Cathe Friedrich's Supersets + Push Pull

(includes 21 bonus premixes in addition to the main workout) :

LEVEL: Advanced EQUIPMENT: A step, a high step or additional risers for your regular step, various weighted dumbbells, barbell, stability ball

SUPERSETS is a unique, 53 minute full body weight training program incorporating a series of exercises that are grouped by varying body parts and performed in rounds. While this may not be the traditional association that many are used to with supersetting, superset training is also classified as doing two or more exercises at a given time with little or no rest between exercises (or sets).

PUSH PULL is a 45 minute total body workout which features many new and refreshing exercises to keep your muscles stimulated in new ways. The focus of this workout is to promote muscle balance as well as strength and endurance gains through exercise variety and balance challenges. You'll use the stability ball quite a bit in this workout to create this added balance challenge which in turn promotes even greater muscle recruitment. It's important to point out that when using a stability ball you should use a lighter weight than you typically would for a given exercise since the unstable environment makes the muscles work harder to stabilize. As your body gets acclimated this "wobbly" environment you'll find that you are able to gradually increase your weights again.

Supersets format: Round One, Group A, consists of the following body part and exercise: Legs...........barbell squats Legs/Back...barbell deadlifts Chest..........barbell bench press Shoulders....dumbbell front/side raise on stability ball Core............wood chops on the stability ball

Round One, Group B, repeates the body parts but uses different exercises: Legs...........barbell plie' squats Back...........dumbbell pullovers on the stability ball Chest..........dumbbell incline fly on stability ball Shoulders....dumbbell rotator cuff side raises on stability ball Core...........roll outs on the stability ball (no weight)

Round Two, Group A, consists of the following body parts and exercises: Legs..........dumbell one leg squat Shoulders...dumbbell seated overhead press Biceps........barbell preacher curls on the stability ball Triceps.......dumbbell extensions on the stability ball Core...........bike maneuver

Round Two, Group B, repeats the body parts but uses different exercises: Legs..........explosive lunges (no equipment) Shoulders...dumbbell rear and front delt raises prone on stability ball Biceps........dumbbell concentration curls on the stability ball Triceps.......seesaw tricep push ups (no weights) Core...........side oblique crunches on the stability ball

Because the specific exercises themselves only do one set without repeating, you are encouraged to go as heavy as you can with good form. Of course the first few workouts will take some practice since you will not know exactly what weight will bring you to fatigue by the end of the set. Many exercises also contain a non-traditional set (ie: up 4 down 4, low ends, lunge forward lunge back then jump for 4 etc.) The music is fun and recognizable. Here is a list of the songs: On and On Somewhere, Somehow I'm Glad Don't you just know Whats Up Golden Eye You are not alone Unbreak My Heart This ain't no love song Eternal Flame

Push Pull format: Keep in mind that for muscle balance we are doing one muscle group then the opposing muscle group. In most cases this is anterior (front) and posterior (back) but when it comes to shoulders we have both anterior (front delt) and posterior (rear delt) as well as superior (mid/top delt) and inferior (lats) which are directly beneath them.

The exercises for Push Pull are as follows:

Barbell Squats (legs with focus on quads) Deadlifts (legs with focus on glutes/hamstrings) Static lunge with heel lifted (legs with focus on quads) Leg Press (legs with focus on glutes/hamstrings) Bench press on ball (chest) Deadrows (back) flys on ball (chest) Y's on ball (thats the Push Pull picture where we had our arms going back with thumbs up...for upper back) Inverted shoulder press on high step (top/mid delt) One arm row (back/lats which are beneath shoulders) Front raise on ball (front shoulder) Rear delt raise on ball (back shoulder) Bicep curls with ball (biceps) Slow Dips/immediately to kickbacks (tricep) Outer thigh on ball Inner thigh with ball Superman on ball (low back) Crunches with ball (abdominals) Calve raises Tibialis Anterior w/ball (shins) Full Body Stretch

You may initially find this workout to be easier since you are learning to make adjustments for the new variety, but once you have worked through this, form and concentration is of the utmost importance for optimal muscle recruitment. Feel free to add sets to any of the exercises for an even greater challenge.The DVD version will offer premixes with multiple set options.

Premixes:

#1 2 Rounds: 3- cycles (1A+1B+1A + 2A+2B+2A) – 72 Minutes #2 2 Rounds: 3- cycles (1A+1B+1B+2A+2B+2B) – 76 Minutes #3 2 Rounds (No Core): 3- cycles (1A+1B+1A + 2A+2B+2A) – 60 Minutes #4 2 Rounds: 3- cycles (no core) (1A+1B+1B+2A+2B+2B) – 60 Minutes #5 Two Sets (1Ax2+ 1Bx2 +2Ax2 + 2B+x2) – 95 Minutes #6 Three Sets-No Core(1A x 3+ 1B x 3 +2A x 3 + 2B x 3)– 109 Minutes #7 Two Sets -No Core (1A x 2+ 1Bx2+2A x 2+ 2B x 2) – 78 Minutes #8 Group A only (1A+2A) – 28 Minutes #9 Group A only – 2 sets (1A+ 1A +2A +2A) – 48 Minutes #10 Group B (1B +2B) – 33 Minutes #11 Group B –two sets (1B +1B + 2B + 2B) – 52 Minutes #12 Lower Body Blast – 33 Minutes #13 Upper Body Blast (2 sets) – 59 Minutes #14 Upper Body (1 set) – 34 Minutes #15 Total Body (2 sets) – 77 Minutes #16 Lower Body (3 sets) – 59 Minutes #17 Lower Body (2 sets) – 44 Minutes #18 Upper Body (3 sets) – 65 Minutes #19 Upper Body (2 sets) – 50 Minutes #20 Push Only – 19 Minutes #21 Pull Only – 18 Minutes