Strength School

This strength-building workout gets you back into the routine.

The change of seasons gives you a chance to reboot your goals and motivate yourself to get moving. And fall is the perfect time to hone your fitness prowess.

This total-body strength workout is designed to keep you away from the couch and in motion to get or keep your dream body. Classic strength-building movements are leveled up for real-life demands (lifting kids! sprinting after the bus!) and comprehensive results to target all your fitness goals. Do this workout two or three times a week to improve your strength, increase your strength endurance and put you in great physical condition—get started now!

• Perform each movement for 10 to 15 repetitions, building up to three sets of each.
• Pay attention to form and technique.
• Use full range of motion in each repetition.
• Keep breath free and your mind focused on your body’s sensations as you move.

WARM-UP

1. High Knees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P5BiYk-Ij0

Reps/duration: 2 minutes

Circulation is a crucial step to becoming stronger. It helps feed fluids to the tissues and joints and awakens the nervous system.

WORKOUT

1. Prone Wall Warding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKywXviBM_g

Reps/duration: 30 seconds
Sets: 3

Start in a prone plank position facing a solid wall, with your hands and feet hip-width apart. Keep your body tight, in a straight line from head to toe.

Lift one hand off the ground and push against the wall with that hand. Your effort should be about 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being your maximum. Press and hold your body strong for three seconds.

Return to the starting position and relax slightly as you switch hands and resume total-body tension. Make sure you remember to exhale as you press into the wall and inhale as you switch hands.

Alternate hands and repeat this motion for the entire 30 seconds.

2. Dead Push-Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EODbmDXyZVo

Reps/duration: 30-60 seconds (max)
Sets: 3

Start in a prone position, lying flat on your chest and stomach. Place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers pointing straight ahead.

Count to 2, and press yourself up off the floor using only your arms and feet. Imagine pushing the floor down underneath you as you exhale.

Hold the plank position at the top. Return to the floor for a count of two seconds.

Remain motionless for two seconds and repeat.

Complete this drill for 30 to 60 seconds, or for as many as you can in 60 seconds. Take 60 seconds to rest between sets.

3. Starting Sprint/Dead Sprint

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxg_BANtGcw

Reps/duration: 5 x 20 yards
Sets: 1

Start in an athletic ready position with a staggered stance. Remain motionless.

Imagine a “starting gun” sounds, and sprint as fast as you can for 20 yards. Return to your starting spot and repeat the 20-yard sprint from a dead stop.

If you don’t have the space to run, repeat your starting motion: Begin in an athletic ready position with a staggered stance, imagine the starting gun and spring forward a step or two. Then return to your starting position. Repeat five times on each side.

Imagine you are a race car waiting for the green light!

4. Deadlift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FCAi7sXCL0

Reps/duration: 5
Sets: 3

Choose a medicine ball, barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell that you can successfully lift five times in a row. Do not choose a weight you can lift 10 or 20 times. Position the weight close to your body and lift it off the ground with good form:

Keep your spine long—do not bend your spine while you lift.

Keep your chest lifted high.

Keep your arms straight and keep tension in your body as you lift.

It’s natural to hold your breath when lifting, so make sure to breathe.

Check with your medical professional if you’ve never lifted or if you have hypertension; you may want to skip this movement or use lighter weights that would be comfortable to lift for 15 repetitions.

5. Scarecrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivwLS6HcPk

Reps/duration: 10-12
Sets: 3

Start in a prone position, lying flat on your chest and stomach. Place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers pointing straight ahead.

Engage your glutes and back as you extend your arms forward and lift your chest, head and heels. Be sure to keep your neck neutral and your gaze on a spot on the floor in front of you, not straight ahead.

Remaining lifted, bend your arms and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your elbows down toward your hips.

Extend your arms forward and lower yourself to the ground, and repeat.

COOL-DOWN

1. Walk and Hot/Cold Shower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7eEVK_Vbgg

Reps/duration: 2 minutes of walking, 5-minute shower

Walking is a great way to help pump out some of the waste products that you accumulated from the workout. Keeping your spine tall, lift your arms out to your sides and overhead to keep your chest open.

The hot and cold shower is a great way to enhance that lymphatic flush. Alternate three minutes of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water, and repeat up to five times to get on track for a healthy recovery from a challenging workout.

Photo credit: Jacob Lund, Adobe Stock
Videography: Mark Kuroda, kurodastudios.com
Hair and Make-up: Mia Delina Escobar; Models: Sherri Mikus, Hakeem Gilman, 24 Hour Fitness