Escalating Density Workout

Anyone ever heard of EDT or Escalating Density Training???

It is a very simple and effective idea designed by strength Charles Staley.

It goes like this. Pick 2 exercises and do as many reps as you can in 20 minutes. Rest 5-10 mins and pick another 2 exercises and do as many reps in 20 mins as possible. That’s it! 4 exercises for each workout. The next time you do that particular workout, you will try to do more reps than the first one.

Here is an example workout:

Barbell bench press and seated row. Pick a weight that you can normally do 10-12 reps of to failure. Do as many reps in 20 mins as you can alternating between the 2 exercises. Start by doing about 5 reps of each exercise with little (15-30secs) or no rest between. As you the workout progresses and you fatiuge, rest longer. Keep track of your reps, as you will need to know what number to beat next time you do it. Whenever you are able to do 20% more reps for the same workout, increase the weight by 5%.

Remember to FOCUS on GOOD FORM!!!!

Try this at home version (H) or gym version (G)

Monday (lower body/core)

1. a) squats (H)  or Leg extension (G)

b) hip lifts (H) or ham curls (G)

rest 5-10mins

2. a) sit-ups (H) (G)

b) superman back extension (H) (G)

Tuesday Upper body

1. a) Push-ups (H) or bench press (G)

b) Lat pull downs or pull -ups (G)

2. a) dips (H) or shoulder press (G)

b) band row (H) or seated row (G)

Wed Rest

Thursday Lower body/ core

1. a) alt lunges (H or G)

b) Russian twists (H or G)

2. a) skipping (H) or calf raises (G)

b) bird dog (H or G)

Friday Upper body

1. a) incline push-ups (H) or close grip bench press (G)

b) band bicep curls (H) or incline curls (G)

2. a) band flyes (H) or Dumbbell flyes (G)

b) band reverse curls or DB preacher hammer curls (G)

Enjoy

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

 

The “Time Crunch” Killer Pyramid

Ok,

so last week I messed around with some of my favorite exercises and added them together to make an exercise complex that can be done in a pyramid style to get the MOST bang for your buck if you are in a hurry to get a killer workout. You don’t need any equipment and it can be done anywhere!!!!!

The exercises that make up the complex are as follows:

Frog hop, forward broad jump, inchworm push-up, T-twists, feet jump to hands.

You do those five exercises one right after the other. Then you immediately do 2 of every thing in the complex, then 3, 4, and then 5. Rest 2-3 mins. Start from 5, do 4, 3, 2, and then 1 of everything.

So it looks like this,

Do 1 frog hop, 1 forward jump, 1 inchworm push-up, 1 t-twist each way, jump feet to hands.

Do 2 frog hops, 2 forward jumps, 2 inchworm push-ups, 2 t-twists, each way, jump feet to hands.

and so on.

Descriptions.

Frog hop: Feet a little wider than shoulder width, sink butt down toward floor, weight in the heels, and then explode up off the ground like a frog. 

Broad jump: Feet shoulder width apart, swing arms back, load glutes and hamstrings (push butt back, not down like a squat) jump forward and land both feet at same time

Inchworm push-ups: Feet stay stationary, bend knees, place hands on the floor, walk them out to a push-up, walk hands back to feet, stand up.

feet to hands: Jump feet to hands and stand up.

Enjoy

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

The Pyramid Workout (Workout of the week)

Hey everyone,

here is a different way to workout with some classic exercises.

Try doing the following exercises in a circuit. Do 1 rep of each exercise. Then do 2 reps of each exercise. Then do 3 reps of each. Keep up this trend until you have done 5 reps of each exercise.

Rest 1-2 mins, then start at 5 reps of each working down the pryramid by doing 4, 3, 2, and then 1 of each.

Do the same Pyramid for the second set of exercises.

The Pyramid workout (first circuit)

1. Lunge Left leg

2. push-ups

3. lunge Right leg

4. sit-ups

Second Circuit

1. squats

2. dips

3. leg raises

4. superman back extensions

Enjoy!!!!!

 

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

G! Magazine

Hey everyone,

this is a short post.

I have been writing a fitness article for a magazine for the last year and a half. Here is the link for archived articles.

http://www.theg.ca/category/g-contributors/ryan-cairns/

Enjoy

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

The KISS Workout (Keep it Simple Stupid!!!!)

We are bombarded by the newest fitness trends and exercises on TV, internet and even at the gyms. Gadget and gimmicks don’t work!!!! Hard work does. So lets strip away all the unnecessary exercises and stick to the basics…. do them well… spend less time in the gym… and get better results.

Most workout programs should involve a hip dominant activity, a knee dom activity, a push, a pull, and a core. 

The KISS Workout

example

Do the following exercises in a circuit. Rest as little as you need to at the end and repeat 4 more times. Yes 4 more times!!!!! Less time is you are less fit.

1. Front plank  20-60secs

2. single leg deadlift 10 reps/ side

3. Push-ups 10 reps

4. resistance band row 10 reps

5. squats 10 squats

6. Bird dog 10/side

 

Advanced version

1. side plank/ front plank/ side plank 20secs per side

2. Dumbbell single leg deadlift 10reps/ leg

3. spiderman push-ups 10

4. res band rows elbows out 10

5. 123 squat – 5 per level

6. bird dog crunch 10/ side

Yours in fitness and wellness

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

single leg deadlift

spiderman push-ups

birddog crunch

 

The Monday Resolution Workout

So the weekend is over. It is time to shrug off all the sins of the weekend and start over. Monday is your opportunity to get back on track even if you boozed or ate bad all weekend partying or watching football playoffs. FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!! Now the first mistake people make after a shitty weekend is to deprive themselves of calories, but that is the wrong thing to do. Start the morning with a good breakfast, which should typically be your biggest meal of the day unless you have a big one post workout. Eat a snack about 2-3 hours later. Eat lunch. Another snack 2-3 hours later. Supper. Even one later in the evening if you want. Starving yourself won’t make up for over eating on the weekend. The body (metabolism) resets itself daily. Stay hydrated and get some sleep. 

Kick your Monday off right and get your metabolism fired up with

The Monday Resolution Workout

Do the following exercises as a circuit. Do Each exercise for 20 secs with little or no rest between each one. Rest 1-2 mins at the end and continue on.

1. squat 20secs/ plank 20secs

2. lunge one side/ plank

3. lunge other side/ plank

4. push-ups/ plank

5. jumping jacks/ plank

Rest then do

all the exercises over again, but instead of doing a plank, do jumping jacks. When you get to #5 do a plank then jacks.

Rest then go back to doing planks after each. 

Rest once more and do Jacks again.

A total of 4 sets. (2 with planks and 2 with jumping jacks)

Enjoy

 

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

 

 

Hump Day Workout

It’s Hump Day!!!! The middle of the work week. Monday and Tuesday are usually pretty productive, but you may find yourself getting lazy, maybe skipping the gym, back to bad habits….Well that’s ok. Here is a quick workout to give you a mid-week boost.

Perform these 4 exercises for the time frames specified. Take no rest between the exercises (or as little as you need). Once you have completed all 4, rest for the time specified and move to the next workout.

Hump Day workout

Squats 50secs/ plank 50secs/ back bridge 50secs/ burpees 50sec REST 60secs

Squats 40secs/plank 40secs/ back bridge 40secs/ burpees 40secs REST 50 secs

squats 30secs/ plank 30secs/ back bridge 30secs/ burpees 30secs REST 40 secs

squats 20 secs/ plank 20secs/ back bridge 20secs/ burpees 20secs DONE!!!!

Happy Hump Day!

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

Workout of the Week (Tabata Attack)

Ok, 

so it’s the New Year. The gyms are busy with people doing anything and everything to get in shape. How long will that last? That is the big question. I walk around my gym facility when I’m not training clients, running bootcamps, or teaching fitness classes. I see sooo many people doing the wrong things. I don’t just mean bad technique. I mean that people are doing the wrong exercises or using the wrong program to get the result they want. What do most people want??? Lose fat and build some lean muscle. Lifting light weights slowly and then taking long breaks isn’t going to do. Neither is jogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes. I’m going to start posting some new workouts each week that will maximize calorie burn and work lots of muscles together. 

Enjoy

Workout of the Week

Perform these 4 tabatas in 20 minutes.

A tabata is doing 20 secs of an exercise as hard as you can and then immediately resting 10secs. After the 10 sec rest, do another 20 or the exercise. Then rest 10 again. Do this pattern until you have  completed 8 sets of the exercise. The total time should be 3:50. You could also alternate between 2 exercises for 4 sets of each.

You will then rest 1:10 and perform your 2nd tabata and so on.

Tabata 1

a) burpees

b) jumping jacks

Burpees

Bend down, place hands on ground, jump feet back to a high plank postion, jump feet back to hands and stand up. You will be really warm after this one.

tabata 2

a) mountain climbers

b) squats

Mountain climbers

start in the top of a push-up position, walk or run your knees toward your chest keeping a flat back.

tabata 3

a) Plank

b) jumping jacks

Plank

Hold the the the top of a push-up position or place your weight on your elbows to make it easier.

tabata 4

a) bootstrappers

b) inch worm push-ups

Bootstrappers

place hands on the floor, bring your knees to touch your wrists, you will be on your toes with heels up. Push your heels down toward the floor and your butt up, kind of like a downward facing dog. Do it repeatedly.

inch worm push-ups

start by standing, bend down and place hands on the floor, feet stay in place, hands walk away from feet till you reach the top of a push-up. Do the push-up and walk hands back to the feet, stand up and repeat.

Good luck

Yours in fitness and wellness,

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Everyone,so…

Hey Everyone,

so it’s a new year. I have been neglecting the website since I was so busy for the last couple of months with kettlebell classes, dance fitness, bootcamps, personal training, fitness testing, and writing fitness articles for a magazine. I will be posting lots more workouts and fitness tips in the upcoming weeks and months.

For everyone with New Year’s Resolutions, here are a few tips for you.

1. Make a realistic goal! Average healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs per week.

2. Watch the comeback! Most people who start back to the gym in January haven’t worked out in months, but they start back like they never left. This is a mistake. For the first week or two, go about 60-70% of the intensity you think you should be at. This will help you avoid injury.

3. Stick with it! Don’t be a GYM TOURIST. A gym tourist is someone who comes to the gym for the first 2 weeks of January and then is never seen again. Avid gym users despise tourists. Becoming healthier is a lifestyle change. There are no quick fixes.

4. Change it up. If your resolution is the same as last year except that the amount of pounds you want to lose is higher, then it’s time to change up your approach. If it didn’t work last year, it probably won’t work this year. Try new things. You might just find it is the secret to success.

For more advice check out the link to the fitness column I write. http://www.theg.ca/category/g-contributors/ryan-cairns/

Yours in fitness and wellness,

 

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT

New Bootcamp Schedule

Hey everyone.

Here is my new bootcamp schedule.

Point Pleasant Park

M, T, W, F 630am

Saturday 9am

Citadel High School (outside)

M, W 6pm

Classes are $10 drop-in OR $150 for 1 month unlimited access

Join spark fitness now bootcamp on Facebook to see about cancellations.

Classes involve body weight, kettlebells, bands, med balls, boxing gloves and pads, hills, weighted balls, skipping ropes, etc.

Come give it a shot!

Yours in fitness and wellness,

Ryan Cairns CSEP-CPT