BUILD STRENGTH AND SHED FLAB WITH THIS TWO-IN-ONE WORKOUT
PYRAMID SCHEMES CAN DESTROY YOUR SAVINGS, but they're a boon for your fitness portfolio, says John Romaniello, NSCA-C.P.T., owner of Roman Fitness Systems in New York City. His favorite: descending pyramids, or successive sets of an exercise performed with fewer reps and no rest. "It's a great way to fatigue your muscles quickly and do more work in less time," he says. But they're not for the faint of heart: "You're going to smoke your entire body," he warns, "but the payoff is more lean mass and a greater metabolic burn."
MICHAEL EASTER
Do this
Perform the exercises in each round as supersets (back-to-back without rest). Start with 8 reps of each exercise, and do 1 less rep in each successive superset. Rest for 90 seconds between rounds, completing each one twice. Too difficult? Do both rounds once and then run through them again, completing as much of each as you can.
ROUND 1
Straight-leg deadlift + Dumbbell row
SUPERSETS 8
REPS/SET 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
ROUND 2
Pushup+ Jump squat
SUPERSETS 8
REPS/SET 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Dumbbell straight-leg deadlift
Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hinge forward at your hips, lowering your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor. Pause, and return to the starting position.
Pushup
Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, and push yourself back up as quickly as possible.
Dumbbell row
Holding two dumbbells, bend at your hips and knees and lower your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor. (Let the dumbbells hang at arm's length.) Now bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells to your sides. Pause, and slowly lower them.
Jump squat
Place your fingers on the back of your head and pull your elbows back so they're in line with your body. Dip your knees and then jump explosively as high as you can. When you land, immediately squat and jump again.
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Source Citation
"Countdown to a New Body." Men's Health Jan.-Feb. 2012: 048. Psychology Collection. Web. 24 Mar. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282110112&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPPC&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A282110112
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