Directions
Frequency Perform each workout (I, II, and III) once per week, resting at least a day between each session.How To Do It Perform the exercise pairs (marked A and B) as supersets, resting 60 seconds after the second exercise in each pair. (So you'll do one set of A, then immediately do one set of B, and then rest before repeating the process for all prescribed sets.) Perform the exercises in Workout II (which are marked only by letters, not numbers) as a circuit. This means you'll complete one after the other without resting in between. (So you'll do one set of A, then one set of B, then C, and so on.) Afterward, rest 60 seconds or less. That's one circuit. Repeat the circuit two times for a total of three circuits (three sets per exercise).
Weight Use the heaviest weight that allows you to complete all the sets for each exercise. Remember that the goal here is to increase conditioning, so don't choose a weight that tires you out early.
1A CLEAN AND PRESS Set a barbell on the fl oor, crouch down, and grab it with hands shoulder-width apart. Your lower back should be in its natural arch [1]. Explosively stand up and shrug the bar, coming up onto the balls of your feet. As the bar rises to chest level, flip your wrists over so that your palms face the ceiling and your upper arms are in the bottom position of a shoulder press. Allow your knees to bend as you absorb the force of the bar at your shoulders [2]. From here, press the bar straight overhead [3]. Reverse the motion to return the weight to the fl oor. That's one rep.
1B MIXED-GRIP PULLUP Grab a pullup bar with one hand overhand and the other with palm facing you. Hang from the bar [1]. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar [2], then lower yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep.
2A FLOOR PRESS Lower the supports on a power cage to a few feet above the fl oor, and place a barbell on them. Lie on your back on the fl oor underneath the bar so that the bar lines up with your eyes. Reach up and grab the bar with a shoulderwidth grip (your arms should be fully extended), and lift it out of the rack so that it is above your chest [1]. Lower the bar toward your sternum until your triceps touch the floor [2]. Pause for a moment, and then press the bar back to the starting position. That's one rep.
2B ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW Grab a dumbbell in one hand, and rest one hand and one knee on a bench. Let your arm hang straight down [1]. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, row the weight until it touches your side [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Perform all your reps with one arm fi rst, then switch arms and repeat.
3A MEDICINE-BALL SITUP Hold a medicine ball against your chest, and lie on your back on the fl oor. Bend your knees 90 degrees, planting your feet flat. Tuck your chin slightly toward your chest [1]. Keeping your feet and butt on the fl oor, explosively raise your torso off the fl oor and toward your thighs, coming up as far as you can (it's OK to let your lower back come off the floor) [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.
3B SWISS-BALL BACK EXTENSION Hold a medicine ball and lie facedown on a Swiss ball, positioning your hips on the center of the ball. Hook your feet under something sturdy (such as the leg station of a bench, as shown here) and, keeping your torso straight, allow your body to angle toward the floor. Hold the medicine ball out in front of you [1]. Now contract your glutes and hamstrings to raise your body up as high as you can [2]. Lower yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep.
