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The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster

Sculpt sexy abs, legs, and arms and lose one pound of fat this week with our customized, point-based plan.
By Tracy Teare; Photos by Andrew Parsons

Find Your Perfect-Body Equation

How much exercise do you really need to get slim and strong? Your doctor may tell you one thing, the trainer at the gym another, even Uncle Sam has recently joined the fray with the USDAs 2005 Dietary Guidelines. But weve got the simple solution to your perfect-body equation: a point-based exercise and diet program with everything you need to reach your goals. Heres the plan: Instead of counting calories or minutes, youll accumulate points. (Each point equals 100 calories.) Youll earn them by doing the workouts created by Morgan Luzier, director of Balance, a tness studio in Minneapolis, and by following some nutrition and lifestyle tips. Add it all up and by four weeks youll start to see a lean, sexy body youll love!

Your Better-Body Points Plan

*Each point earned equals 100 calories

Points
18.5 2.5 21.0

You Want to

Try

Boost Energy and Feel Stronger

Total Points Earned

Workouts 1-5, done in the order given over the course of a week Add in Bonus Activities

You Want to

Try

Get Lean and Sculpted

Workouts 1-6, done in the order given over the course of a week; take one rest day Add in Bonus Activities Total Points Earned

22.5 2.5 25.0

You Want to

Try

Lose 8 Pounds in 2 Months

Workouts 1-6, done in the order given over the course of a week; take one rest day Add one 30-minute cardio session to workouts 2 and 6 Add in Bonus Diet Points (2.5 points) and Bonus Activity Points Total Points Earned

22.5 2.5 2.5 27.5

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

Workout 1: Strength Circuit

3 Points, 35 minute workout; 300 calories burned

This routine is structured as two circuits. Do each move in Circuit 1 for one minute and repeat. Then do 5 minutes of moderate cardio (jumping rope, stair climbing, calisthenics, etc.). Finally, do each move in Circuit 2 for 1 minute and repeat. If your goal is weight loss, add 20 to 30 minutes of moderate cardio, such as cycling, swimming, or brisk walking, before or after this workout for an extra 2.5 points.

Do each move in Circuit 1 for one minute and repeat.

Circuit 1

1. Side-to-Side Jumps with Finger Touch

Fitness Focus: Legs, Obliques Stand with right foot on top of a Bosu (or a step bench), knees bent in a half squat (not shown). Pushing off with left leg, cross over the top of the Bosu, landing in a squat position with left foot on Bosu and right foot on ground. Touch right hand to the ground in front of you, keeping weight balanced over heels. Continue jumping across the Bosu, squatting to touch the ground each time.

2. Incline Push-Up (not shown)

Fitness Focus: Chest, Back, Abs, Glutes Start in push-up position with hands on a bench or sturdy chair and feet on the ground. Keeping your abs and glutes tight, lift right foot about 3 inches off the ground while lowering chest toward bench. Repeat for 30 seconds; switch legs.

3. Alternating Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows

Fitness Focus: Back, Abs Stand tall with arms at sides, feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand, palms in. Hinge upper body 45 degrees forward from the waist. Keep abs engaged and back at. Pull left hand toward body, keeping elbow close to side; hold 1 count, then lower. Switch arms and repeat. Continue, alternating arms.

4. Alternating Lunges with Lateral Raises

Fitness Focus: Legs, Shoulders Stand with a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, arms at sides, palms in. Lunge forward with left foot, raising arms out to sides until theyre at shoulder height. Lower the weights as you step left foot back to start. Repeat with right leg; continue, alternating legs.

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

After completing Circuit 1, do 5 minutes of moderate cardio (jumping rope, stair climbing, calisthenics, etc.) before beginning Circuit 2.

Do each move in Circuit 1 for one minute and repeat.

Circuit 2

1. Wall Sit with Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Fitness Focus: Legs, Biceps Stand with your back against a wall, knees bent 90 degrees, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand with palms forward. Keeping abs tight and feet at on ground, curl right hand toward right shoulder; hold for 1 count and slowly lower. Repeat with left hand; continue, alternating arms.

2. Overhead Triceps Extension on Stability Ball

Fitness Focus: Triceps, Core Sit on ball with feet at on ground, abs tight, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in right hand, palm in. Extend right arm overhead in line with shoulder, supporting right elbow with left hand. Bend right elbow, lowering weight behind you while keeping upper arms still. Hold for 1 count; extend arm. Repeat for 30 seconds; switch arms and repeat.

3. Bicycle Abs (not shown)

Fitness Focus: Obliques Lie faceup with knees bent 90 degrees, heels lifted, hands behind head with elbows out to sides. Lift shoulders and upper back off ground, moving left elbow and shoulder toward right knee while extending left leg. Switch legs and repeat. Continue, alternating sides.

4a. Squat Jump/Plank/Press

Fitness Focus: Total Body Stand with knees slightly bent, holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand. Squat down until dumbbells are resting on ground in front of you, then jump or walk legs back to plank or full push-up position. Hold for 2 breaths. Jump or walk feet back toward weights.

4b. Squat Jump/Plank/Press: Move 2

Fitness Focus: Total Body Stand, then bring dumbbells to shoulder height, elbows bent 90 degrees and palms forward. Press weights overhead; do 10 reps. Repeat.

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

Workout 2: Indoor Cardio Circuit

4 points, 45 minutes; 400 calories burned

Start each cardio segment with a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is easiest and 10 is hardest; gradually build to 7. Minutes 0:00 5:00 Minutes 5:00 15:00 Minutes 15:00 25:00 Minutes 25:00 35:00 Minutes 35:00 45:00 Warm up on Cardio Machine of your choice (RPE: 34) Stationary Bike Running on Treadmill Elliptical Trainer Rowing Machine

Workout 3: Running Intervals

4 points, 40 minutes; 400 calories

Indoors: Do the following two groups of intervals on a treadmill, adjusting the incline or speed to suit your tness level. Warm up: 3 minutes, 0 percent incline, 4 mph Group 1 3 minutes, 5 percent incline, 5 mph 2 minutes, 5 percent incline, 5.5 mph 1 minute, 5 percent incline, 6 mph 1 minute, 0 percent incline, 6.5 mph Do complete series three times Group 2 3 minutes, 10 percent incline, 5 mph 2 minutes, 10 percent incline, 5.5 mph 1 minute, 10 percent incline, 6 mph 1 minute, 0 percent incline, 6.5 mph Do complete series twice Cool down: 2 minutes, 0 percent incline, 3 mph Outdoors: Jog for 8 minutes, gradually increasing pace as you warm up from RPE 3 to 6. Find a moderate hill and do hill repeats for 15 to 20 minutes: Break the hill into sections: long (all the way to the top), medium (halfway up), and short (one-quarter of the way up). Do 5 to 6 segments each of long, medium and short repeats. Go hard as you climb (RPE: 8 or 9) and recover on the way down (RPE: 13). Finish with 8 more minutes on at terrain, gradually tapering RPE from 6 to 3.

Workout 4: Repeat Workout 1, Strength Circuits 1 and 2

3 points, 35 minutes; 300 calories

If your goal is weight loss, add 20 to 30 minutes of moderate cardio, such as cycling, swimming, or brisk walking, before or after this workout for an extra 2.5 points.

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

Workout 5: Long Recovery

4.5 points, 4060 minutes; 450 calories

This longer cardio workout gives your body a chance to recover from the more intense sessions. Choose from the following options: If you go for 60 minutes, you can drop the intensity to a 5; if your workout is on the shorter end, step it up to a 7. Cycling, 45 to 60 minutes In-Line Skating, 45 to 60 minutes Tennis Singles, 60 minutes Walk, 4 mph, 60 minutes Step Class, 60 minutes Swimming Laps, 30 to 45 minutes

Workout 6: Speed Intervals

4 points, 40 minutes; 400 calories

You can do these intervals on any cardio machine, but youll get the maximum calorie burn running on a treadmill. Use your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) as a measure of intensity on a scale of 1 to 10.

Minutes
0:00 10:00 10:00 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 12:00 12:00 13:00 13:00 14:30 14:30 16:00 16:00 18:00 18:00 20:00 20:00 21:30 21:30 23:00 23:00 24:00 24:00 25:00 25:00 25:30 25:30 26:00 26:00 36:00 Minutes 36:00-40:00

Move
Warm Up Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Recover Increase Speed Cool Down

RPE
2, building to 5 8 3 7 3 6 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 6, or a pace thats slightly out of your comfort zone 5, dropping to 3

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

Bonus Diet Points

Earn extra points by making some changes to your diet, says Ellie Krieger, RD, author of Small Changes, Big Results (Clarkson Potter, 2005). If your goal is to lose weight, bank two to three points (200 to 300 calories) each week.

0.5 Points

Instead of
1 Sports Bar 1 Banana PB&J on Toast

Choose
12 Almonds and 2 tablespoons Raisins 1 Cup of Strawberries PB&J on Whole-Grain Crispbread

1 Point

Instead of
12 oz. Orange Juice A Tuna Sandwich with Mayo 1 Large Corn Mufn

Choose
1 Orange A Turkey Sandwich with Mustard 1 English Mufn with 1 tablespoon each Peanut Butter and Jam

1.5 Points

Instead of
12 oz. Soda cup Premium Ice Cream A Bagel with Cream Cheese

Choose
12 oz. Club Soda with Lemon cup Light Ice Cream 8 oz. Yogurt with 1 cup Strawberries

2 Points

Instead of
A Large Order of French Fries 2 oz. Potato Chips 2 Slices of Pepperoni Pizza

Choose
A Small Order of French Fries 2 oz. Baked Chips 1 Slice with Vegetable Topping

The 2,500-Calorie Workout: Fight Fat Faster, continued www.fitnessmagazine.com

Bonus Activity Points

.5 Points Activity
Vacuum, 15 Minutes Scrub You Kitchen Til It Sparkles, 15 Minutes Walk an Extra 10 Minutes to the Next Coffee Shop or Post Ofce

1 Point

Activity
Walk Anywhere Briskly, 15 Minutes Drop in Your Favorite CD and Dance, 15 Minutes Rake Leaves, 30 Minutes

2+ Points

Activity
Meet a Buddy for a Walking Lunch Break, 40 Minutes Get a Jump on Your Holiday Shopping, 1 Hour Ride Your Bike to Return a Video or Library Book, 20 Minutes at an Easy Pace

Originally published in Fitness magazine, October 2005.