Best-of-2012 workout - Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Navy Times

Best-of-2012 workout

Warm up

• Jump rope, 2 minutes

• Fast skipping, 50 meters

• 5 reps of bench presses, 100 pounds for men, 65 pounds for women

• 10 reps of pushups

• 10 reps of body squats

• Dynamic stretching (same stretches you normally do, but hold each one for only 2 seconds)

• Jump rope, 2 minutes

Strength

Five rounds of the following at a steady pace, with no rest between exercises.

• 5 reps of dead lifts, 70 percent of your max weightå 5 reps of bent-over rows, 100 pounds for men, 75 pounds for women

• 5 reps of high rows, 100 pounds for men, 75 pounds for womenå 5 reps of shoulder presses, 100 pounds for men, 75 pounds for women

• 5 reps of back squats at 70 percent of your max weight

• Finish strength section, rest for 3 minutes.

Cardio

Choose one of the two following programs, with no rest between exercises:

Option 1:

6 minutes at a high pace on each of the following:

• Treadmill at 1-degree incline

• Rower

• Elliptical machine at level 5

• Step mill or VersaClimber

Option 2:

Three rounds of:

• 50-meter medicine ball throw (forward overhand): Start with the ball (20-pound for men, 14-pound for women) on the ground. Squat, then explode up, throwing the ball forward in an overhand position, emphasizing height in the throw. Run to where the ball lands and throw again.

• 50-meter medicine ball throw (forward underhand) Repeat as above, using an underhand position, granny-style.

• 50-meter medicine ball throw (backward): From an underhand position, throw backward over your head.

• Half-mile (800-meter) run at 5 seconds faster than your PT test pace

• Finish cardio phase, rest for 3 minutes.

Stamina

In 15 minutes, do as many rounds as possible of:

• 5 reps of horizontal pullups

• 10 reps of pushups

• 15 reps of body squats (use a medicine ball to increase difficulty.)

• 20 reps of crunches

• Finish stamina section, rest for 3 minutes.

Power endurance

One round as fast as possible, while keeping good technique:

• 40 reps of squat presses (30-pound dumbbell for men, 20-pound for women)

• 50 reps of crunches

• 20 reps of box jumps on a 20- to 24-inch box

• 20 reps of pullups

• 1,000-meter row

• 10 reps of horizontal row

Bob Thomas is director of the Navy Wellness Center in Pensacola, Fla. Email him at jomof14@cox.net.