PHA Training 3 (all on the STEP)

For Jill,

I've not put a PHA plan on here for a while, so thank you to Jill who I met in the gym today! We worked together to give her something new to beast her body back in to shape.

Here it is; simple yet effective; and as with all these plans, can be easily modified to make it easier, harder or much much harder!

We based all the exercises around a STEP with 4 raisers each side.

Step Ups

60 seconds of steady speed -left up- right up- left down -right down, then changing the lead leg half way through.

Press Ups

Position your hands at the narrow end of the step in a plank or press up position. Squeeze your glutes (bottom) and abs (tummy) tight then slowly lower yourself down, bending at the elbows only; go only as low as you can keep good form - watch for the curve in the lower back! we don't want it! squeeze tight on the way up to avoid the back dipping.

10 reps

Backward Lunges

Keep one food planted solidly on the step and begin with the other leg behind you in a lunge position. keep the body tall and upright and think TALL when pushing up through the front leg. Keep everything tight as this will help with balance too. Lunge back on to the floor.

10 reps on each leg

Tricep Dips

Start by sitting on the step, hands placed by your hips and fingers facing forwards. take your weight through your arms as you move your bottom off the step to "sit" in the air in front of your hands. Fix your upper body and lower your weight through your arms, bending at the elbows only. Go as low as you can to feel the triceps work hard.

10 reps

Side Lunge

Stand at the side of the step. Keep one foot on the step and start with the other on the floor. You should look like you're squatting. keep your chest as upright as possible. push through the leg that's on the step to stand tall and tap the "floor foot" up onto the side of the step to meet your other foot and then place your "floor foot" back down.

10 reps on each leg

Shoulder Press

Start with your hands on the floor as close to the step as you can get them, and your feet/knees on the step. You should feel like you're about to do a handstand. lower yourself head first, down to the floor, with all the weight through your arms and shoulders and back. Press up again.

If you're not sure about having your head lower than your hips, take some dumbbells (go fairly heavy) and standing with feet hip-width apart and abs tight, press the dumbbells above your head and lower back down.

10 reps.

Try doing all 6 exercises without a rest in between, then allow yourself 30-120 seconds before you repeat the circuit 1-4 times.

One circuit should take 5-7 minutes!! Easy right??!!

Enjoy!

3 Months to go until the Tenby Long Course Weekend

I honestly don't recall how I come to be booked in for these masochistic events. All I know is that in 3 months time I'll be subjecting myself to the longest cycle I've ever done and my very first marathon on the SAME WEEKEND, of course with a light 2.4 mile warm up swim the day before, making this an Iron Man of sorts. 

I've realised I don't know much about the event or the terrain so, as I write this, I'm on the website freakforming myself (a mixture of informing and freaking out!) My eyes landed on this paragraph and my heart shot up into my mouth- good job I'm about to go for a run; I now have a lot of adrenaline to get rid of!

More than 7000 competitors have attempted the difficult terrain and challenging weather conditions on this punishing route since its first race in 2010. Of last year’s 200 Long Course Weekend athletes, only around half could manage to cross the finish line and collect the final piece of the event’s unique medal design.

But do you know what I'm thinking? NO WAY IN HELL am I going to be amongst that 50% that give up.