding some variety to your routine with my 'workouts of the week,' I just know you're going to love the challenge of this week's.

The treadmill run (or walk... see below for how I suggest making this a power walk workout!) is meant to seriously challenge your endurance, mental & physical strength, and put your body into mega calorie-burn mode. You start with a warm-up, per usual. Then, you run at a challenging pace for each of the designated distances (starting with 0.25 miles). Note the INCLINE will increase each time the distance decreases. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Well, my *hope* is that you'll have to work harder, and you may feel like you have to decrease your speed... BUT since you're in burst mode (i.e. running) for a SHORTER DISTANCE, I want you to try maintaining the speed you had or increasing it, even just a little bit. You know your limits... and I want you to test them.

Once you get through the last block of 0.10 mile run... you gotta work your way backwards (so don't miss that little tidbit!). Walk it out & recover for a minute or two... then start with the 0.1 mile run again, followed by the 0.1 mile walk at 11% and so on, before finishing that final leg on the treadmill with a 0.25 mile run @ 3% incline.

YOU. ROCK.

Now, how about those arms + shoulders?! Your legs should be beat -- hence the balance to work the upper half. A little explanation on the workout, should you need clarification:

In the instance of the 8x step-ups with front & lateral raises... you're doing a step-up with your RIGHT LEG ONLY for 8 reps as you do 8 front raises simultaneously. Then, WITHOUT REST, move onto the LEFT LEG for 8 reps as you perform 8 lateral raises. This adds up to 16 total shoulder raises, so choose your weight appropriately (I suggest starting with 5 pounds & see how that goes).

Follow the same flow for the reverse lunges & bicep curls (start with ONE LEG ONLY going back, but curling BOTH arms simultaneously)... then switching to the other leg, but still curling with both arms.

The rest is pretty self-explanatory, but if you have questions... you know where to find me, right?! :)

Now about that POWER WALK option:

Reverse rolls of the inclines... so when the 'runner' is going 0.25 miles with an incline of 3%... the 'power walker' is going 0.25 miles @ 10% incline. Then, when the 0.1 mile walk (10% incline) approaches, you're going to reduce the incline to 3%. So for each interval option, you're simply reversing the inclines & challenging yourself with your walk speed.

Make sense? If not, please ask me for help! :)

Make it a GREAT week... make sure to smile, laugh & SWEAT!

Maggie