By Trainers & Competitors Emily Saunders and Tara Ballard
Ahhh, Fall…cooler temperatures and warm colors…and a perfect time to take your workout outdoors to enjoy this wonderful season! Your local sports stadium is not only a great place to watch your favorite team, but is also a place to get an awesome workout.
Emily and Tara absolutely love the following workouts – they get your blood pumping and muscles burning! Each one takes about 45 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down. One focuses more on lower body, and one challenges your upper body as well. Both workouts are done Metabolic Effect style, meaning you push as hard as you can until you have to rest, rest as much or as little as you need, then resume where you left off. This creates that wonderful “afterburn” effect, where you are burning fat long after the workout is over, all the while maintaining and even building lean muscle.
So, forget tailgating! Head to the stadium and try these guys out! Let us know how it goes! :)
You’ll begin each workout with a 5 – 10 minute warm-up consisting of the following:
2 laps jogging around the track
Approximately 5 minutes of dynamic movements such as walking lunges, butt kicks, high-leg kicks, lateral shuffle, etc.
Now you’re ready to rock!
WORKOUT 1 – EM’S LOWER BODY ASSAULT
SEGMENT #1:
Begin at bottom of stairs:
Lunge Up the Stairs – Every other or every 3rd Step
Jog/Walk Down
Jump up the stairs hitting every step (feet together)
At the top complete the following:
10 Fast Squats, 10 pulsing squats, 10 squat jumps
Walking lunge over to the next aisle
10 Switch Jumps on each leg (touch back knee to ground)
Walk/jog down staircase and then back to start (making a square)
Repeat for 20 minutes resting as needed
SEGMENT #2:
Sprint up the stairs hitting every stair- walk/jog down
Sprint up the stairs hitting every other stair- walk/jog down
Repeat for 15 minutes resting as needed
Other variations for escalating the stairs:
Face Sideways and Squat up the stairs hitting every other stair (do both sides)
Skip up the Stairs stepping on every other step
Hop up the stairs alternating legs
Walk backwards up the stairs (carefully)
Cool down as needed/stretch
WORKOUT 2 – TARA’S UPPER/LOWER STADIUM SIZZLER
Equipment needed: moderately heavy dumbbells and a mat (optional)
SEGMENT #1:
Run up an aisle, two steps at a time, as fast as you can
At the top, complete the following:
10 fast triceps dips (using the top bleacher, top step, or wall)
10 push-up/rows with your dumbbells
10 Burpees / Squat Thrusts (with or without weights)
Walk carefully down the stairs
Repeat for 15 minutes
SEGMENT #2:
Run up an aisle, one step at a time, as fast as you can
At the top, complete the following:
10 fast regular push-ups
10 fast triceps push-ups (elbows in close to the body, brushing the rib cage as you lower)
10 fast bicycle crunches
Walk carefully down the stairs
Repeat for 15 minutes
SEGMENT #3:
Walk one full lap around the track, and finish with sprints:
Beginning at the top of the straightaway, sprint the length of the straightaway as fast as you can
Walk the curve, as slowly as needed to recover
Sprint the next straightaway as fast as possible; walk the curve as slowly as needed to recover
Repeat two more times, for a total of 4 sprints
Slow walk to recover / cool down / stretch
HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK! :)