Strong is Sexy(AF): Week 01

Watch the video. After too many attempts, I have no words to introduce this. Wait, not true: something happens when you watch yourself on video too many times... you start wondering why anyone ever wants to listen to what comes out of your mouth! Ha. That means it's time to just post this thing and move on:

Strong to Sexy(AF): Week 01

Who this program is for:

Pretty much anyone, at any level. This program will start with very basic - and realistic - goals then steadily progress forward. If you stick with it, you'll be shocked by what you can accomplish in a year's time. Small steps everyday lead to insane progress faster than you think.

I'm going to cover all the bases I outlined in The Cake Principle to make sure the priorities for body composition change are ordered properly and we're driving directly forward.

For the first week, get this workout in 3x. It is extremely fast and basic if completed as a standalone session. That's what I've intended. On the other hand, if you are already exercising, just add these two movements in with your other work.

Strength/Movement Quality:

A1 Braced Squat 3x10 - take your time on each rep, focusing on maintaining your brace

A2 Bear Plank 3x6-10 breaths

Cardiovascular:

Walk 30-min

Diet:

Figure out how you are going to get an extra serving of veggies into your day. Then do it every day for the entire week. 

The Icing:

Go out of your way, everyday, to find ways to capitalize on those extra opportunities for activity. Park out in no-man's land, really PLAY with the kids, take the stairs with enthusiasm!

Exercises shown in video below - my deepest apologies for the terrible audio quality. I'll get it figured out for next time:

Progressions and Regressions

Be sure to pay close attention to the adjustments I've included in the video if you need to tailor the program a bit. There is an option to reduce or increase difficulty based on your needs.

Execution

Both of these exercises, if executed properly, are very difficult. For real. I still (and always will) find them challenging. Just the fully braced bodyweight squat is a killer. But to make that happen you must FOCUS on full bracing. You're ENTIRE body should feel tight, strong, and under control. When you finish, you should feel surprisingly fatigued. Check video for coaching cues.

Benefits

I'm focused on developing core strength and control over your core in this first month. This is important because your body's core strength is the foundation for everything else to come. We can't build anything if there is a weak foundation. 

The ability to effectively brace your core will reduce all kinds of risk of injury and nagging aches and pains (lower back, anyone?). 

Next Week

I'll build on this first week next Friday by adding in some additional work. The plan is to ramp up the program week-by-week for the first month. Then, we'll progress forward to a more challenging total plan. Think of this as the primer or prerequisite for a more challenging plan.