OCT-18 LADIES #HyperWorkouts – 8w Gym Workout Plan

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4x DAY Strength & Hypertrophy Training Block – 2x Heavy Compound Movements and 4-5 higher-rep exercises per day. Split into 2x Full, 1x Upper and 1x Lower Body.

Here it is ladies, the 8-Week female-centric #HyperWorkouts training programme Michelle is following October through to end of November 2018. Phased-programming to follow throughout the year.

Read on for the OCT-18 LADIES Programme that contains 4x 60-90min workouts. There are 4x 1min YouTube guide videos and workout lists for each day, as well as links to each of the exercise vids. as well as links to each of the exercise vids. The videos are live-footage of Michelle’s actual current workouts – real weight and no demo sets. #RAW!

In addition to the Training Videos, you’ll find:

2ND BLOCK FROM THE BREAK-THE-MOULD BODY PLAN!

If you haven’t already, you should definitely check out the BREAK-THE-MOULD Body Plan article series, that breaks a few eggs in an attempt to show a different, more exciting and sustainable plan to building your best feminine body ever.

AdapNation BREAK-THE-MOULD Body Plan p1
ARTICLE: Building Your Best Body with the BREAK-THE-MOULD holistic body plan

OBJECTIVES OF THIS TRAINING BLOCK 

Read BREAK-THE-MOULD Part 4 for the overall Training programme design, that includes flexibility and options to include a Yoga-style session and one class-based aerobic session.

AdapNation BREAK-THE-MOULD Body Plan p1
ARTICLE: The Ladies BREAK-THE-MOULD Body Plan – Heavy Lifting & Chill [Part 4]
As it relates to the 8-Week Female-Specific Strength Training Block:

  1. 4x 60-90MIN SESSIONS – Consisting of 4 Strength Training Sessions per week
  2. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD – requiring more volume to be achieved from week to week to illicit muscle and strength gains.
  3. FULL-BODY – Each session is considered full-body, but there is a bias to Upper Body and Lower Body in Session 1 and 3
  4. COMPOUND LIFTING – A strong focus on the big compound multi-joint lifts that provide best bang for your buck
  5. FEMALE-CENTRIC – Emphasis on development of Glutes, Thighs, Arms, Shoulders and Back, whilst de-emphasising Traps, Chest, Obliques and Calves
Women Heavy Compound Lifts
Heavy Compound Lifts: Considered the Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press and Wide Grip Pull Up

IMPORTANT: Can be used for Lowering, Increasing or Maintaining Bodyweight. The critical factor to which path you take on this programme will be your diet plan.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAMME FOR?

Anyone can pick up this programme and benefit. Whether it’s ladies wishing to lose weight and tone up, beginner female gym-goers who wants to develop a more toned physique, or for seasoned intermediate lifters who want to develop greater strength and more muscle mass. No age or capability bias here – anyone can make progress with this well-rounded programme.

Whilst gents can equally benefit from this training block, there have been a number of adjustments to better suit most ladies physique goals. As such, for guys, i’s worth looking at the general OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts Training Block.

What’s Critical to Note is this…

You can’t out-train a bad diet, and any physique goal must be paired with a diet plan/approach that helps support either Muscle Growth OR Losing Fat (you have to choose, unfortunately).

You can use this Strength Training block as part of a Calorie Surplus to build stronger curves through adding a little extra lean muscle – the reality of ‘toning up’. You can also use this Training Block as part of a Calorie Deficit (a Cut), to help retain your muscle tissue as you lose body fat, and as a great means of increasing your overall energy expenditure (TDEE).

A. Learn How To Best Leverage Your Monthly Cycle

Check out Cycle With Your Cycle – How To Phase Your Training & Nutrition With Your Menstrual Cycle for an understanding of each menstrual phase, identifying similarities in your feelings and energy, and practical training and nutritional guidance to take full advantage of your bodies hormonal changes.

Woman working out
ARTICLE: Cycle With Your Cycle – How to phase your training & nutrition with your menstrual cycle

B. Understanding The Importance Of Progressive Overload

If you want to double-click into Progressive Overload, then check out this Podcast – #34: What Is Progressive Overload & All The Ways To Do It.

#34: What Is Progressive Overload & All The Ways To Do It

There is a ton other useful discussion on Training & Nutrition related topics on the AdapNation Podcast – check it out on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

C. If You Want To Lose Weight (& not necessarily put on muscle size)

Listen to this 2-Part AdapNation Podcast – 101 on Losing Fat for GOOD! Revisited, or read the associated 3-Part Article – Losing Body Fat For Good – Here’s All You Need To Know, and follow this Training Programme. You will see results you want. Strength training is that versatile.

How to lose fat for good
LOSING WEIGHT: The definitive guide to managing bodyweight for the long term

D. If You Want Guidance On Eating To Thrive AND Look Good

Then you’ll want to read up about AdapNation’s IIFYM+ Thrive Eating Approach, as well as check out the 90+ (and growing) exciting meal ideas at AdapNation’s Food Diary. Lastly, check out this Article or Podcast, if you want some practical selection, prepping and cooking tips from Michelle.

AdapNation IIFYM+ Thrive Feature Gold
NUTRITION: AdapNation’s IIFYM+ Thrive – Great Body & Nutritional Wellness

This Is Not A Magic Training Programme, But…

There is no such thing. Nor is it a programme that will deliver results for all eternity. You will need to mix it up, to create new stimuli, hit different muscle fibres, and practice other functional patterns.

That said, this is a great place to start for the uninitiated, and is a great alternative to your current training for the more experienced trainers. It will garner results as long as you respect the intent, your diet and proper rest and recovery (rest is critical to results – check this Article out).

You could, if you wish, just do this programme for the next year and continue to get results, assuming you are progressively overloading (see below). Alternatively, and more likely, you will cycle through the #HyperWorkouts every eight weeks, as part of an annual phased programme. For Michelle, this approach helps keeping it fresh, gives her milestones to hit, helps her try new movements, and of course provides the plateau-breaking new stimuli.

THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

LADIES OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts - Day 1
Save image to phone and print out for use in the gym

SESSION 1, LOWER BODY

 

To see all the Exercise Vids for this day, check the OCT-18 LADIES DAY 1 Instagram Post.

LADIES OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts - Day 1
CLICK to read the SESSION 1 #HyperWorkouts, where you get more detail on exercise selection and design intent

SESSION 2, FULL BODY

 

To see all the Exercise Vids for this day, check out the OCT-18 LADIES DAY 2 Instagram Post.

LADIES OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts - Day 2
CLICK to read the SESSION 2 #HyperWorkouts, where you get more detail on exercise selection and design intent

SESSION 3, UPPER BODY

 

To see all the Exercise Vids for this day, check the OCT-18 LADIES DAY 3 Instagram Post.

LADIES OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts - Day 3
CLICK to read the SESSION 3 #HyperWorkouts, where you get more detail on exercise selection and design intent

SESSION 4, FULL BODY

 

To see all the Exercise Vids for this day, check the OCT-18 LADIES DAY 4 Instagram Post.

LADIES OCT-18 #HyperWorkouts - Day 4
CLICK to read the SESSION 4 #HyperWorkouts, where you get more detail on exercise selection and design intent

IMPORT & Start Training Right Away!

If you don’t measure, you can’t manage. Plus, if you want to efficiently get started and blitz through these workouts, there is no better solution than to get this entire Training Block loaded up into HeavySet with just a couple clicks.

AdapNation on HeavySet
The best of both worlds – Expert Programming on the Best Weight Training App!

Here’s what you need to do:

STEP 1: Install HeavySet iOS App and accept terms (you can perform 2x workouts for free)

STEP 2: Press the button below to load data into HeavySet

STEP 3: Open up the HeavySet app, where it will recognise the routine to import. Click Import and Choose.
STEP 4: Train! Just click on the imported Folder, and select Day 1. Hope you’re in your gym gear already…

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DESIGN PRINCIPLES & TRAINING POINTERS

For some people, they just want to know what to do and go do it. Others prefer to know why they are doing it. Then there are those who want to not just know why, but what other tricks can they implement. I’m the latter. 🙄 If you’re interested, read on. If not, just get on with the training!

  1. The Primary Focus on any given day are the Compound Lifts (exercise 1 & 2) – This is where you will direct the majority of your mental and physical energy towards.For Strength days, 80% of your energy goes here.
  2. Day 1-3 Has Two Strength Rep-Range Exercises that are considered the centre piece of the workout. They will be the most demanding section of the workout. Work with the 6-8 rep range. If you can’t get to 6 reps, lower the weight. If you can get to 8 or more for 2+ sets, add a little extra weight. Rinse and repeat.
  3. Additionally, each day has 3-5 Exercises in two Superset/Trisets that are focussed in the Hypertrophy Rep-Range. Less intensity here, but more reps and less rest time.
  4. Increased Training Frequency for Squats & Deadlifts – There has been a renaissance of scientific research of high-frequency training of late. In a nutshell, training 3-5x times a week on the same lift improves strength and hypertrophy gains. Therefore, that’s why you’ll see the most effective lifts in some shape or form in 2-3 of the four days.
  5. Strong Focus on Glutes, Hamstrings & Quads – i.e. focussing on developing solid hip strength. For women, as well as guys, developing your hip strength does wonders for your posture, joint health, functional strength and how good your legs look in jeans/ beachwear! 😉
  6. Unilateral Work – It may surprise you, but single leg and single arm work is often more beneficial, as it helps develop your anti-rotation and stability muscles, and is a lot harder on the trailing leg. There is a good crossover from a strength and function perspective to the traditional double leg/arm exercises.
  7. Accommodating Resistance with Chains – If your gym has chains, definitely use them. If not, just do Day 4 without them. TH ebeenfiz with the Chains is that it allows you to experience a heavier total barbell weight, whilst making the weakest part of the lift (the bottom) lighter due to links resting on the floor. Really helpful to practice and break through strength plateaus.

GENERAL WEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAMME GUIDANCE:

  1. Progressive Overload is the Most Important Thing – The name of the game is to progress in some fashion every week. This creates a stress response that results in muscle damage followed by repair and body adaptation. So, always aim to improve each lift from week-to-week. Whether it’s more weight (with good form), another set or a couple more reps. Ultimately, you’re looking for more volume from week-to-week (Volume = Weight x Sets x Reps). This Podcast walks you through Progressive Overload and all the ways to do it.
  2. Warming Up Recommendations – Michelle does 1-2mins of Skipping or 5-10mins of walking or light cycling to get the blood flowing and raise her body temperature before getting started. In addition, I recommend completing a few escalating Warm Up sets ahead of your big Compound Lift for the day (no. 1 & 2). It’s a bad idea to get straight into the maximum weight without a few lighter practice sets.
  3. The Non-Essential Mobility & Pre-Activation/Power Drills are designed to be completed in 5-15mins Max – You don’t need to do them per se, as they are not core to you burning calories or taxing your body. They are there to prime your body for the functional movements of the day. I personally always do them, but if you feel good to crack on as soon as you walk through the gym, then go for it. You can also do these in between your sets, should you feel a bit tight or are missing mind-muscle connection.
  4. The Role of Cardio – For a deep dive into the pros and cons of cardio, I would recommend you list to this AdapNation Podcast – #4: Cardio Pro and Con Deep Dive. In summary, if you are not training to be an endurance athlete, and cardio is purely a means to burn calories for you, then for the most part you can switch cardio for resistance training. You will see there is a Finisher/Conditioning section per day – it includes just 5-10mins of moderate steady state cardio (or you can do HIIT cardio). The emphasis here is more about active recovery after weight training and getting some stress-relieving deep breaths in, versus the calorie burn.
  5. Increase your NEAT for greater Calorie Burn & Weight Loss – instead of doing loads of cardio exercise, I would generally recommend you increase your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). Basically, your moving around during the day. Go for walks, stand up regularly from your desk, do housework, yoga, get your steps in etc. You have the chance to burn significantly more calories through NEAT than pounding the streets for 30-60mins.
  6. Expect a 250-450 Calorie Burn, plus More! – On average, Michelle burns about 300-350 calories per training session. Lighter folk or those with less muscle will burn less, naturally. Moreover, there then is the recovery energy needed to repair which is yet more calories burned. Even better still, the more lean mass on your frame, the higher your BMR is – as in, you burn more calories every day just by having more muscle. It’s a beautiful thing!

ENJOY! 💪🏻

Enjoyed the read?

Comment below, and check out our longer-form Articles, our shorter Micro Blog sections, grab Healthy Meal Ideas from AdapNation Food Diary, and Free Gym Workout Plans at #HyperWorkouts.

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