Cross-Training

Workout Schedule

Running:

4 days/week. Start and end each workout (except Saturday) with a 1 mile (or 10 minute) warm-up and cool-down.

• Monday: 5 X 3:00 fast (as fast as you can maintain)/3:00 slow (walk/recover). Try starting @ 7.6 mph (8:00 mile)-speed up from there. Total workout is 50 minutes.

• Wednesday: 10 X :40/:20 (sprint for :40/walk for :20). This doesn’t work very well on a treadmill, for obvious reasons. Total workout is 30 minutes.

• Friday: Run as fast as you can for 10-20 minutes. Total workout is 30-40 minutes.

• Saturday: Go for a 1-2 hour run.

If you’re using a treadmill, set the incline for a 1% incline in order to simulate running on flat ground. I’m not sure what your treadmills display, so…

6.0 mph = 10:00 mile

6.7 mph = 9:00 mile

7.6 mph = 8:00 mile

8.0 mph = 7:30 mile

8.6 mph = 7:00 mile

10 mph = 6:00 mile

Lifting:

I usually start out with 20 minutes hard on a stationary bicycle as a warm-up and cross-training for my legs. Do each exercise once. Go directly from one exercise to the next without rest. No need to rush, but there will nearly be an aerobic quality to the workout and it will kick your ass. Remember, exhale w/exertion, inhale w/recovery on every repetition. This should take 30 minutes or less.

• 1 max set (to muscle failure) of push-ups. Try putting the tops of your feet on a 30” exercise ball.

• 1 set pec/fly machine to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 80# to start.

• 1 set incline dumbbell press to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 30# dumbbells to start. Have your fingers facing forward (like your holding a barbell). Only bring your triceps parallel to the floor (90 degrees) and press straight up.

• 1 set lateral raises to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 15# dumbbells to start. Hold dumbbells in front of your waist, like you’re holding 2 pitchers of beer (your arms will be slightly bent. Raise them up to the sides, parallel to the ground. Keep your thumbs slightly elevated (don’t want to spill the beer). You should be able to see the hollow of your inner elbow in the mirror the entire time.

• 1 set shoulder press to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Drop immediately from lateral raises (sit erect on a bench) to shoulder press, using the same dumbbells. This will burn your shoulders but good. Start with the dumbbells next to your ears, with your fingers facing forward. Your triceps should be parallel to the floor. Press straight up.

• 1 set (forward grip/wide grip) lat pull downs to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 90 pounds to start. Have your hands no wider than to the bend in the bar. Pull in front of your head to just below your chin. Go directly to…

• 1 set (reverse grip/narrow grip) lat pull downs. Same weight, same technique. Just come in one hands-width on the bar and reverse your grip. No rest.

• 1 set dips to muscle failure. Keep your head up, your elbows in close to your sides and pointed behind you. Only bend your elbows to 90 degrees, no need to go all the way down.

• 1 set tricep extensions to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 60# here. See if they have a rope instead of a bar for this exercise. This is probably a station on a universal machine. Stand erect (knees slightly bent, hips under your shoulders). Start with your forearms parallel to the floor. Press down. If using a rope, fully extend the rope on both sides of your hips-you should feel this in your forearms as well.

• 1 set seated row to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try 10# less than the lat pulls. Keep your back straight, your knees slightly bent and try to pinch your shoulder blades together when you pull back.

• 1 set curls to muscle failure (12-15 reps). Try a 40# barbell. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, your hips under you and your shoulders back. It will feel exaggerated. Watch in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl straight up. Do not move your elbows. Your elbow should point directly down your hip and should not move. Do not bring your elbows forward at any point in the range of motion.

• 1 set leg extensions. This is the best thing I know of for working the quads. Try 60#.
  

• 1 set leg curls. Can you work the glutes, hamstrings and calves too much? Match the weight for the hamstrings to the weight for the quads.

• 1 set of lunges or step-ups w/dumbbells. 12-15 reps. Try 20# dumbbells to start. It should feel light as your hamstrings will likely cramp until you get used to this range of motion. You may be in pain and have trouble walking for a couple of days. OR…

• 1 set of squats. 12-15 reps. Try a 45# Olympic bar and a squat rack. Start with 25# plates. Again, it should feel light. Again your hamstrings will probably cramp and you’ll be in pain for a couple of days. Get help with the proper form and technique. It’s easy to get injured here, but if done correctly, will be very beneficial. Feet shoulder width apart, chest wide, head up. Don’t go down past parallel.

• 1 set of toe raises. Just use the same squat bar and do twice as many toe raises as you did squats.

• Abs: Ball crunches and petal pushers are good. Work up to 2 X 25 ball crunches and 2 X 50 petal pushers (count and exhale when you extend your right leg), keep the small of your back pressed to the floor. It will take a while to get there, if done correctly. You’ll probably start out w/1 X 15 ball crunches & 1 X 25 petal pushers.

It’s tough, but you’ve got to make it happen. I lost 10 pounds and 3% body fat in 30 days following this routine. I lift Tuesdays/Thursdays, but you could do it 3 times/week. I usually rest on Sunday. There are no bad foods, only bad portions. Don’t eat until you’re full, except maybe on your rest day. It’s not bad, because you see that all workouts are less than an hour, except for Saturday, if you can actually run for 1-2 hours.