Client's Goal--- CORE/LEG FOCUS?

BodyQuest1 · 08-01-2009, 09:04 AM

What do you think of my program for a client who wants to lose weight and have defined abs/legs? I figured I would resort to circuit training of some sort because not only does it have toning/strength building benefits but cardio as well which could facilitate fat loss faster...

1 hr CORE/LEGS COMBO CIRCUIT

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball oblique crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Vsit-ups--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab roller--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab twists (30 seconds)
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Bridge Plank (30 seconds hold)
Rest for 1 min

hamrogers · 08-01-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodyQuest1

What do you think of my program for a client who wants to lose weight and have defined abs/legs? I figured I would resort to circuit training of some sort because not only does it have toning/strength building benefits but cardio as well which could facilitate fat loss faster...

1 hr CORE/LEGS COMBO CIRCUIT

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball oblique crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Vsit-ups--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab roller--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab twists (30 seconds)
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Bridge Plank (30 seconds hold)
Rest for 1 min

What certification do you hold?

Are you not going to have your client do anything but legs and abs? I don't think I would use a routine similiar to this for a healthy average American. Is your client overweight? How much overweight? What are her measurements? If she is overweight she needs cardio training.

Some of your exercises seem to me to 'filler' material. I would:
1) Ensure she understands what he diet is supposed to look like.
2) Give her a routine of squats, quad flexion machine, and calf raises.

The ab exercises you have for her look good to start with. Do you have any other days or is this the entire routine? I would recommed training abs on a designated core day, and legs either on their own day, or with another muscle group.

BodyQuest1 · 08-01-2009, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamrogers

What certification do you hold?

Are you not going to have your client do anything but legs and abs? I don't think I would use a routine similiar to this for a healthy average American. Is your client overweight? How much overweight? What are her measurements? If she is overweight she needs cardio training.

Some of your exercises seem to me to 'filler' material. I would:
1) Ensure she understands what he diet is supposed to look like.
2) Give her a routine of squats, quad flexion machine, and calf raises.

The ab exercises you have for her look good to start with. Do you have any other days or is this the entire routine? I would recommed training abs on a designated core day, and legs either on their own day, or with another muscle group.

What do you mean "filler" material? Well she works out on her chest, bi, tris, shoulders, back on separate days. And I just meant to put ab/legs together. She is not overweight at all, she's pretty strong but has a hard time losing weight. She already does cardio on her off-strength training days.

hamrogers · 08-01-2009, 01:03 PM

If she has a hard time loosing weight but maintains an active lifestyle I would recommend examining her diet and personal habits. When I say filler material I mean the leg exercises that duplicate one another. Squats, done correctly, all the way down, will be able to take the place of the sumo squats, one-legged squat jumps, step-ups, and narrow squats with leg kick.

How much does she weigh? What is her 1 RM for for squatting?
How much cardio training is she doing per week?

Keltron · 08-03-2009, 07:56 AM

There is no such thing as spot reduction. This woman wants to get rid of the fat on top of her abdominals and leg muscles. Focusing on contracting those muscles will not get rid of the fat.

The only reason anyone should do direct abdominal work is to strengthen the core. And even then, there's a dispute stating that it's better to train the core in a more functional way eg teach the client how to properly activate it while they're doing compound movements like squats, deadlifts, push ups, etc.

You're also having her isolate her biceps and triceps. There is no reason for anyone to split up their body parts unless their goal is solely to increase the size of that particular muscle. There is no reason for person who's goal is to drop body fat to do any kind of isolation at all.

Assuming that her diet is in order give her full body circuits and she'll get the "toning" she seeks.

50 burpee to jump pull ups for time would be a great workout for a fat loss client.

Can she do standard push ups off the knees? If not, then focus on getting her there instead of having her do say, bench press w/light dumbells.

Progress her towards barbell squatting her bodyweight instead of giving her all these variations of bodyweight squats. [though standard bodyweight squats for high reps are still awesome]

TEACH HER TO DEADLIFT [if you know already]

learn some of the explosive movements and teach them to your clients. 30 light power cleans for time will challenge her cardio-vascular system better than 45 minutes on the elliptical.

I have a client similar to yours [she's not overweight at all but wants to be leaner and more defined aka LOSE BODY FAT] and here's the last work out I put her through:

5 rounds of the following circuit:
Burpees x8
Jumping Pull Ups x15
Bodyweight Squats x20

Rap_Rocky · 08-04-2009, 01:58 PM

I agree mostly with what everybody said, plus with new clients, I don't do anything that may be too advanced for them, such as one-legged alternating jump squats. Compound exercises will be key. Isolations may only work if she's completely new to exercising. Introducing her to her individual muscle groups can help to her have some knowledge and new profound understanding about her individual muscles and how they work, but ideally, multi-joint exercises are the way to go (not to mention much safer).

As for her legs, I'd say just incorporate upper body exercises into the leg workout you have now.

Keltron · 08-04-2009, 02:17 PM

full body workouts man... FULL BODY WORKOUTS! If someone is trying to lose weight/ reduce body fat/ get leaner/ get cut/ get defined/ however you want to put it, work the whole body in one workout!

lbreezy33 · 08-11-2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodyQuest1

What do you think of my program for a client who wants to lose weight and have defined abs/legs? I figured I would resort to circuit training of some sort because not only does it have toning/strength building benefits but cardio as well which could facilitate fat loss faster...

1 hr CORE/LEGS COMBO CIRCUIT

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Exercise ball oblique crunches--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Sumo squats--- 10-12 reps
Alternate 1-legged squat jump on 2-tier stepper(30 seconds)
Vsit-ups--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab roller--- 20 reps
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Ab twists (30 seconds)
Rest for 1 min

Narrow squat with a Leg Kick--- 10-12 reps
Step-ups on 3-tier stepper
Bridge Plank (30 seconds hold)
Rest for 1 min

I joined this forum just b/c of this thread.. I agree w/ a lot of the stuff that was put out here. Your work out is fine based soley on kicking up the intensity hitting legs and core. I am really getting a kick out of the others on this site praising themselves with their knowledge. Isn't the point of the forum to just offer advise and answer the question.... why do they need to ask you for your credentials and mock you.. directed towards hamrogers

Keltron · 08-11-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamrogers

What certification do you hold?

Are you not going to have your client do anything but legs and abs? I don't think I would use a routine similiar to this for a healthy average American. Is your client overweight? How much overweight? What are her measurements? If she is overweight she needs cardio training.

Some of your exercises seem to me to 'filler' material. I would:
1) Ensure she understands what he diet is supposed to look like.
2) Give her a routine of squats, quad flexion machine, and calf raises.

The ab exercises you have for her look good to start with. Do you have any other days or is this the entire routine? I would recommed training abs on a designated core day, and legs either on their own day, or with another muscle group.

if a person wants to lose weight [not bodybuild], why on earth would you have her do isolation movements like calf raises or even quad flexion machine? You should know that there is no such thing as spot reduction. So if someone's aim is to lose weight, you want every movement to involve as many muscles as possible.. not just two or three.

code_4 · 08-12-2009, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keltron

full body workouts man... FULL BODY WORKOUTS! If someone is trying to lose weight/ reduce body fat/ get leaner/ get cut/ get defined/ however you want to put it, work the whole body in one workout!

Though i agree that full body workouts can be useful. I would go so far as to suggest that they are the only path to success. Several considerations must be takin into account, such as what if that person wants to workout five days a week. Then obviously a full body workout isnt appropriate.

I dont really see a problem with splitting up a routine, say upper and lower or push and pull. So long as the exercises, rep ranges, sets etc are appropriate for the goal. In this case i would agree that isolation exercises may not be the best approach, but if put into a circuit type routine i dont really see all that big of deal with it.