Sunday, March 1, 2009

Turbulence Training March Madness

This month's Turbulence Training routine consists of 3 circuit workouts to be performed on nonconsecutive days.

I gave Workout A a shot yesterday:

bodyweight circuit to warm up, then:

power circuit 3x:

6 jump squats, hands in prisoner position
pull-ups, max reps
8 jump lunges per leg
8 spiderman pushups per side
8 1-leg stability ball curls
band assisted pull-ups, max reps
6 burpees

core circuit 3x:

plank, 45 sec.
15 SB jackknifes
side plank, 30 sec. each side
SB mountain climbers, feet on ball (!), 8 per side.

bodyweight squats, 5 min., AMRAP

The bodyweight squat thing was interesting. I was able to work continuously for the entire 5 minutes, but I did find myself slowing down very slightly toward the end. In minute 1 I completed 36 squats, and if I'd kept working at that pace throughout the interval I'd have gotten 180 total, but in fact I got 160-something. The idea with this one is to try to get more squats each workout, but I think I might want to do something else. Maybe 20 seconds of jump squats, 20 seconds of bodyweight squats, and then a 20 second squat hold, 5x. If I can. I certainly can do it 3 times, and probably 4. If I make it through 5 times I'll have to give myself a handicap. Pointe shoes, maybe.

Another option would be to stick in something like a 5 minute snatch test, though not on a day when I'm worried about my shoulders.

BTW, Craig Ballantyne is offering a couple of deals right now. For $1.oo you can purchase a basic Turbulence Training membership that'll give you access to the March Madness workout and a few others as well, in addition to the member forums, for a week. You need to cancel within 7 days or your credit card will be charged $19.95 yadda yadda yadda.

Alternatively, for $9.95 apiece you can purchase quite a few "back issue" 4-week Turbulence Training workouts. If fat loss is your goal any of the January workouts are highly recommended. I also like the bodyweight workouts with some reservations. In Craigspeak, "bodyweight" does not mean "no equipment needed." You'll likely need a stability ball, a pull-up bar, a step or bench, and a lower bar you can use for inverted rows. So, if you're looking for something you can do on vacation these workouts may not fit the bill unless you happen to own a TRX trainer you can throw in your carry-on.

(Apparently I'm all about the product placement today. Should I be charging?)