Written & Programmed by Jaclyn Phillips, TEAM STRONG GIRLS Head Coach &
Nadine Shaban-Teriaky, Team Strong Girls Assistant Head Coach
Demonstrated by Julia Chang, Laura Meadows, Stacey Nixon & Mel Hagn
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra
For our 10-year celly, we lit up the barbell signal (think: Bat signal but for STRONG women) and Team STRONG Girls enthusiastically united to demo this tri-phased training sesh. The workout is full-body with emphasis on building those cover athlete delts and glutes. And it is broken up into three distinct phases: beginner to intermediate to advanced. So regardless of your lifting level, there’s something in this workout you’ll be able to dig your heels into. This first one works full body muscles; glutes, quads, hamstrings, back and arms. The biggest challenge is ensuring proper form and learning the foundations of weight training in order to level up programming.
Beginner Phase
Each workout is done in a straight set. Perform the amount of reps per set before moving to the next exercise. The sets and reps are listed with each exercise.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells, Box/Step, Lebert Bars
Time to Complete:
25 minutes
Goblet Squat
10-12 reps X 3 sets, 60 seconds rest
Stand holding a dumbbell lengthwise at your chest with elbows in close to your sides. Place feet hip to shoulder width apart with toes slightly turned out. Bend your knees and push your hips back to slowly lower into a squat. Push up through your heels returning to the starting position and repeat.
PRO TIP: “If you find yourself bending forward and having trouble with depth stand on 5-10 lb plates. This helps you squat with a more upright posture, emphasize quad development, and much more.” @juliachangcoaching
One Arm Kneeling Press
10-12 reps per side X 3 sets, 60 seconds rest
Begin in a half kneeling posture by placing one knee down directly under the hip. The other foot should be in line with the knee; this will create the 90/90 position. The narrower the foot is in relation to the knee, the greater the challenge. Stay as tall as possible creating a straight line from the ear, shoulder, hip, and down knee for proper posture alignment. Press the dumbbell overhead extending the elbow until the arm is straight but not locked. To return, pull down with the lat as the elbow flexes and lower the weight to the racked position. Repeat for all reps, then switch sides.
PRO TIP: “Keep your ribcage down and if you need added stability use the single-arm press in the half-kneeling position to hit both the shoulder and the core with quality reps.” @laurameadows_strong
Step-Up
10-12 reps per side X 3 sets, 60 seconds rest
Place your foot on a box so your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. Ensure it’s on a stable surface. Hold dumbbells on the sides of your body. Have the foot standing on the floor one foot away from the box. Place your entire lead foot on the box with your toes pointed upward. Push through your lead foot to stand up. Think of driving the glutes forward into hip extension as you stand up. Once your knee is extended, place the other foot on the box. Step down slowly with the non-lead leg and reset and repeat for all reps, then switch sides.
PRO TIP: “The top leg does all the work. The rear leg is kept straight and the toes of the rear leg will be pointed upward (dorsi flexed).” @staceynixonfit
Inverted Row
10-12 reps X 3 sets, 60 seconds rest
Place two Lebert Equalizers so they are parallel to each other with enough distance for you to go in between. Lay down with your face up and hold each of them in the middle. Using your back muscles to initiate the movement (squeeze shoulder blades together), pull yourself up as high as possible. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees with your feet on the floor. Use your glutes to keep your hips elevated as you row.
PRO TIP: “To add resistance, you can wear a weighted vest and or include a pause/hold in the top position.” @mel_hagn
