Exercises for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks

Personal trainer Craig Ballantyne from TurbulenceTraining.com returns with a complete detailed exercise routine for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks.

Warmup

This 3-exercise bodyweight circuit will serve as a warm-up to the main workout.

So, starting out you will do the Touchdown Forward Lunge. For this, you will raise your arms straight up overhead as though signalling a touchdown. Next, lunge forward, getting a good stretch as you come down and then use your lead foot to drive back up. Alternate sides.

By placing your hands overhead it will help open up your chest while also bringing your shoulder blades together.

Next up in this bodyweight warm-up is the Close-Grip Pushup exercise. With hands shoulder-width apart and tucking your elbows into your sides perform a pushup. If you can’t do regular close-grip pushups, then you can just do them from the kneeling position.

The last exercise to do is the Waiter’s Bow. You’ll find that this exercise really stretches your hamstrings and gets you ready for the Romanian Deadlift exercise. If you’re not comfortable with the RDL exercise, then this at least gives you a chance to practice the movement.

So, for this exercise, bend your knees slightly, grab the skin fold of your low back and place your other arm across your chest. From here, you will bend forward as though you are bowing to the table. So, push your hips back and keep your back flat. You will find that the skin fold tries to get away from you and that will be as far as you go before squeezing your glutes to return to the start position.

That’s it for all the exercises in the workout. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat one more time before jumping into your workout.

Workout A

This workout will work to build a really tight butt. Your first time through the workout, just do one set, after however, you can go through each superset three times.

With that being said, the first superset in this workout will pair a leg exercise with an abdominal exercise.

First up is Walking Lunges. So, with dumbbells at your sides and feet shoulder width apart, step forward, drop straight down and drive up to the start position, alternating sides. Do all repetitions walking forward.

Once you’re finished with that exercise you’ll move onto the Stability Ball Pike. This exercise is very similar to the stability ball jackknives. However, the Pike is a little bit more advanced. And for people that have limited flexibility in their hamstrings, you won’t be able to pike up very much, but with practice your range of motion will improve.

This exercise will produce an excellent contraction in your abdominals, but the key is to keep your back as flat as possible. So, with your toes on the ball and your hands on the ground, mimic the plank position. From this point you will roll the ball up and stretch those hamstrings while contracting the abs, and then back out.

You’ll find that over time you will get better at this exercise as your hamstring flexibility will improve as will your balance. All along, however, you should get a strong contraction in your abdominals.

If you find that exercise to be too difficult, then you can do a stability ball jackknife in its place.

The next superset pairs Bulgarian Split Squats with 1-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curls. So, for the BSS, step out from the bench and place one foot behind you up on the bench with dumbbells at your sides. Next, drop straight down, and then back up. Do all reps for one side and then switch sides.

You should feel a strong stretch in the quads of the back leg, while your glutes and hamstrings will be doing all the work to raise your body back up to the start position.

Immediately after all reps are finished, move into the leg curl. This exercise is such a powerful exercise for your hamstrings, so much so that they may cramp up on you. So, you may need to take a break during the repetitions.

To start, lay with your back on a mat and one heel on the ball while the other leg is straight up in the air. Now, bridge your hips up and then curl the ball in and out. Be sure to keep your hips bridged up throughout the exercise.

The third superset in this workout is optional. So, if you are pressed for time or if you just don’t want to work on your calves, then you can just skip this superset. With that being said, you will do calf raises along with an ab exercise.

So, standing on any type of step, you will do Single Leg Calf Raises. To start, hold a dumbbell in the same hand as the calf you are working. Now, with the none-working foot off the ground, and the foot of the calf you are working in the up position, drop your heel down below the strep and then squeeze your calf to come back up. Do all reps for one side and then switch sides.

Immediately after this exercise, move right into a Plank with your elbows on the ball. This is a little more challenging than a regular plank, especially if you put your elbows out in front of the body. Be sure to hold your body in a straight line.

The last superset pairs two abdominal exercises together. The first is a kneeling Stability Ball Rollout. From an upright position and your hands outstretched on the ball in front, slowly roll out for three seconds and contract back in for two seconds.

The final exercise in this workout is the X-Body Mountain Climber. So, from a regular push-up position, drive your knee up to your opposite elbow. Go nice and slow throughout this exercise and really focus on contracting your abs throughout.

To finish off the workout do 10 minutes of interval training following a 30 seconds on 30 seconds off format. Try kettlebell swings, bodyweight squats, running in place, or jumping jacks if you are limited for equipment. Otherwise, you can use one of the cardio machines, but repeat the intervals for 10 rounds.

That’s it for the workout!

Workout B

This workout is going to be all upper body all the time. You’ll also find a couple additional supersets added in at the end, but they are purely optional.

Additionally, throughout each of the exercises, really try to focus on an extra squeeze at the top of each of the exercises in the workout. If you’re looking to take your workouts to the next level, that little extra squeeze will place a bit more tension on the muscle.

The first superset pairs Pull-ups with Dumbbell Chest Presses. Now, if you can’t do the Pull-ups then you can substitute that exercise with Dumbbell Rows, Assisted Pull-ups, or even Dumbbell Pullovers.

So, for the pull-up, you’re going to take an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and pull your body up to the bar. On the way down, take 3 seconds to lower yourself. Like I said; if you’re unable to do a full pull-up, then get a boost up and just do the lowering phase unassisted.

Immediately after all reps for the pull-ups, go right into DB chest presses. With your back on the bench, press the DBs up and in, then down and out.

The next superset includes the Incline DB Rows as well as the Incline DB Presses. You should be able to use the same amount of weight for both exercises.

So to set yourself up for the Rows, put a slight incline on the seat and a 45-degree incline on the bench, support your chest against the bench, pick up the DBs and row them upwards, while keeping your elbows tucked in and squeezing your shoulder blades at the top.

Now, using the same weight, but higher repetitions, you will move right into chest press exercise. You’ll find you’re a little fatigued from the previous exercises, so using the same weight for a few extra controlled repetitions will be perfect. Just make sure that at the top you are squeezing your triceps and your chest.

If you’re pressed for time, those are two mandatory supersets. Also, if you’re female and worried about gaining too much muscle, then simply do one or two rounds of each of those supersets.

However, if you’re looking to gain muscle then you’ll want to finish off the third and fourth optional supersets.

The first exercise is a Single Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press. In this exercise you want to place one hand on your abdominals, while the other hand has the DB at shoulder height facing outward. Next, press the DB up overhead, squeezing the deltoid and tricep at the top position and then bring it back down. Repeat all repetitions for one side and then switch sides.

Once you’re finished with that exercise go right into Dumbbell Shrugs. For this exercise, you’ll need a heavier weight and simply go straight up and straight down for 12 repetitions.

In the last superset you’ll pair Dumbbell Bicep Curls with Decline Close-Grip Push-ups.

For the bicep curls, place your palms so they are facing up at all times and a take a slight bend in the knees. Now, curl both DBs up simultaneously and then bring them back down.

After all the reps are done move right into the decline push-up exercise. Here you will put your feet up on the bench and your hands at shoulder width apart on the floor. When coming down be sure to keep your elbows tucked into your sides with your abs braced at all times. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can.

That’s it for the resistance portion of your workout, and now you’re ready for interval training. For this part of the workout you’ll do 60 seconds on, then 60 seconds off for a total of six rounds.

Examples of different exercises you could use for your interval training might include; biking, rowing, sprinting, swimming, kettlebell swings, or jumping jacks just to name a few.

Workout C

This is going to be a regular superset workout with one difference – you won’t rest after finishing the superset. For example, if you have superset 1A and 1B, normally in the TT workouts you would take a rest after 1B, however, this time around you will go immediately back to 1A.

Superset #1- Dumbbell Reverse Lunges & Stability Ball Jackknives

Reverse Lunge
Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, DB’s at your side, step back and drop straight down. Use your front leg to pull yourself back up. You will be using your hamstrings and your glutes from your front leg for this exercise. Do all repetitions for one side and then switch.

Stability Ball Jackknives 15- 20 repetitions
Starting in a plank position, place your elbows on the bench, feet on the ball and then tuck your knees into your chest and then back out.

Superset #2 Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts & Elevated Pushups

DB Romanian Deadlifts
Start with your feet shoulder width apart, push your hips back and get a stretch in the hamstrings, knees slightly bent, back flat, keeping the dumbbells close to your body. Then squeeze your butt to come back up.

Elevated Pushups
Place one hand 4-6 inches above the ground and perform a regular pushup. Switch sides

Superset #3 Dumbbell Rows & Stability Ball Leg Curls

DB Rows 15 repetitions per side.
Place your left hand on the end of the bench and your left knee on the bench, hold the DB in your right hand straight down from your shoulder, keeping your back flat. Next, row the DB up to your chest. Perform all reps for one side and then switch.

You’ll find with the DB Row, because you are doing such a high number of repetitions, your obliques will be sore since they are working hard to keep your body from rotating during the exercise.

Stability Ball Leg Curls 20 repetitions
For this exercise make sure to have your hips bridged up at all times. Place your heels on the ball, curl in and then back out. This can be a very strong contraction for the hamstrings.

Timed Bodyweight Intervals
What we’ll be doing is a series of different bodyweight intervals using an interval timer, doing 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.

1.Bodyweight Squats 20 seconds, then 10 second hold at the position you are in when the beeper sounds. Repeat 8 times.

2.Pushups 20 seconds, then 10 second hold at the top pushup position. Repeat 4 times.

3.Planks & Side Planks 20 seconds, then in a controlled motion rotate to side plank for 10 seconds. Back to regular plank for 20 seconds, then with control, rotate to opposite side plank for 10 seconds. That counts as 2 cycles. Repeat for 8 cycles.

4.Touchdown Forward Lunges & T-Pushups TD lunges for 20 seconds, followed by T-pushups for 10 seconds. Repeat 4 times for a total of 2 minutes.