Rippedism 2

Stu and Jeff are back with another tough fitness program—Rippedism 2. In their intro, they promise that these will be the most efficient workouts you have ever done. They also say that this program is appropriate for all fitness levels from beginner to advanced. The only equipment you need are dumbbells. They recommend 3 sets–heavy, medium and light. However, having done the actual workouts, in a few of the workouts a little more is needed–a chair or weight bench and a towel. Not for every workout, but a few them do need a bit more equipment. And I always had a fitness mat on the floor since the majority of the workouts have at least one (usually many) exercises that are done on the floor.

This program is delivered via streaming. The pricing has changed since I did Rippedism 1. Now you have the choice of paying by the year ($49.99) or by the month ($6.99). You can access this program via the internet or via the Rippedism app. When I did Rippedism 1, I accessed the workouts through Safari on my iPhone and used screen mirroring to send the workouts to my Apple TV. I did the same thing when doing Rippedism 2, but this time I used the app they created and screen mirrored it to my Apple TV. The app worked even better–so great upgrade! There is a tutorial on the Rippedism site explaining how to do this.

Rippedism 2 is structured differently than Rippedism 1. Rippedism 1 is a 60 day program that is broken down into Tiers. Each Tier is done for 20 days. Rippedism 2 is 9 weeks long (63 days). Almost every day for 3 weeks you do a different workout. Then you repeat the 3 weeks 2 more times. I say “almost every day” because Day 6 of every week is the same short yoga workout and 1-2 times every week you will add on the same short core workout. But other than that, it is 3 weeks of a different workout every day. Each week the workout focus is different. Week 1 is Burn week. Burn week workouts are all structured the same–6 circuits and each circuit contains strength exercises, a core exercise and a cardio exercise. Plus they are all fast paced circuit workouts so they keep the heart rate elevated. Each workout during the Burn week focuses on a single muscle group. If you follow Jeff and Stu’s rep pace during the strength circuits, many of the moves are high rep/endurance level moves. Week 2 is Build week. Build week workouts are structured a little differently. They are still cardio + strength workouts, but the strength work is done drop set fashion so you are frequently able to use heavier weights, since at the beginning of each drop set you are doing less reps. You also have one core focused cardio workout (that I love). In some of the Build week workouts, muscle groups are combined. And Week 3 is Blast week. Blast week shakes everything up! Blast week is all about muscle confusion. They are still interval workouts but the interval times range from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Muscle groups aren’t isolated in this week except as upper and lower body workouts. The rest of the workouts are total body workouts plus a tough core workout. And you will be using lighter weights this week–out of necessity!

There is more included in this program (nutrition and bonus workouts) but that was already covered in the Rippedism 1 review, so check it out there. There are a few more bonus workouts since I’ve done Rippedism 1, but I will not be doing them as part of this review. This review covers the Rippedism 2 program only. However some of the older bonus workouts are reviewed in the Rippedism 1 review.

Just previewing the workouts before starting the program I was very impressed. These are very efficient workouts. And advanced. I was feeling pretty uneasy. When I did Rippedism 1, I was a more advanced exerciser then I am currently. And these looked even harder! However, I kept reminding myself–I do not have to do these workouts at the level that Jeff and Stu are doing them. They do show modifications for some of the exercises, plus I can lift whatever weight I am capable of lifting. And, just like in Rippedism 1, these workouts are comprehensive and efficient, giving you your strength work, your core work and your cardio in less than 40 minutes a day. Since I workout for an hour every day, I used add on workouts. Mostly short cardio workouts to round out my hour but on lower body days, I tacked on 20 minute barre or mat workouts to completely fry my lower body.

Jeff and Stu are machines. Seriously. I do not know they keep going throughout some of their intervals with perfect form–and some of the intervals are long. It is impressive, really. Granted, individually, they never do the entire workout since they swap out who is doing the circuit and who is acting as trainer but still–each exercise is always done to a timed interval and these two can perform each exercise with perfect form for the entire interval. Again, impressive. As already mentioned, if you are a beginner, they do show some modifications–but not consistently. They will show a modification for one move then in the same workout do an advanced plyometric move and offer no modifications. So if you are a beginner or limited to low impact moves, for some of the moves you will have to use your own judgment. But for a lot of the exercises they do show modifications. Especially Stu; he is really good about almost always showing a modification when he is in trainer mode. And, just like in Rippedism 1, they are both very encouraging and tell you to stop and rest any time a move is too much for you–then jump back in as soon as you’re ready. As Jessica Smith always says, the goal is progress not perfection–you are still running laps around anyone sitting on the couch, regardless of the level you are doing the workouts at. Follow the program for 9 weeks and each time you return to a workout you will be able to lift heavier, stop modifying as much (or at all) and maybe even stop taking mini breaks. And that is the beauty of it. The second time you go through the 3 weeks you will know what weight to lift to challenge yourself the most. And the third time through? You will really be pushing yourself to exceed your performance in the first 6 weeks. And since every week is different, boredom isn’t an issue.

Jeff and Stu’s workouts are set in a small space, so not a lot of room is needed for these workouts. There is an interval timer in bottom left hand corner of the screen and a workout timer at the top center of screen. I am reviewing this program as you would do it–in program form. So the first workout in the breakdown below is Day 1 and so on until Day 21. Then you start all over! That is how I tackled Rippedism 2, btw–Day 1 through Day 21. Before the breakdown for each week, I give a summary of the week.

However, before we get to that–here is a summary of the program as a whole. This program was the perfect way for me to finish out my rehabilitation. I spent 2018 going through cancer treatment. Treatment was completed in October 2018 and I have been working hard ever since to rebuild my fitness level. I grew so weak after chemo and radiation that I had a very hard time rebuilding my strength and endurance. This program was an excellent way to show myself how far I have come. I was intimidated when I started the program. It worked me hard but I was able to get through it and feel better and stronger after completing it. Just like in Rippedism 1, Jeff and Stu are great trainers–pushing you and encouraging you. They show modifications to many of the exercises that I sometimes had to use so that I never stopped moving and working hard–but at my own personal fitness level. This program is very heavy in core work. Even if “core” isn’t in the title there is usually core work involved either through plank based moves, or balance/stability moves or straight up core work. I really needed that because my core has grown weaker over the past year and I am getting ready to have a major surgery that will make it impossible to work my core for weeks. So this program is a great foundation to prepare myself for this surgery. I believe I will recover faster because of it.

Just like any program, in order to see significant results, you have to do the work in the kitchen. I was not trying to lose weight during this program, but during the week when I eat cleaner, I always dropped a few pounds. But they returned on the weekends because I eat out at least once every weekend. So if you are trying to drop fat then eat clean the entire time and it will happen.

Burn Week Summary: Having completed the first week, I can say that (so far) the workouts were not as tough as I expected them to be. Don’t misunderstand–they weren’t easy, but I have built myself back up fitness-wise more than I thought I had. I was conservative on my weights, so one obvious way for me to make these more advanced in the future is to increase my dumbbell weights. Then there is also the fact I can no longer do push ups on my toes due to lingering effects from cancer treatment (damage in my shoulder from my chemo port), so all push ups were done on my knees, which obviously makes those exercises easier. Planks however do not hurt my shoulder so I was able to do all other plank based moves on my toes. I still got excellent workouts from every workout in the Burn Week–my muscles always burned nicely afterward plus I got cardio and core work. So these were all effective metabolic workouts.

Day 1: Chest / Core / Cardio is 38 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and mat. Structure: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 6 rounds, each round contains 5 exercises. You get a 30 second break between each round. Each round has 3 chest exercises, one cardio exercise and one core exercise. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was a great workout but I had to modify every push up. I have chronic shoulder problems now (thanks to the events of the past year) and even though I can do full push ups, they cause me a great deal of pain in my shoulder, so I modify. Every month or so I do push ups on my toes to see if there has been improvement (as in no pain) but so far it is still a problem. I did full push ups a few days before starting Rippedism 2, just to test it out in anticipation of this workout and I suffered for it the rest of the day. So I was on my knees for all of the push ups. I still got a great workout. To be honest, I am afraid my shoulder will be suffering anyway because even modifying the push ups my shoulder was starting to ache by the end. But that’s because Jeff and Stu work your chest hard! Other than the push ups, I didn’t have to modify anything else in this workout. But Jeff and Stu do show modifications to some of the moves, so if anything listed below seems too hard for you, don’t despair! There are other, easier options. **My triceps were sore for days after this workout–not my chest–my triceps!!**

Round 1:

1. Bridge DB press (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, raise hips into bridge and hold bridge isometrically while doing chest press) (I used 20# DBs)
2. Bridge chest fly (I used 15# DBs)
3. Standard push up
4. Shuffle squat kick (shuffle 2x to side, squat then kick)
5. Hollow hold (lay on back on mat, legs extended straight and arms extended straight overhead, raise arms and legs a few inches off floor and hold; raise up into full boat pose and hold; alternate between holding these two moves)

Round 2:

1. Bridge alternating DB press (holding bridge isometrically, start w/ DBs at top of chest press and alternate lowering arms) (20# DBs)
2. Bridge alternating chest fly (start holding both DBs at top of chest fly/together above chest and alternate opening one arm to side in fly motion) (15# DBs)
3. Narrow slow push up
4. Kick + reverse lunge + floor touch (front kick and step back into a lunge, touching floor when lunging)
5. Flat leg upper body circles (lay on back with legs extended straight, hands resting loosely at hips, raise and circle torso, never actually sitting up)

Round 3:

1. Bridge hammer press (hold bridge isometrically while doing a narrow chest press) (15# DBs)
2. Bridge single DB press (the same thing as #1 but you are holding one DB in both hands) (one 20# DB)
3. Fingers out push up (wide arm push up w/ fingers facing to the side)
4. 180 jump burpee (180 squat jump + burpee)
5. Sit up DB cross punch (lay on back, legs bent and feet on floor, do a full sit up and do one cross punch at top of sit up, alternate sides) (6# DBs)

Round 4:

1. Bridge supine alternating cross punch (hold bridge isometrically, elbows are close to sides and palms are facing your face, alternate pressing DBs up and slightly across body) (15# DBs)
2. Bridge prone fly (hold bridge isometrically and do a chest fly w/ arms straight and palms facing away from you/backs of hands facing your face) (12# DBs)
3. Plank punches (in straight arm plank hold, alternate punching arms straight in front of you)
4. Side floor touch hop (squat down touching both hands to floor on one side of feet, jump up, arcing arms overhead and squat down touching both hands to floor on other side of feet)
5. Flat leg sit up  + V up (full straight leg sit up, touching fingers to toes at top of move + full boat pose variation–raise up into boat while reaching for toes then lower)

Round 5:

1. Bridge DB Press Pulses (hold bridge isometrically, raise DBs halfway into a press, then pulse DBs in this position) (12# DBs)
2. Bridge DB fly pulses (hold bridge isometrically, lower DBs half way into fly and pulse DBs in this position) (12# DBs)
3. Wide push up hold (hold isometrically at bottom of push up, hovering a few inches off the floor)
4. High knee run + jump rope (alternate between these two moves on Stu’s cue)
5. No hands knee in extension (extend legs out straight and arms straight overhead, both a few inches off the floor then bend knees bringing them into chest while reaching hands toward heels)

Round 6:

1. Walking plank (in straight arm plank, walk 4 steps to each side)
2. Side – side alt push ups (in straight arm plank, step one arm out to side and do a wide push up, alternate sides)
3. Push up + side plank (push up then rotate into side plank, reaching arm toward ceiling, alternate sides)
4. 2 side hops + jump (2 lateral hops + one tuck jump)
5. Leg lifts (lay on back, hands under hips, head/shoulders raised and legs extended straight to ceiling, lower straight legs until they are a few inches from the floor then return to start)

Bonus Move: 3 way plank hops done for 60 seconds (in straight arm plank, jump both feet up beside one hand, jump feet back to plank, jump both feet up beside other hand)

Day 2: Back / Core / Cardio is 38 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a towel and mat. Structure: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 6 rounds, each round contains 5 exercises. You get a 30 second break between each round. Each round has 3 back exercises, one cardio exercise and one core exercise. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round. Stu had me laughing during the bonus move.

I am a big fan of back work–it is probably my favorite muscle group to work. This workout hits the entire back thoroughly while also giving you cardio and core work. Hours later I still have a nice burn going on in my back muscles. The weights listed below are what I used for each exercise, however on some of them I think I could have lifted heavier (the light dumbbell exercises primarily). In Round 3 you do a superman while doing back pulls using a towel. You could increase the intensity of that move and work your back even more by using a resistance band instead of a towel.

Round 1:

1. Bent over wide DB row (15# DBs)
2. Bent over underhand DB row (15# DBs)
3. DB 45 degree squeeze (hold arms/DBs overhead, open arms out to side until they are in a V, then bend elbows, bringing elbows in to sides of body so arms now form a W) (5# DBs)
4. DB switch jump (alternating jump lunges holding one DB in both hands and bringing DB from hip to hip with each jump) (one 8# DB)
5. Bicycle cross reach (bicycle maneuver with hands behind head, but instead of twisting elbows, when you bring the knee in, touch foot with opposite hand)

Round 2:

1. DB hammer row (traditional double arm bent over row/palms face each other) (20# DBs)
2. DB bent over rear fly (8# DBs)
3. DB renegade row (20# DBs)
4. Plank jack (extend one arm out in front of you with each jack, alternate arms)
5. Bicycle kick up touch (bicycle maneuver but when you bring knee in, kick it straight up to ceiling and reach opposite hand toward toe)

Round 3:

1. Deadlift (narrow, straight leg) (30# DBs)
2. Bridge DB overhead reach (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, raise hips and hold isometrically while doing pull overs) (one 25# DB)
3. Super hero towel hold (lay on stomach and hold one end of towel in both hands and extend arms straight in front of you, raise legs and chest and hold this position isometrically while pulling towel into chest then pushing back out)
4. Mountain climbers
5. Side plank DB pulse (in straight arm side plank, hold one DB overhead while raising and lowering hip) (one 7# DB)

Round 4:

1. Single arm row while in deep lunge–right arm (one 20# DB)
2. Lunge upward rotation–right arm (still in deep lunge w/ one arm leaning on front thigh, other arm is holding DB close to ground, with straight arm, lift DB out to side and overhead, rotating torso and looking up to sky (one 7# DB)
3. Super hero swim (swimmers–lay on stomach, raise chest and legs with arms extended straight in front of you, flutter your feet as if swimming)
4. Atlas twist (stand with legs wide and hold one DB in both hands, lower DB to one foot (bending knee) then twist it up overhead to opposite side) (one 7# DB)
5. Low plank pulse (in elbow plank, pulse hips up and down)

Round 5:

1. Single arm row while in deep lunge–left arm (one 20# DB)
2. Lunge upward rotation–left arm (one 7# DB)
3. Super hero arms back pulse (lay on stomach with legs and chest raised and held isometrically, extend arms behind you along sides and pulse arms)
4. Four squat hop burpee (4 squat hops + one burpee)
5. Low plank forward/back (in elbow plank, rock body forward and back)

Round 6:

1. Side lunge cross row–right arm (in a deep lunge, do a one arm row pulling DB past ribs and twisting torso and when you lower it, lower the DB to opposite side of front foot) (one 15# DB)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Bent over double arm row using one DB (one 30# DB)
4. DB kettlebell hop (squat hop, holding one DB on both hands, swing DB between legs then bicep curl DB when jumping) (one 8# DB)
5. Toy soldier (alternating straight leg front raises while reaching hand toward opposite foot)

Bonus move: sprint/floor touch for 60 seconds (fast feet then squat down and smack hands on floor on Jeff’s cue)

Day 3: Legs / Core / Cardio is 38 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 1:45 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench and mat. I used my weight bench. Structure: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 6 rounds, each round contains 5 exercises. You get a 30 second break between each round. Each round has 3 lower body exercises, one cardio exercise and one core exercise. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

I love working my lower body so I really enjoyed this workout. It burned my legs and glutes out very nicely. To complete the burn, I finished this off with Tracey Mallet‘s Bootylicious–my legs are fried.

Round 1:

1. DB squat (20# DBs)
2. Goblet squat (one 30# DB)
3. Step squats (remaining in squat, step out side to side) (one 30# DB)
4. Suicide shuffle reach (shuffle 2 steps to the side, reach down and tap floor)
5. Plank alternating leg lift spider (in straight arm plank, raise one leg then the other, then bring knees to same side elbow on outside of body)

Round 2:

1. Side to side DB push press (alternating side lunges, while in lunge push single DB held in both hands straight out in front of you) (one 10# DB)
2. DB sumo squat / calf raise (sumo squat and at top of squat, raise onto toes) (one 20# DB)
3. Wide stance chair pose hold
4. Fast knee in (single leg knee pulls)
5. Boat extension alternating shin grab (start in banana hold then sit up, pulling one knee into chest while gripping shin with both hands, alternate legs)

Round 3:

1. Lunge pulse–left leg (pulse while in stationary lunge) (20# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 on other leg
3. Alternating reverse lunge rotation (reverse lunges, at bottom of lunge twist DB held in both hands toward front leg) (one 12# DB)
4. One arm squat twist press (holding DB in one hand, squat, pulling DB down to side while in squat then push DB overhead to other side of body at top of squat) (one 10# DB)
5. Figure 8 (lay on back with legs extended straight and raised a few inches off floor, rotate straight legs in a figure 8, head/shoulders are also raised throughout)

Round 4:

1. Arms overhead DB squat (with arms/DBs extended straight overhead, squat) (7# DBs)
2. DB sumo pulse (holding one DB in goblet hold, pulse while in sumo squat) (one 30# DB)
3. Narrow stance chair pose hold
4. Low plank catcher stance (start in straight arm plank then lower partway and hold, on Jeff’s cue jump feet in and raise up into catch stance–wide squat with hands held in front of you)
5. Tabletop crunch / Russian twist (4 full crunches + 4 Russian Twists)

Round 5:

1. Pistol squat sit (single leg squat lowering glutes down to a chair or bench then standing)
2. Romanian lunge–left leg (place one leg on bench behind you and do lunges) (15# DBs)
3. Repeat #2 on other leg
4. Fast knee pull pulses
5. Commandos (high plank to elbow plank–you change position on Stu’s cue)

Round 6:

1. Deadlift / calf raise (straight leg narrow deadlift, raising up onto toes at top of deadlift) (30# DBs)
2. Single leg deadlift (15# DBs)
3. Alternating curtsy lunges (15# DBs)
4. High plank alternating kick through (in straight arm plank, raise one arm off floor and kick foot under body while also rotating torso to side, alternate sides)
5. Windshield wipers (lay on back with legs extended straight to ceiling and arms extended straight out sides on floor, rotate straight legs side to side)

Bonus move: Speed skater / jump for 60 seconds (changes from lateral skaters to jumps on Stu’s cue)

Day 4: Arms / Core / Cardio is 38 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and mat. Structure: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 6 rounds, each round contains 5 exercises. You get a 30 second break between each round. Each round has 3 strength exercises for the biceps/triceps, one cardio exercise and one core exercise. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

My triceps are still sore from the Day 1 Chest workout! So I was conservative with my weight choices, but after doing the workout, I think I could definitely lift heavier next time on the majority of the exercises. But even with the weights I used, I still got great bicep/tricep work. This is a high rep workout. I kept rep pace with Jeff and Stu and, when I counted (about half the time), I was doing 15-20 reps of each exercise. Of course, you don’t have to keep pace with Jeff and Stu, you can lift heavier and do less reps during that 45 second interval.

Round 1:

1. Lunge hold supination curl (isometric lunge while doing DB curls) (12# DBs)
2. Lunge pulse w/ alternating supination curl (pulse in stationary lunge) (12# DBs)
3. Alternating step back kickback (step back into a straight leg lunge then do a double arm tricep kickback, alternate legs) (10# DBs)
4. DB burpee kickback (double arm tricep kickback + burpee) (10# DB)
5. Scissor pulse up (lay on back with one leg extended to ceiling and other leg extended a few inches off the floor, raise leg so both feet are reaching for the ceiling and do a reverse crunch, lifting hips, then lower other leg so it is a few inches off the floor, continue alternating legs with a reverse crunch in between)

Round 2:

1. Squat hold w/ overhead tricep extension (sumo squat hold w/ French press) (8# DBs)
2. Squat hold w/ alternating front tricep extensions (sumo squat hold, raise arms/DBs overhead in a V and, bending at the elbow, lower one DB toward opposite shoulder in front of face, alternate arms) (8# DBs)
3. Chair pose bicep curl (while in chair pose, arms are close together and elbows are close to tops of thighs) (10# DBs)
4. Cross jack (feet cross when jacking and you alternate single jack arms)
5. Sit up cross leg extension toe touch (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, do full sit ups and at the top of the sit up, raise one leg and touch opposite hand to toe)

Round 3:

1. Balance wide bicep curls (stand on one leg and do wide bicep curls) (10# DBs)
2. Balance hammer pulse curl (stand on one leg and do partial hammer curls, remaining at high end of the curl) (8# DBs)
3. Bridge dip w/ alternating toe kick (in crab, do tricep dips while alternating kicking legs with each dip)
4. Side to side squat floor touch (lateral jumps into squat, tapping floor when in squat)
5. Sit up alternating side reach back (sit on mat w/ knees bent and feet on floor, hold one DB in both hands, do a full sit up and at top of sit up, take DB in one hand and reach DB behind you, alternate sides) (one 5# DB)

Round 4:

1. Slow tricep push up
2. Plank alternating tricep kickbacks (8# DBs)
3. Squat hold inner concentration curl (sumo squat hold w/ triceps pressed against inner thighs, do bicep curls in this position) (10# DBs)
4. DB alternating chair pose kick up (hold one DB in both hands overhead, do a squat and when you stand do a front kick, alternate legs and never lowering DB) (one 8# DB)
5. DB side plank curl under (hold straight arm side plank and raise one DB overhead then bring under body) (one 5# DB)

Round 5:

1. Lunge static arm curl–left (while in isometric stationary lunge, hold one DB isometrically in partial curl while doing bicep curls w/ other arm) (8# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Straight arm tricep pulse back (hinge forward, palms facing ceiling, pulse straight arms up behind you) (5# DBs)
4. Split jump foot touch (alternating jump lunges, touching front foot each time you land in lunge)
5. Pulse up / out / V hold (lay on back, knees bent and raised off floor, head/shoulders raised, push legs up to ceiling while doing reverse crunch then push legs out straight then raise up into V sit/full boat pose)

Round 6:

1. Bridge narrow DB press (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, raise hips and hold bridge pose isometrically while doing a narrow chest press w/ DBs pressed together) (10# DBs)
2. Bridge skull crushers (hold bridge pose isometrically while doing skull crushers) (10# DBs)
3. Kneeling in/out curl (on knees, do a bicep curl halfway then rotate DBs out to side while keeping elbows close to sides, rotate DBs back to front and lower DBs) (10# DBs)
4. 4 spider steps + 4 in/out hop (while in plank, bringing foot to outside of same side hand, alternate 4x + hop feet in under body then back out to plank 4x)
5. Scissor calf grab (lay on back and scissor straight legs, when leg is at top, reach for calf with both hands, head/shoulders are raised throughout and you crunch up to grab calf)

Bonus Move: 8 cross touches + 8 jumping jacks for 60 seconds (cross touch=tap floor beside foot with opposite hand, alternate sides and jump/shift feet when alternating)

Washboard 3 is 10:30 minutes; 1 minute intro; 20 second warm up (cobra twists and child’s pose), 20 second cool down/stretch (cobra twists, standing side bends). Washboard 3 is a separate core workout that is added onto the end of other workouts 1-2 times a week. Structure: 1 minute of work followed by 15 seconds of recovery. Jeff and Stu swap out who is doing the move–so Jeff does exercise 1 then during the 15 second recovery they swap positions so Stu can do exercise 2.

This is a short but tough core workout. Jeff and Stu were working hard and in pain, but they both maintain perfect form. Though it is a great core workout, I am not sure it is actually needed on the days they add it on. Nearly every workout in Rippedism 2 has a strong core focus. I personally do not think additional core work is necessary. I used it before doing Hyper Yoga (below). They are both very short, so done together you get a 24 minute workout. No modifications are shown to make any of these moves easier. A minute is a long time–on a few of them I had to take a mini break about halfway through so my core could thaw and I could continue the move.

1. Up down in out banana (lay on back, legs straight and raised a few inches off the floor, head/shoulders raised, hands on floor beside hips, raise legs to ceiling, lower legs back to start then open legs wide, return legs to start then raise arms overhead so you are in banana hold)
2. Wiper pulse up (lay on back, head/shoulders raised, arms extended out to side of body in a “T” on the floor, raise straight legs to ceiling, rotate straight legs to one side, return to center and do a reverse crunch, pushing feet to ceiling, then rotate straight legs to other side, so a reverse crunch between each side)
3. Low plank pulse twist (in elbow plank, pulse hips down 2x then twist hips to each side)
4. X crunch foot tap (lay on back with legs open in a V and raised a few inches off floor, head/shoulders raised with arms extended overhead in a V (so body is an X), lift up higher, raising/bending one leg and tapping insole with opposite hand)
5. Alternating scissor toe reach (lay on back, legs extended straight and a few inches off floor, head/shoulders raised and arms extended overhead, lift one straight leg to ceiling while reaching both hands toward that foot, alternate legs)
6. Flat leg V hold (sit on ground with legs extended straight on floor and torso partially lowered, arms extended straight in front of you–hold this position isometrically the entire 60 seconds)
7. Leg raise/boat (start laying on back with legs extended straight a few inches off floor and arms extended straight overhead, head/shoulders raised, lift legs straight to ceiling, then raise torso and reach straight arms toward feet so you are in full boat pose then return to starting position)

Day 5: Shoulders / Core / Cardio is 38 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and mat. Structure: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest, 6 rounds, each round contains 5 exercises. You get a 30 second break between each round. Each round has 3 shoulder exercises, one cardio exercise and one core exercise. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

Another great strength + cardio workout. As I have already mentioned, I have shoulder issues so I have to be conservative with my weights, but even with lighter weights, I was still working hard and my shoulders are still burning (in a good way) several hours later.

Round 1:

1. Lunge pulse shoulder press (stationary lunge pulse while doing overhead shoulder press) (8# DBs)
2. Lunge pulse front DB raise (stationary lunge pulse (other leg) while doing straight arm front raise) (5# DBs)
3. Squat DB upright row (squat w/ DBs reaching toward floor and do an upright row at top of squat) (10# DBs)
4. Squat jacks
5. V up (lay on floor, arms and legs extended straight, raise up into full boat pose then lower)

Round 2:

1. Lunge hold with twist press (hold stationary lunge isometrically, start with DBs held at face level, palms facing your face, rotate palms so they face away from you as you do an overhead press) (8# DBs)
2. V front raise (start w/ DBs in front of thighs, palms facing thighs, raise arms into a V overhead, leading with outside of hand) (5# DBs)
3. DB lunge hold lateral raise (hold stationary lunge isometrically and raise DBs straight out to sides and pulse) (5# DBs)
4. Crescent jump switch (alternating jump lunges while holding arms straight overhead)
5. Scissor cross touch (lay on back with legs extended straight, raise one straight leg and reach for foot w/ opposite arm, alternate sides)

Round 3:

1. DB squat to hammer press (squat w/ hammer curl to overhead press) (12# DBs)
2. DB straight arm front raise (start w/ arms together and extended straight in front of chest, palms facing each other, open straight arms out to sides into a T) (5# DBs)
3. DB overhead touch (start w/ arms/DBs at sides of body, arc DBs up from side to overhead, palms facing forward) (5# DBs)
4. Reverse lunge hop step (reverse lunge into a front knee raise w/ a hop)
5. Seated bicycle (bicycle maneuver while sitting up)

Round 4:

1. Lunge hold alternating press (hold stationary lunge isometrically and do alternating overhead press) (8# DBs)
2. Lunge hold alternating front raise (hold stationary lunge isometrically (other leg), while doing alternating straight arm front raise) (5# DBs)
3. Squat hold cross punch (5# DBs)
4. DB press jack (jumping jacks pressing DBs overhead) (5# DBs)
5. 4 Russian twist to extension (4 Russian twists w/ knees bent and feet raised off floor then extend into banana) (one 5# DB)

Round 5:

1. DB 90 degree in / out up / down (hold arms out to sides in goal post, bring elbows/DBs together in front of body, return to goal post then rotate DBs downward–scarecrow) (3# DBs)
2. DB W lateral raise (bent arm side raises) (7# DBs)
3. DB overhead side squat press (start with arms/DBs extended overhead, step squat out to side and lower same side arm/DB to shoulder, alternate sides) (8# DBs)
4. Squat hop
5. Pulse up twist (lay on back, legs extended to the ceiling, do reverse crunches, pushing feet toward ceiling while also twisting hips, alternate sides)

Round 6:

1. 3 way DB press (one shoulder press with arms out to side in goal pose, one shoulder press with elbows in front and palms facing each other, and one shoulder press with elbows in front and palms facing your face) (8# DBs)
2. DB arm circles (arms extended out straight to sides in a T, do small circles) (3# DBs)
3. Peek over fence (start w/ DBs at shoulders and palms facing away, squat and push DBs overhead at an angle and return DBs to shoulders when standing and raise onto toes) (3# DBs)
4. Plank spider run (wide mountain climbers–feet land outside of hands)
5. Crunch / toe touch (do a full crunch bringing elbows to knees then extend lets straight to ceiling and reach hands to toes)

Bonus Move: Squat pulse 2x + side to side punch for 60 seconds (during side to side punch, you are lunge to while punching to side) (5# DBs)

Day 6: Hyper Yoga is 13:30 minutes. 1:30 minute intro, the last 30 seconds is Stu & Jeff talking about how important yoga is. Hyper Yoga is done on Day 6 every week of this program. Stu and Jeff do this short yoga flow together (so no pose swapping). This is short but effective, hitting all of the major yoga poses and giving your body a nice stretch. As mentioned above, I did this in combination with Washboard 3.

Stretch both arms overhead and hold. Crescent pose. Warrior 1. Warrior 2. Reverse warrior. Triangle pose. Lower into runners lunge w/ hands framing front foot. Lift up into half moon pose. Plank to chaturrunga to up dog. Down dog. Single leg dog then bring leg through so you are in crescent pose with other lead leg. Warrior 1. Warrior 2. Reverse warrior. Triangle pose. Runners lunge to half moon. Plank. Single leg down dog hold, bending knee so you are opening/stretching hip. Warrior 2. Reverse triangle. Right angle pose. Extended right angle pose; reach one arm behind back and other arm under leg and clasp hands (right angle wrap). Chaturrunga to up dog. Single leg down dog w/ other leg raised, bending knee so you are opening/stretching hip. Warrior 2. Reverse triangle. Right angle pose. Extended right angle pose. Right angle wrap. Chaturunga to up dog. Side plank, reaching top arm to ceiling. Chair pose. Twisting chair pose. Stretch arms overhead while raising onto toes.

Day 7: Rest/recovery

Build Week Summary: For this week you are more focused on strength and hypertrophy, thanks to the drop sets. You are still getting your cardio and your core work, but the muscles are getting worked hard in a different way. I found some of these workouts harder than the Burn week workouts. There were some tough cardio moves and you do them for a solid minute! Which seems like forever when your muscles are burning out. Plus, the bonus moves are done for two minutes. Again–forever! I put forth 110% effort. But I’m not going to lie. During some of those long cardio intervals and the bonus moves, I took a few mini breaks–but it was only for a few seconds so that I could finish the interval strong.

Day 8: Chest / Back / Cardio is 36 minutes; 1:30 minute intro; 2 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and bench or chair. Structure: Each round is 3 minutes: 2 minutes of strength training (3 exercises done for 8, 10 and 15 reps), 15 seconds of rest and ending with one minute of cardio. There are 7 rounds and 30 seconds of rest between each round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was a tough workout for several reasons. First, all of the cardio is plank based moves–for a full minute! Hard! This is also a very fast paced workout. Sometimes it felt like Jeff and Stu moved through the strength moves too quickly and I was lagging. But in the end there was enough time for me to complete each required rep, even if I was moving slower than they were. It is good that I have a wide range of free weights rather than adjustable dumbbells. The time they took to change the weight of their dumbbell frequently bought me the extra time I need to finish a set. At first (when previewing), I was a little unhappy that the chest got more work than the back in this workout since, personally, my back is my favorite muscle group to work and my chest is my least favorite muscle group to work, but my back was still worked nicely. And to be technical, the back and chest were worked the same–Round 4 is actually triceps. So in reality, you get 3 rounds of chest, 3 rounds of back and one round of triceps.

Round 1:

1. Supination DB press, 8 reps (lay on back and do a chest press, rotating wrists so they face you at top of the press) (20# DBs)
2. Hollow push ups, 10 reps (arms wide, fingers pointed away, do a push up and at top of push up, arch back)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (15# DBs)
4. Mountain climbers for 60 seconds

Round 2:

1. Chest fly, 8 reps (20# DBs)
2. Wide push up, 10 reps
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (15# DBs)
4. Wide in/out plank to side plank for 60 seconds (start in plank, jump feet in to outside of hands, jump back out to plank then rotate into side plank, alternate sides)

Round 3:

1. Incline bench/chair press, 8 reps (push ups with hands on bench or chair)
2. Standard DB press, 10 reps (20# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps
4. Catcher burpee for 60 seconds (in plank, jump feet in and land in a squat with hands held as if to catch a ball, place hands on floor and jump back out to plank)

Round 4:

1. Narrow push ups, 8 reps (tricep push ups)
2. Narrow DB chest press, 10 reps (15# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps
4. Wide in/out plank + donkey kick for 60 seconds

Round 5:

1. Dual hammer row, 8 reps (bent over back rows) (25# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (20# DBs)
3. Speed alternating hammer rows, 15 reps (10# DBs)
4. Plank to pike hops for 60 seconds

Round 6:

1. Reverse grip rows, 8 reps (bent over rows w/ palms facing forward) (20# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (15# DBs)
3. Speed alternating reverse grip rows (8# DBs)
4. 180 degree crab run for 60 seconds (on hands and feet, run in circles)

Round 7:

1. Dual prone grip row, 8 reps (wide row with palms facing behind you) (25# DBs)
2. Renegade row, 10 reps (20# DBs)
3. Super hero pulse, 15 reps (supermans)
4. 4 knee cross mountain climbers + one kickout for 60 seconds (while doing mountain climber, aim knee toward opposite elbow under body; kickout=raising one arm and kicking leg under body to other side, alternate sides after every 4 knee cross mountain climbers)

Bonus Round: 3 push ups + 3 commandos + 3 rows for 2 minutes (commandos=high plank to elbow plank then stand up and do 3 bent over rows) (20# DBs)

On Day 8 they also want you do do Washboard 3 (reviewed above on day 4)

Day 9: Legs / Cardio is 36 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 2 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a wall. Structure: Each round is 3 minutes; 2 minutes of strength training (3 exercises done for 8, 10 and 15 reps), 15 seconds of rest and ending with one minute of cardio. 7 rounds and 30 seconds of rest between each round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was a deceptive workout! It didn’t seem that hard but by the end my legs were worn out! And though cardio is in the title, the one minute move isn’t technically cardio most of the time. It’s more of a burn out move for your legs. And trust me–when done for a solid minute, it will burn your lower body out big time! This was a great workout. I finished it off with a Tracy Anderson glute mat workout and my lower body is fried. I actually had some issues with a few of Tracy’s more complex exercises because my legs felt rubbery thanks to this workout!

Round 1:

1. Diagonal lunge–left, 8 reps (15# DBs)
2. Single leg jump hold–left, 10 reps (raise and hold right knee and hop on left foot)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (12# DBs)
4. Sumo speed squats for 60 seconds

Round 2:

1. Diagonal lunge–right, 8 reps (15# DBs)
2. Single leg jump hold–right, 10 reps (raise and hold left knee and hop on right foot)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (12# DBs)
4. Sumo speed squats for 60 seconds

Round 3:

1. Lunge pulse–Left, 8 reps (stationary lunges) (18# DBs)
2. Weighted sprinter jump squat, 10 reps (jump from lunge to squat, alternate legs) (one 8# DB)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (13# DBs)
4. Wall squat for 60 seconds

Round 4:

1. Lunge pulse–Right, 8 reps (stationary lunges) (18# DBs)
2. Weighted sprinter jump squat, 10 reps (jump from lunge to squat, alternate legs) (one 8# DB)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (13# DBs)
4. Wall squat for 60 seconds

Round 5:

1. DB piston squat–Left, 8 reps (single leg squat, reaching DB down toward working foot when squatting and raise non-working knee in front of you at top of squat) (one 20# DB)
2. DB kneeling lean back, 10 reps (get on knees on floor and hold one DB on both hands, keeping legs/torso straight, lean torso/thighs back then return to start) (one 15# DB)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (one 15# DB)
4. 4 pulse squats + one jump squat for 60 seconds

Round 6:

1. DB piston squat–Right, 8 reps (single leg squat, reaching DB down toward working foot when squatting and raise non-working knee in front of you at top of squat) (one 20# DB)
2. DB kneeling lean back, 10 reps (get on knees on floor and hold one DB on both hands, keeping legs/torso straight, lean torso/thighs back then return to start) (one 15# DB)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (one 15# DB)
4. 4 pulse squats + one jump squat for 60 seconds

Round 7:

1. DB outward calf press, 8 reps (heels together, toes turned outward, raise and lower heels) (20# DBs)
2. DB inward calf press, 10 reps (toes together, heels turned outward, raise and lower heels) (18# DBs)
3. DB straight calf press, 15 reps (feet straight, raise and lower heels) (15# DBs)
4. Speed calf raise hop for 60 seconds (little hops, mostly just raising heels)

Bonus Round: DB drop squat + alternating step back for 2 minutes (jump into squat and while remaining in squat, step back into lunge) (one 15# DB)

Day 10: Core Cardio is 34 minutes; 1:30 minute intro, 2 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: light dumbbells and a fitness mat. Jeff and Stu are using 8 and 5 pound dumbbells; the dumbbell weights listed below are what I used. Structure: 3 minute rounds, 30-60 second intervals, 30 seconds of rest after each 3 minute round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was a great cardio core workout. I love standing/weighted core work and there is a lot of that in this workout so it was fun, burned a bunch of calories and worked my core nicely.

Round 1:

1. Atlas DB twist (hold one DB in both hands and stand w/ feet a little more than hip width apart, rotate DB from one knee to overhead on opposite side, 30 seconds each side) (one 6# DB)
2. Windmill (30 seconds each side) (one 6# DB)
3. Spider step in/out hop (60 seconds) (start in plank, step one foot up just outside of same side hand, repeat on other side, then jump both feet in under body (knees to chest) then back out to plank)

Round 2:

1. Curtsy lunge w/ knee raise (30 seconds each side) (one 8# DB)
2. Sumo hold chop (in sumo squat, chop one DB from one hip to overhead on opposite side of body, 30 seconds each side) (one 6# DB)
3. Switch jump floor touch (60 seconds) (alternating plyo jump lunges, reaching one hand to touch front toe)

Round 3:

1. Twisting knee pulls (30 seconds each side) (one 5# DB)
2. Squat hold DB circle (30 seconds) (circle DB from hip, overhead to other hip, alternate directions) (one 5# DB)
3. Squat DB kettlebell swing (30 seconds) (swing DB between legs when squatting to overhead, rising up on toes) (one 10# DB)
4. 3 point plank hop (60 seconds) (start in plank, jump feet up to hands on one side of body, jump feet back to plank, jump feet up to hands on other side of body)

Round 4:

1. Squat + knee raise + squat + side kick (30 seconds each side)
2. Sumo hold hand off (30 seconds) (hold a static sumo squat, hinge forward holding DB with one hand near floor and reaching other arm overhead, remaining in sumo squat/hinged over, pass DB to other hand, while reaching other hand overhead) (one 10# DB)
3. Shuffle 2x to side and do one cross punch, alternate sides (30 seconds) (5# DBs)
4. Side squat jump / floor touch(60 seconds) (lateral jump squat and when you land, reach for floor beside opposite foot)

Round 5:

1. Overhead to knee crunch (30 seconds each side) (hold DB in one hand, pull DB down from overhead while raising same side knee and tapping elbow to knee) (one 5# DB)
2. Jab-cross-hook-upper cut + 2 scissor jacks (30 seconds each side) (3# DBs)
3. Plank single leg raise (in straight arm plank hold, raise and lower one leg for 30 seconds then raise and lower the other leg for 30 seconds)

Round 6:

1. Crab thrust alternating hand/foot touch (30 seconds)
2. Seated alternating heel out (30 seconds) (sit on bottom, torso leaned back and hands on floor behind you, bicycle legs pushing with heels)
3. Crab arm cross / swing under (30 seconds) (in crab, swing one arm over opposite shoulder then swing arm over again but this time twist torso and push arm under body, alternate sides)
4. Seated bicycle twist (30 seconds) (bicycle maneuver but with torso only leaned back slightly)
5. 4 alternating front punches + 4 alternating plyo jump lunges (60 seconds) (3# DBs)

Round 7:

1. Burpee / commando (60 seconds) (while in the plank portion of the burpee, lower to elbows then raise back to hands)
2. Elbow to knee / squat jump (60 seconds) (when you squat, bringing your elbows to knees then jump)
3. Seated core wrap twist (60 seconds) (sit with legs extended straight in front of you and arms crossed in front of you, lean torso back slightly, twist torso from side to side in this position)

Bonus Round:

1. 2 hop speed skater (60 seconds) (lateral skaters but double hop on one foot to get to each side)
2. Plank jack (60 seconds) (while jacking, alternate raising one arm)

Day 11: Shoulders / Cardio is 36 minutes; 1:20 minute intro, 1:45 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells. Structure: Each round is 3 minutes; 2 minutes of strength training (3 exercises done for 8, 10 and 15 reps), 15 seconds of rest and ending with one minute of cardio. 7 rounds and 30 seconds of rest between each round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round. They show modifications for most of the cardio moves and also for the pike press (round 5).

Another excellent cardio + strength workout. This one hit my shoulders very nicely. I had to be conservative with my weights because of my shoulder problem but it still worked my shoulders very well. Jeff and Stu lift so heavy for the shoulders! Even if my shoulder wasn’t messed up I could not have lifted nearly as heavy as they do for some of the exercises. Impressive! And form is so important when performing any exercise. Not just to get the most out of it but also to prevent injury. And you do not want to injure or strain your shoulders. So do not attempt to lift super heavy just because Jeff and Stu do. They do controlled reps and their form is perfect. If you cannot perform the exercise as well as them then lower your weight. As long as it is challenging you, you are getting the same benefits as anyone else.

Round 1:

1. DB forward arm circles, 8 reps (arms held straight out to side and do slow small forward circles) (7# DBs)
2. DB reverse arm circles, 10 reps (5# DBs)
3. DB arm circles–7 reps forward and 8 reps reverse (3# DBs)
4. DB jack press twist (jacks with over head cross punches) (3# DBs)

Round 2:

1. Reverse grip W fly, 8 reps (hinge forward and fly arms/DBs out to side with palms facing forward, arms slightly bent) (8# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (6# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (4# DBs)
4. Floor touch diamond jump (with legs wide, squat and tap fingers to floor then jump, bringing heels together during jump)

Round 3:

1. Reverse grip hip hugger, 8 reps (with palms facing forward and arms close to body, pull DBs up along sides to rib level, bending elbows and pulling them back behind you) (10# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (8# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (6# DBs)
4. 3 – 9 plank runner (mountain climbers, but you are bringing knees to elbows on outside of body)

Round 4:

1. DB steering wheel, 8 reps (holding one DB out in front of you at chest level with straight arms, rotate DB like a steering wheel) (one 12# DB)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (one 10# DB)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (one 7# DB)
4. 4 square hop ground touch (jump in a square pattern and on final hop, squat down and tap fingers to floor)

Round 5:

1. Pike position press, 8 reps (in pike position, with fingers facing each other, do push ups)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps
4. 4 jumping jacks / 4 body twists (body twist=lunges side to side while twisting arms/torso to opposite side)

Round 6:

1. DB inward press, 8 reps (overhead press with palms facing each other) (11# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (9# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (6# DBs)
4. Bear crawl (crawling on feet and hands 3 steps forward and 3 steps back)

Round 7:

1. Straight arm front raise, 8 reps (9# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 for 10 reps (7# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (5# DBs)
4. Squat push press (squat jack while pushing one DB out in front of you each time you squat) (one 5# DB)

Bonus Move: Burpee / 4 plank punches for 2 minutes (while in plank during burpee, do 4 punches)

Today they also want you do do Washboard 3 (reviewed above on day 4)

Day 12: Arms / Cardio is 35:30 minutes; 1:20 minute intro, 2 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, bench or chair and a mat. Structure: Each round is 3 minutes; 2 minutes of strength training (3 exercises done for 8, 10 and 15 reps), 15 seconds of rest and ending with one minute of cardio. 7 rounds and 30 seconds of rest between each round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was another great bicep/tricep workout. I should have lifted heavier for the majority of my 8 rep sets. The weights I used were fine for the 15 rep sets, but for a few of the 10 rep sets I could have lifted heavier on those, too. If I was doing the entire 9 week program, I would just increase my weights the next time I did this workout–so keep that in mind and record the weights you lift. I still got an excellent workout, even if I didn’t chose the best weights. And I will return to this program again at some point after my upcoming surgery. I will be rehabbing again but I will use this as a guide to challenge myself more.

Round 1:

1. Single knee hang curl, 8 reps (in kneeling lunge, lean chest forward onto front thigh and do bicep curls)  (13# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 except do hammer curls for 10 reps (11# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (9# DBs)
4. 180 sumo jump touch (wide 180 jump squats, touching the floor when squatting)

Round 2:

1. Supinations curls, 8 reps (13# DBs)
2. Narrow hammer curl, 10 reps (11# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (9# DBs)
4. Hacky sack (2 high knee runs tapping knees + two insole taps)

Round 3:

1. Drag curl, 8 reps (keeping DBs close to side, pull DBs up so that elbows bend behind you) (12# DBs)
2. Reverse curl, 10 reps (10# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (8# DBs)
4. Curtsy jump lunge

Round 4:

1. Extended wrist curl, 8 reps (a bicep curl with the wrist turned down) (12# DBs)
2. Flat back bent over hammer curl, 10 reps (11# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (9# DBs)
4. Plank 3-9 in/out (2 knee cross mountain climbers then jump feet in to hands and back out to plank)

Round 5:

1. Tricep kickbacks in lunge, 8 reps (11# DBs)
2. Tricep dips on the floor, 10 reps
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (8# DBs)
4. Pedal / Sprints (on Jeff’s cue, you change from skier jogs to high knee runs)

Round 6:

1. Lying tri press raise, 8 reps (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, arms extended out to the sides of your body, palms on floor, push torso up using the heels of your hands)
2. Tricep push ups, 10 reps
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps
4. Plank alternating shoulder tap / in out hop (in straight arm plank, alternate tapping hand to opposite shoulder then jump feet up to hands then back out to plank)

Round 7:

1. Overhead tricep extensions (French press), 8 reps (one 25# DB)
2. Tricep dips on chair or bench, 10 reps
3. Repeat #1 for 15 reps (one 18# DB)
4. Speed alternating floor touch (jump legs out side to side while also taping one hand to the floor)

Bonus Move: Plank / Curl / Kickout for 2 minutes (in straight arm plank, holding DBs, curl one arm up then to a tricep kickout to side, alternate arms) (6# DBs)

Day 13: Hyper Yoga (see Day 6 above)

Day 14: Rest/recovery

Blast Week Summary: This week shakes everything up! Some days you are doing super long intervals (3 minutes!) other days you are doing short intervals (30 seconds). Plus a very tough and intense core workout. So there is all kinds of muscle confusion going on. I had some problems with the Upper Body workout due to shoulder issues, but otherwise I really liked this week and especially loved how different each workout is from each other (except the upper/lower body workouts–they were both structured the same). So there is no chance of boredom this week!

Day 15: Upper Body is 36 minutes; 1:10 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: light dumbbells. Structure: 3 minutes of an upper body combination move followed by 30 seconds of rest. Each exercise listed below is done for 3 full minutes. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This workout was a mixed bag for me. First, 3 minutes is a long time to do a single strength move so this workout really has to be done once to choose the appropriate weights for your strength level. Jeff and Stu lifted conservatively in this workout so I did, too. Sometimes using the lighter dumbbell feels too easy at the beginning but by the time 2 minutes have passed, you are struggling. However, for #1, 6, 8 and 9 below, I could have lifted heavier. For some of the exercises I was barely able to finish with the light weights I did use. And some of these exercises (#3 and #5) killed my bad shoulder even using 6 pound dumbbells. Then the push ups that followed did my shoulder no favors when it was already hurting. In fact, several hours later my shoulder is still hurting. So, 3 solid minutes of a move that hurts a chronic injury is probably not in my best interests. Prior to my shoulder problem tho, using the proper weights, I would have found this workout killer–but in a good way!

1. 5 push up / 5 DB row (5 push ups then stand up and do 5 bent over back rows) (15# DBs)
2. Alternating step back lunge / curl / tricep extension (reverse lunge and while in lunge, do one bicep curl then lean forward and do one tricep kickback, step back in, alternate sides) (8# DBs)
3. Upright row / press / in-out / W decline (upright row, at top of row, flip the DBs so they are now in goalpost, do an overhead press, return to goal post, bringing elbows/DBs together in front of body, return to goalpost then slowly lower DBs back to start by lowering the DBs out from the side of the body) (6# DBs)
4. 5 wide push ups / 5 super swimmers (super swimmers=lay on stomach, raise legs and keep them raised while pushing arms out in front of you then pulling hands back to shoulder level)
5. Hammer press  / overhead tri to alt tri extension (start with DBs at shoulder height, push DBs overhead, do one French press, hold DBs overhead and bring one DB down toward opposite shoulder in front of face (only bending at the elbow), repeat on other arm then return to start) (6# DBs)
6. 5 lunge concentration curls / alt L – R (step back into a deep lunge, place same side elbow on front knee and use forearm to brace the other arm while doing a concentration curl, alternate arms/legs every 5 curls) (8# DBs)
7. 5 fingers out push ups / 5 dips (fingers out push ups = wide push ups with fingers turned out to sides, dips = tricep dips on floor)
8. Chair supination curl / Rev press / Rev hammer (in a partial closed leg squat do a bicep curl, at top of curl with palms still facing you, do an overhead press, lower DBs to shoulder level then turn palms to face each other and lower DBs back to start) (6# DBs)
9. Deadlift /  prone row / rev fly (do a deadlift but raise only partway, do a wide back row then a rear delt fly) (6# DBs)

Day 16: Progressive Core is 36 minutes; 1:25 minute intro, 2:10 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: light dumbbells. Structure: 5 rounds, each round is made up of one 30 second move (always #1 in the breakdown), one 45 second move (always #2 in the breakdown) and one 60 second move (always #3 in the breakdown). You get 10 seconds of rest between each move. You repeat the round then you get 30 seconds of recovery before the next round. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round.

This was a deceptively tough workout! I am expecting some serious DOMS in my core tomorrow. I felt every single move in my core. And it was really tough to do some of these moves for 45 or 60 seconds. Jeff and Stu used 8 and 5 pound dumbbells and so did I. What is listed below is what I used but it is also basically what they used. On one or two of the exercises Stu used an 8 pound dumbbell when me and Jeff used 5 pounds. **My core was sore for 2 days after doing this workout!**

Round 1:

1. Double weighted Russian twist (sit in C-sit with knees bent and feet raised off floor, holding a DB in each hand, twist DBs side to side ) (5# DBs)
2. Plank alternating floor touch reach (in straight arm plank, alternate tapping the floor in front of you)
3. Squat alternating straight arm reach back (in squat, do a single arm delt fly but rotate torso/head as you do the delt fly, alternate sides) (5# DBs)
4. Repeat 1-3

Round 2:

1. DB straight arm sit up (lay on back, legs extended straight and hold one DB in one hand, do a full sit up and push DB overhead to opposite side, when you repeat this round you will hold the DB in the other hand) (one 5# DB)
2. Straight arm DB side bend (stand with legs wide, holding one DB in one hand and other arm is extended straight overhead, side bend to DB side of body reaching DB all the way down to ankle, when you repeat this round you will hold the DB in the other hand) (one 8# DB)
3. Plank alternating foot touch (in straight arm plank, tap hand to opposite insole under body, alternate sides)
4. Repeat 1-3

Round 3:

1. DB cross V up (holding V up/full boat pose isometrically while also holding one DB in both hands, twist DB to one side of body, when you repeat this round you will twist the DB to the other side) (one 5# DB)
2. DB side up (in straight arm side plank, hold one DB on hip and lift and lower hip, when you repeat this round you will do it on the the side of the body) (one 5# DB)
3. DB squat press twist (holding one DB in one hand, squat then pivot and push DB overhead to the other side of body, when you repeat this round you will hold the DB in the other hand) (one 5# DB)
4. Repeat 1-3

Round 4:

1. DB fly / sit up (lay on back w/ knees bent and feet on floor, do a full sit up while also doing a chest fly, bringing DBs come together at top of sit up) (8# DBs)
2. DB bicycle reach around (do bicycle maneuver with legs, passing one DB under thighs from hand to hand as you do it) (one 5# DB)
3. Plank walk out (start standing, walk hands out to plank, walk hands back to feet and stand)
4. Repeat 1-3

Round 5:

1. Standing reach side crunch (holding one DB in one hand, reach DB overhead then pull down while raising same side knee, bringing elbow to knee, when you repeat this round you will hold the DB in the other hand) (one 5# DB)
2. Banana alternating Russian extension (holding one DB in both hands, start in banana hold with DB extended overhead then come up into C-sit with legs bent and feet raised off ground and do a Russian twist to each side before returning to banana hold) (one 5# DB)
3. Plank hop in/out (in plank, hop feet in to hands then back out to plank)
4. Repeat 1-3

Day 17: 30-10 is 35:30 minutes; 1:20 minute intro, 1:30 minute warm up and 2:45 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells. Structure: each round has 2 exercises that are repeated 4 times, each exercise is done for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between each exercise. If an exercise is done on one side of the body, when you repeat it you do the exercise on the other side of the body. There are 5 rounds and you get a 45 second rest between each round. After every pair of exercises, Jeff and Stu swap who is training and who is performing the exercise.

Stu was drenched in sweat (I was too) by the end of this workout! This was an intense total body metabolic workout. I loved it! After doing both the Upper Body and the Lower Body workout already in Blast week (I swapped the order around a little for my purposes), I was grateful to return to 30 second short intervals again!

Round 1:

1. Squat / hammer curl / press (squat and as you rise, do a hammer curl to overhead press) (13# DBs)
2. DB speed skater cross touch (lateral skaters, reaching hand/DB down toward opposite foot) (5# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Round 2:

1. Single arm renegade row (one 13# DB)
2. 45 degree plank out (diagonal burpees–while in plank, jump feet out to side)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Round 3:

1. Balance narrow hammer curl (hammer curls while balancing on one leg) (12# DBs)
2. Full burpee
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Round 4:

1. Sumo hold tricep extension (hold sumo squat isometrically while doing French press) (one 13# DB)
2. Push / spider hop (do a push up then jump feet into hands, lift hands off floor briefly while remaining in squat then jump feet back to plank)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Round 5:

1. Squat underhand squeeze (elbows are kept close to sides, holding DBs in front of you at elbow height with palms facing the ceiling, squat and rotate DBs out to sides of body, return DBs to front of body when standing) (8# DBs)
2. Floor touch scissor jump (similar to a plie jump squat, touching the floor when in squat, but instead of clicking heels, scissor feet when you jump)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Day 18: Lower Body is 36 minutes; 1:20 minute intro, 1:15 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Jeff and Stu only use 5 and 8 pound dumbbells. Structure: 3 minutes of a lower body combination move followed by 30 seconds of rest. Each exercise listed below is done for 3 full minutes. Jeff and Stu swap off who is training and who is working out every round. For some of the exercises Jeff or Stu start without a dumbbell (so just body weight) but then 2/3 of the way through they add a dumbbell to the move. Since I previewed every workout before doing it, I grabbed my weight at the beginning of the interval.

OMG this workout was brutal. And it builds. It really didn’t seem so bad at first. I was completing the entire 3 minute intervals without any mini breaks. It was challenging me but I could do it. But but then I got to #6 and the mini breaks began. I needed them just to make it through the 3 minutes. I was able to do 3 solid minutes of #7, but halfway through I had to hold my arms in prayer rather keep them reaching overhead, and (surprisingly!) I made it through the entire #8 interval without a break. My legs were jelly at the end of this workout and burning. I finished it off with a Tracy Anderson lower body mat workout which seriously slaughtered my legs. Tracy’s mat workout is tough on its own, but tacking it on after this torture session finished me off completely. I am going to be walking funny tomorrow.

1. Air squat arm raise (body weight squats, raising arms overhead when squatting)
2. Alternating step back 3 pulse arc lunge (hold one DB in both hands, reverse lunge, twisting DB toward hip and pulse 3x, alternate legs) (one 15# DB)
3. Alternating side hop / piston squat (holding one DB in both hands, hop to side, holding DB in one hand, lower into single leg squat while reaching DB toward opposite foot as you squat) (one 8# DB)
4. Narrow / wide moving squat (side to side squat) (one 15# DB)
5. Static lunge rock (holding lunge isometrically, rock forward and back, 1:30 minutes each leg) (one 15# DB)
6. Cross hop / drop squat (hop on one leg in a cross formation then jump into a wide squat, alternate legs) (one 8# DB)
7. Hi – low chair pose (alternate between a shallow chair pose and a low chair pose on Jeff’s cue)
8. Kneeling / chair get up (kneel on mat, raise onto feet into squat with hands raised overhead, hold squat for a second then lower back to knees)
9. Reverse lunge knee drop hop (reverse lunge, tapping knee to floor, when you return to standing, raise knee in front of you with a hop, 1:30 minute each leg)

Today they also want you do do Washboard 3 (reviewed above on day 4)

Day 19: 6 x 4 is 39 minutes; 1:20 intro, 2 minute warm up and 2:50 minute stretch. Equipment: light dumbbells. Structure: one circuit of 6 exercises. Each exercise is done for 1 minute. You get 15 seconds of rest between each exercise. You repeat the circuit 4 times. There are no longer recovery periods in this workout.

Holy cow this was tough. I was struggling through this workout. For several reasons. First–it is just a tough workout. Second, I slept like $hit last night and so I was dragging. I have to go to work so I still got up at 4:30am, just like always, to workout beforehand. And third, my shoulder! It was hurting last night (which is why I slept poorly) and the acetaminophen I took prior to working out didn’t seem to help much. However, the only exercise that really hurt my shoulder was #3 (below) but it really hurt. Since you do the circuit 4 times, each time I returned to the circuit I lowered my dumbbell weight for that exercise. The only time it didn’t hurt my shoulder as the final circuit and that time? I only used 2 pound dumbbells! The Bonus Exercise actually hurt my left shoulder, too, even with a 6 pound dumbbell. But when I changed to my right hand halfway through, the 6 pound dumbbell seemed too light.

They said it was 100 degrees in NYC during this workout and they have no air conditioning! WTC!?! They are drenched in sweat by the end. However, I have AC plus I always have a fan blowing on me during my workouts and I was drenched in sweat! So their workout must have felt nightmarish in that heat! After completing two full circuits strong, I had to start modifying and/or taking mini break during the last two circuits. I was getting wiped out!

1. Double arm hammer spike (hold one DB in both hands, raise it overhead then bring it down between legs while squatting–thrust up and hammer down) (one 10# DB)
2. DB crescent switch knee touch (alternating jump lunges holding one DB in both hands overhead, each time you are in lunge you tap knee to ground) (one 8# DB)
3. Sit up / shoulder press (straight leg full sit up, doing an overhead press at top of sit up) (6# DBs 1st circuit, 5# DBs 2nd circuit, 3# DBs 3rd circuit, 2# DBs last circuit)
4. Bear crawl (crawl forward and back on hands and feet)
5. DB X country ski run (ski runs w/ opposing straight arm swings) (1# DBs)
6. DB squat double punch (wide squats while punching DBs out straight in front of you) (3# DBs)
7. Repeat #1-6 three more times

Bonus exercise: alternating snatch press for 2 minutes (legs are wide, double arm DB swing between legs while squatting, do a hop as you bring DB to shoulder then do a single arm overhead press–one minute each arm) (one 6# DB)

Day 20: Hyper Yoga (see Day 6 above) and Washboard 3 (see Day 4 above)

Day 21: Rest

Repeat the entire 21 days two more times!