This year, the Men’s Health’s fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., will guide you through the series of 30-day-long training plans called the MH Ultimate 10 to help you get the body you’ve always wanted – from arms of steel to six-pack.
This is just the beginning, so expect the next installment next month.
The creator of Flipboard, Yahoo Life, N.S.C.A. – C.P.T., has worked with many guys to help them get back into shape. So, we turned to him for a full-body session that will help you recover from holiday gluttony.
The four movements emphasized in this program are a push, a hip hinge, a pull, and a squat. The program also targets the abs and includes bursts of cardio. Your joints will be lubricated, and your muscles awakened, setting you up for an incredible year of fitness. So, let’s start!
Instructions
Do the three-minute warmup before the three rounds of the workout circuit, three times weekly for a month (four weeks).The Warmup
Spend one minute on each drill without counting reps. Take your tie and focus on reps.1. T-Spine Rotation to Downward Dog
Begin in a pushup position. Then, put your right foot outside the right hand while keeping the left leg straight. Remain here and raise your right arm toward the ceiling. Stay here for a while and then return to the pushup position. Shift the feet a bit forward and raise your hips to form a straight line from the hands through the hips. Your legs should stay straight as long as you can. Then, return to the beginning position. This is one rep.2. Toe-Touch Squat
Begin in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms in front of you and bend your knees slightly while keeping your back flat. Hinge forward at your hips until you touch your toes. Then, bend at your knees and end in a low squat position. Raise your arms overhead and return to the standing position. This is one rep.3. Sprint Buildup
Stand up and march in place for 15 seconds. Try to lift each knee as high as possible on each step, and continue jogging in place for another 15 seconds. Then, run as fast as you can for half a minute, trying to raise each foot the moment it touches the floor. Ebenezer recommends raising each knee while marching at least as high as the hips. Take a break and balance on the grounded foot.Strength
Perform the exercises in order. Don’t forget to rest for a minute between rounds. Reduce the reps for all exercises, except the hollow body hold, each week by 1, but make sure you increase the weight.1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Hold medium-weight dumbbells in both hands while standing with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core braced. Hinge at the hips and lower your upper body while pushing your butt backward. When you start feeling a slight stretch in the hamstrings, stop hinging and pause. Then, squeeze your glutes and stand up. This is one rep., and you should do 12.2. Alternating Dumbbell Row
Take medium-weight dumbbells in your hands and stand up. Hinge at the hips until your upper body is parallel to the ground. Row the right dumbbell to your torso while squeezing your shoulder blades. Lower it and do the same thing with the opposite hand. This is one repetition, and you should do 12. As Ebenezer explains, you can contract your abs one repetition and try to avoid rotating your upper body while rowing the weight upward. This would be excellent core work.3. Side-Plank Press
Begin in a right-side plank, with the right elbow on the ground and your upper body and hips tights. make sure you have a light dumbbell in front of you. Then, grasp it with the left hand and lift it, pulling it close to the left pec while pressing the hips upwards. Press the dumbbell toward the ceiling and put it back on the ground. Then, repeat on the opposite side. This is one rep, and you should do 12 of each side.4. Glute Bridge Floor Press
Begin in a lying position, holding medium-weight dumbbells in both hands. Push your hips upward and tighten your glutes while pressing the dumbbells upward. But, make sure your upper arms are on the ground, and your elbows are bent at 90 degrees the whole time. Hold, and get back to the beginning position. This is one repetition, and you should do 12.5. Bulgarian Split Squat
Stand up and put your left foot on a knee-high place such as a box or bench. Bend it slightly and make sure the opposite foot is about 18 inches away. Keep your right leg almost straight and hold medium-weight dumbbells at shoulder height. Bend the right knee, and you’ll notice the other one bending even more. Bend until the left knee almost touches the ground. Hold when the right thigh is parallel to the ground and stand up. Do 12 repetitions on each side.6. Hollow Body Hold
Lie on your back and stretch your arms and legs. Then, tighten your abs while pressing the lower back into the ground. This will make you raise your legs, but you should try to keep them straight. At the same time, lift the shoulder blades off the ground while stretching the arms back. Stay here for half a minute. Do three to five repetitions. Be persistent, and patient, and you'll soon have the body you have always dreamed of. Source: Flipboard
Leave a Comment