by Body By Fadi Guest Blogger | Aug 10, 2015 | Atlanta Personal Trainer, Body By Fadi, Buckhead Personal Trainer, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Wellness
Pyramid Workout: Chest & Back
A pyramid style workout focuses on only 1-2 exercises with a large volume of repetitions and heavy weights. These workouts are reserved for the days where you can spend a little extra time in the gym. And that time is worth it! Pyramid workouts are incredibly effective for isolating muscle groups.
With each exercise below, you will start with 10 reps and then decrease to nine reps, followed by eight, seven, six, all the way to one. Once you get to one rep, you’ll increase all the way back to ten, stacking the reps on top of one another. This totals over 470 reps per each exercise!
As you decrease your reps, you’ll increase your weight. You should be at the heaviest weight, truly challenging yourself on reps 1-4.
- Focus: Chest, Back, Core and Shoulders
- Time: 1 hour
- Warm Up: Five minutes of cardio
Here are the two exercises to focus on for the chest and back:
Lateral Pulldown
- Equipment: Seated Pulley Machine
- Reps: Pyramid (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
- Weight: Females: up to 50 lbs.; Males: up to 70 lbs.
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the arms and back straight; focus on isolating your lateral back muscles as you pull down
Vertical Chest Press
- Equipment: Bench; Dumbbells
- Reps: Pyramid (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
- Weight: Females: up to 35 lbs.; Males: up to 50 lbs.
- Tips & Tricks: Isolate the inner pectoral muscles as you pull your arms to center
by Body By Fadi Guest Blogger | Aug 6, 2015 | Body By Fadi, Cardio, Exercise, Fadi Malouf, Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Tabata
Tabata training is one of the most fast-paced, energetic workouts you can do. Tabata is a form of high intensity interval training that gets your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time, by focusing on completing as many reps as possible in an allotted time period.
Note: Since we’re putting our focus on time, you’ll notice that the category “reps” has been replaced with “time.” You will need the use of a timer and be prepared to work out in intervals of 60 seconds.
So what are you waiting for? It’s tabata time!
Focus: Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads
Time: 45 minutes
Warm-up: 100 standing side crunches, 100 jumping jacks, 100 jumping squats
Set 1
4 Sets
Bended knee crunch, straight leg crunch, toe touch crunch (you will lie on your back for all three of these exercises)
Bended Knee Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold one dumbbell in both hands; keep the arms straight as you bring your knees to your chest
Straight Leg Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold one dumbbell in both hands; keep the arms straight as you bring your legs straight up to meet the arms
Toe Touch Crunch
Equipment: Dumbbell, Mat
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Keep your legs straight the entire time and reach up with the dumbbell in both hands to touch the toes
Set 2
4 Sets
Squats, Lunges, Toe Taps
Squats
Equipment: Dumbbell
Time: 1 minute
Weight: 15 lbs.
Tips & Tricks: Hold the dumbbell to your chest as you squat down to a seated position and rise up; do not lock the knees when you stand
Single Leg Lunges
Equipment: Bench
Time: 1 minute
Tips & Tricks: Focus your eyes straight ahead – this will keep your back straight; due to the angle of the exercise; it’s okay for your knees to extend over your ankles
Toe Taps
Equipment: Medicine Ball
Time: 1 minute
Tips & Tricks: Focus on tapping the top of the ball with the bottom of the foot to keep the ball in place
Set 3
3 Sets
Dead Lifts, Hamstring Curl, Step Ups
Dead Lifts
Equipment: Dumbbells
Time: 1 minute
Weight: Start with a heavier weight (15 lbs. for women, 25 lbs. for men), increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep a slight bend in your legs; do not let the weights drop lower than mid-shin before standing upright
Standing Hamstring Curls
Equipment: Hamstring Curl Machine
Time: 1 minute per leg
Weight: Start with a heavier weight; increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep your back straight and a slight bend in the support leg
Step Ups
Equipment: Bench (or stair)
Time: 1 minute per leg
Weight: Start with a heavier weight (15 lbs. for women, 25 lbs. for men), increase the weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set.
Tips & Tricks: Keep the foot flat on the bench and weights by your side; do not lock the knees as you step up one leg at a time
by Body By Fadi Guest Blogger | Jul 22, 2015 | Atlanta Personal Trainer, Blog, Body By Fadi, Buckhead Personal Trainer, contact Body By Fadi, Exercise, Fadi Malouf, Fitness, Health, Motivation, Virtual Trainer, Weight Loss
The medicine ball, the exercise ball, and the bench are widely used pieces of equipment because there is a variety of exercises you can do with them to work any part of the body. Whether you consider yourself a workout beginner, or if you’ve been hitting the gym for decades, these items are must haves in your “workout closet.”
Today we’re focusing on a laundry list of exercises that work different parts of the body, while keeping you on your toes – literally. This workout only includes one set of exercises that you’ll perform two times through.
Note that many of these exercises involve sitting on an exercise ball. Sit on this type of ball with both feet firmly placed on the floor, hip-width apart or wider. Keep your back straight and your head aligned with your spine. Maintain this position on the ball throughout each exercise.]
Focus: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Glutes, Core
Time: 45 minutes
Warm Up: Five minutes of cardio
Set (repeated two times)
Toe Taps
- Equipment: Medicine Ball
- Reps: 50 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Focus on tapping the top of the ball with the bottom of the foot to keep the ball in place
Bicep Curls
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the back straight, bend the arms to meet the shoulders and straighten completely with each repetition
Shoulder Press
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the back straight; on each repetition, bring arms perpendicular to shoulders (but not lower) before pressing up
Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Weight: Start with 15 lbs. or more; increase weight by 10 lbs. one the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Hold a dumbbell with both hands wrapped around the dumbbell handle; keep elbows pointing forward and straight, but not locked
Shoulder Raises
- Equipment: Exercise Ball; Dumbbells
- Reps: 20 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5 lbs. on the second set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the arms straight out to your sides as you slowly lift and lower the weights (do not lift more than a foot up)
Full Sit Ups With Ball
- Equipment: Exercise Ball
- Reps: 20 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Lie flat on your back; bend the knees and place the legs over the ball; extend arms to touch the toes as you roll up
Fire Hydrants
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; lift one leg straight out to the side and back down, keeping the knee bent; do not allow the leg to extend past the hip
Side Leg Kicks
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; lift on leg straight out to the side and kick forward, keeping the leg straight
Back Leg Kicks
- Equipment: Bench
- Reps: 20 per side
- Tips & Tricks: Position yourself on your hands and knees on the bench; kick one leg straight out behind you and slowly bring forward
Backwards Lunges with Press
- Equipment: Dumbbells
- Reps: 25 per set
- Tips & Tricks: Lunge backwards while simultaneously pressing upwards; be sure to keep the back knee two inches off the floor as you lunge
This is a great workout to focus on your arms and the glutes, and finish with an exercise that puts focus on both.
Looking for more? Want to get access to over 6,000 workouts like this? Book an appointment with Body By Fadi today and discover what all the program has to offer.
by Body By Fadi Guest Blogger | Jul 13, 2015 | Atlanta Personal Trainer, Blog, Buckhead Personal Trainer, contact Body By Fadi, Exercise, Fadi Malouf, Fitness
Welcome to Body by Fadi’s workout of the day, where we will give you the tools you need to complete a strategic workout with tips and tricks along the way to help you succeed!
Today, we’re focusing on chest and back supersets. A superset is where you perform two or more exercises back-to-back without rest. You can perform a superset that focuses o
n the same body part, or opposing body parts – such as chest and back.
A chest and back superset is effective because most chest exercises are pushing movements and most back exercises are pulling movements. So the muscles are alternately resting and working, which allows both muscles to work longer and increases effectiveness.
Check out the superset workout below!
Focus: Chest and Back
Time: 30 minutes
Superset 1
4 Sets
Barbell Chest Press, Walking Lunges, Standing Trunk Rotation, Lateral Pulldown with Squat
Barbell Chest Press
- Equipment: Pulley Machine
- Reps: 20, 20, 15, 10
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first 20 reps; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep elbows in line with the wrists; focus on isolating your pectoral muscles as you push upwards
Walking Lunges
- Equipment: Free weights
- Reps: 30 lunges per set
- Weight: Start with a set of dumbbells at a manageable weight; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Hold the weights straight down next to your sides; make sure that your knees do not extend over your ankles as you lunge
Standing Trunk Rotation
- Equipment: Cable (grasp the handle with both hands, arms fully extended)
- Reps: 15 per side, per rep
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep your eyes focused on the handle and your hips locked forward as you rotate
Lateral Pulldown in Squat Position
- Equipment: Pulley Machine
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep the arms and back straight; focus on isolating your lateral muscles as you pull down
Superset 2
3 Sets
Incline Receptacle Chest Press, Squat Row, Single Leg Lunges, Vertical Chest Press
Incline Receptacle Chest Press
- Equipment Bench; free weights
- Reps: 15 per arm, per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Keep wrists in line with elbows and elbows in line with shoulders; slowly straighten and lower one arm at a time
Squat Row
- Equipment Pulley Machine
- Reps: 20 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs. after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Stand back until you have enough resistance on the cable; make sure thighs are parallel to the ground
Single Leg Lunges
- Equipment Bench
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: None
- Tips & Tricks: Due to the angle of the exercise; it’s okay for your knees to extend over your ankles when performing the lunge; focus your eyes straight ahead – this will keep your back straight
Vertical Chest Press
- Equipment Bench
- Reps: 15 per set
- Weight: Start with a manageable weight for the first set; increase weight by 5-10 lbs after each set
- Tips & Tricks: Isolate the inner pectoral muscles as you pull your arms to center
That’s it for today’s workout! Be on the lookout for more weekly workouts. Want to get access to more workouts like this? How about over 6,000 workouts? Book an appointment with Body By Fadi today and discover what all the program has to offer.
by Fadi Malouf | Jul 6, 2014 | Atlanta Personal Trainer, Blog, Body By Fadi, Fadi Malouf, Fitness, Health, Motivation, News, Nutrition, Sports, Wellness
by Fadi Malouf | Jun 20, 2014 | Atlanta Personal Trainer, Blog, Body By Fadi, Cardio, Exercise, Fadi Malouf, Fitness, Motivation, News, Sports, Virtual Trainer
This is our second installment of our World Cup Series. You may recall World Cup Series Part 1 dealt with History. Here we like to focus on training your body.
How to Train Like A Soccer Player
Soccer players are always moving up and down the field, so they need to be fast on their feet, able to endure long periods of time without any rest, and physically strong. Instead of focusing purely on size, they need to focus on areas such as full body strength, improving balance and overall endurance conditioning. For soccer players, they need to focus on exercises which will help them increase their speed, power and build up their core muscles. Our program is designed to cover every facet necessary to help you become a world class World Cup champion.
Getting Warmed Up
Before you start truly working out, it is important that you warm up. Warming up the body gets your muscles loose and relaxed while making sure that your blood is really pumping. Warming up the body is like stretching before a long run … you just need to do it; otherwise, you could really hurt yourself.
Our dynamic warm-up routine is designed to maximize your blood flow, increase your heart rate, increase your range of motion and prepare the body for a strenuous workout.
Plyometrics
For soccer players, having explosive power and speed is an absolute must have. One of the best ways to increase your EXPLOSIVE power and speed is through Plyometrics. Plyometric exercises do not rely on heavy, bulky weights; rather, they are built off of bodyweight exercises and possible some static equipment. Plyometric exercises focus on quick, explosive movements such as lunging, jumping and stopping. These exercises can be dangerous if performed improperly, which is why it is important to have an experienced personal trainer working one-on-one with you. Our Plyometric program will help you develop plenty of EXPLOSIVE power and speed quickly, and safely, without wasting time in other less effective workout sets.
Strength Training
There are four types of strength training programs for soccer players; they are:
- Off-Season Training: Focuses on building up your functional strength.
- Off-Season / Pre-Season Training: Focuses on maximizing your functional strength.
- Strength Training and Endurance: Focuses on building up your muscular endurance.
- In-Season Maintenance: Focuses on keeping your body in full working order.
Our soccer conditioning program will help you develop speed, strength, endurance and agility; all of these factors play a big part in becoming a World Cup champion. Schedule an appointment with one of our trainers like Fadi Malouf, or Scott Black, and David Baldovin .
Stay tuned for part 3 as we look into Nutritional Training
World Class Athletes Celebrities Who Can Relate
With intense training, drive and determination, it is possible to be a fantastic soccer player like David Beckham, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Mamadona, Mia Hamm, Abby Wmbach, Marta, Christine Sinclair, Kristine Lilly. Along with those famous players, some celebrities have been known to kick around a ball, Gilles Marini, Anthony La Paglia, Chris Harrison, Maksim Cherkovski, Tony Hawk, Kerri Walsh, Misty May-Treanner, Britney Spears, and Brandon Roth.
