June 2021

Try This Full Body Dumbbell Workout On Your Next Strength Day

Now that restrictions have been lifted and we are back to a more comfortable state in our local gyms, some of you might be wondering where to start when returning to a regular fitness routine. If you are a new member at FFC, I highly recommend taking advantage of the complimentary training sessions that you receive when joining the club. These sessions give you access to a professional coach who can help you create a plan that works best for you and your goals.

If you’ve already completed your complimentary training sessions, try your hand at this simple full body workout that I have designed for you. In this full body dumbbell workout, you’ll be using your body weight and dumbbells to add resistance and build strength. Now, let’s get to it!

The Warm Up

Let’s start out with a few dynamic stretches:

Complete 5 repetitions on each side of the body, one time through.

Trunk rotations
Knee hugs
Knee circles
Arm circles
Straight leg toe touches
Straight leg kicks
Lateral lunges

After you’ve completed these dynamic stretches, we’ll go right into this 6 minute bodyweight cardio routine to ramp up the heart rate:

Perform each move for 30 seconds each, no rest between exercises. Complete this series three times through.

Jog in place
Jumping jacks
High knees
Lateral shuffle

Warming up prior to lifting is an important process that primes our bodies for the physical stress we put ourselves under during a workout.

Related: HIIT Workouts For Beginners

The Full Body Dumbbell Workout

After you’ve completed the warm up, grab some water and get ready to start the full body dumbbell circuit. All the exercises listed can be done with 2-3 different sizes of dumbbells:

A heavy one to start your circuit out strong with your heart rate elevated.
A medium dumbbell for the rest of the exercises.
A medium or light dumbbell for the core circuit finisher.

It’s important to pick weights that challenge you. We are looking for simple but not easy.

Perform 3-4 sets of these 5 exercises. No rest between exercises; 30 seconds rest between sets.

1. Single Arm Clean To Squat To Press (Heavy): 5 repetitions each side, alternating

2. Double Dumbbell Deadlift (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions

3. Dumbbell Bridge To Press (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions

4. Dumbbell Lunges (Medium): 10 repetitions each side, alternating

5. Dumbbell Stability Row (Medium): 10 repetitions each side

Core Finisher

Dumbbell Pull Under (Light-Medium): 10 repetitions each side

Dead Bugs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, alternating opposite arm and leg

Bird Dogs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, continuous opposite arm and leg

The Cool Down

Your workout is complete! Spend 20-30 seconds in each of these cool down stretches to properly lower your heart rate and relieve tension in the muscles you’ve just worked.

Cobra position
Child’s pose
Downward dog
90/90 hip stretch
Low lunge

If you have any questions about any of the exercises or stretches in this program, or if you are looking to work with a trainer to improve your strength and conditioning, feel free to reach out to me: mriley@ffc.com. We can set up a session to speak and go over your goals. In the meantime, happy lifting.

Post written by FFC Personal Trainer Mike Riley.

Using Your WorkOUT to WorkIN: 3 Ways To Tune In To Your Mind/Body Connection During Exercise

If you’re reading this blog, most likely you are a fan of working out. Our FFC clubs are bursting with enthusiastic members who LOVE a great workout, amiright?! Most of the time we think about exercise as an output and it’s done on autopilot; running on the treadmill for miles, pushing pedals for RPMs, completing numerous sets and reps, following cues from our favorite group fitness instructors… and the endorphin highs and feelings of accomplishment are awesome rewards for our efforts!

What if we took our efforts to another level every once in a while? What if we tuned IN to how we are exercising so that our workouts could be more effective? Here are a few ways I encourage my students and clients to work IN while they are working out to increase the benefits they receive while moving through their favorite activities:

Breathe

Using your breath is a quick and effective way to flip the switch and move a workout to a work IN. Rushed to the club to make it to class? Have a million things on your to-do list spinning in your head while you’re cranking the bike? When our minds are wandering during our workouts we can’t get “in the zone.” Focused breathing draws the curtains on a busy mind and cultivates presence. Simply experiencing a few rounds of conscious breathing before a workout can anchor your mind-body connection so you can make the most of your sweat time.

Dropping back into thoughtful breathing a few times during your workout keeps you in the zone, too. Pre and post workout, try a couple rounds of slow diaphragmatic breathing; inhale 4-6 counts and exhale 6-8 counts. Box breathing is another great way to press the mind-body reset button; inhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts.

Slow Down

One of the ways I really enjoy working IN is to slow things waaaay down. I know, this is asking a lot from cardio aficionados, but to feel what’s actually happening in your body while you’re moving takes effort – and time. Mindful movement can be achieved by finding ways to listen to what feels good in your body. Instead of contorting yourself into a picture-perfect exercise position or yoga asana that you think needs to be done a certain way, give yourself the time and the freedom to discover how your body wants to do it – your way. No need to pose the Instagram way or move exactly how the instructor is demonstrating or use a set program on a machine. Instead, slow things down and think it through to explore exercises suited to your individual structure and fitness levels.

Additionally, having an extra set of eyes on you can assist you with deepening your mind-body connection. Working with a trainer to have someone watch your form, ask you questions about how things feel while you’re moving, and to show you exercise variations, can be a crucial step in gaining mindful movement skills as well.

Rest

Raise your hand if rest is hard for you. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got two hands up in the air right now. Rest is a crucial part of working out. Without rest, your body cannot adequately benefit from all the time you spend training it. Dedicating time to rest INto your exercise routine will supplement your last workout and nourish your next. And yes, I just said rest is part of your workout – your dedication exercise. Reframing rest as a component of fitness might make it easier to find room for it in your schedule.

If you know rest is challenging for you, book an appointment to do it for accountability; a massage or facial at the spa or a casual walk through nature with a friend (emphasis on the casual and no fast-paced here!). You can also schedule meditation and restorative yoga classes at FFC clubs and through FFC On Demand into your fitness regime which offer variety and supplementation to your commitment to rest.

The next time you’re focused on getting in your work-OUT, give yourself the opportunity to really get IN-tune with your mind and body. Take the time to move to feel good, to get mind-body connected, to recharge, to feel as many feels as you can. It might not be your fastest run, your longest ride, or your sweatiest vinyasa practice, but it’ll be conscious movement done in ways that work for your unique body, giving you benefits that can take you to greater fitness gains.

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Manager Laurie Streff.

Try This Core Workout For Beginners

You’ve likely heard a fitness instructor or personal trainer tell you to “engage your core” during exercise. There is no doubt, your core is very important. You need your core for everything, from getting out of bed in the morning to grabbing your groceries out of your car. If you’re looking to strengthen your core, we’ve got a beginners workout for you.

But first, what exactly is your core? Is it just your 6-pack of muscles? The core, in its simplest terms, is the midsection of the body that includes the front, back and side muscles of your body. The stronger your core is, the less likely you are to injure yourself. With a strong core, you can move more efficiently in your daily life by recruiting the proper muscles for movements. In addition, a strong core gives you a solid foundation for your workouts, regardless of if you are doing cardio or strength training.

Core training does not have to be complicated, and every person with a strong core was once a beginner. Here are 5 of my favorite core exercises that require no equipment and can be done in between Zoom calls or commercial breaks.

Core Workout For Beginners: Try These 5 Moves Today

Plank

Start off in a push up position but place your forearms on the floor. Your elbows are directly under your shoulders and your forearms are facing forward. Your eye focus is at the floor.

Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending. This is the neutral spine position. Ensure your shoulders are down, not creeping up toward your ears. Your heels should be over the balls of your feet.

Hold this position for 15 seconds and then relax. Over time, work up to 30 seconds. If this becomes too easy, you can always come onto your hands into a full push up position, holding this position.

Dead Bug

Lie face up on your mat with your arms in the air above your torso and your legs in tabletop position. Reach and lower the opposite arm and extend your opposite leg towards the floor in a slow and controlled manner. Return to center and then repeat on the other side.

Bird Dog

Starting on your hands and knees, start by extending your right arm and left leg straight out in opposite directions. Focus on engaging your core to stay stable. Think of a hot cup of coffee sitting on your hips and another on your shoulder blades, and you can’t drop them. The slower the better.

The Pilates 100

Lie on your back, bring your knees into a tabletop position. Lift head, neck and shoulders and reach the arms long, hovering over the mat. Start to inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts while pumping your arms up and down in a small range of motion.

To begin, start off with just 5 cycles and work up to 10 cycles.

The Roll Up

Lie on your back with your legs extended out and together with feet flexed. Lift your arms up to the ceiling to begin. Slowly lift your head up as you roll up reaching towards your toes on the inhale and exhale as you roll down through your spine back to the start position.

If this is difficult, you can either have your legs bent or use a towel or band under your feet to assist you.

Post written by FFC Pilates Trainer Joy Miles.