Maximum curves and functional fitness 3
Description
The 10-week Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 3 weight training program is designed to:
- Train all of your major muscle groups
- Build muscle/curves in the 9–11 and 6–8 rep ranges
- Strengthen your core and primal movement patterns
- Introduce you to the dropset intensity technique
The program consists of two push–pull splits, which means that there are four workouts per week, two for your push muscles (A and C) and two for your pull muscles (B and D).
In weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, you will train in the 9–11 rep range; in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, you will train in the 6–8 rep range.
Please read the Overview of women’s weight training programs before you start this program.
Note: This program is also available in my ebook.
Suitability
- Individuals who have completed Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 2
- Anyone who has at least 6 months of consistent weight training experience
Instructions
- Complete the workouts (A, B, C, and D) in the order provided
- The recommend schedule is ABXCDXX (where ‘X’ is a rest day). Avoid training four days on and three days off (i.e. ABCDXXX)
- Rest for 30 to 90 seconds between sets
- Rest for 1 to 2 minutes between exercises
- Always use an amount of weight that makes completing the reps challenging
- Whenever you have to increase the weight, add a maximum of 5 lb (or 2.5 kg) to upper-body exercises or 10 lb (or 5 kg) to lower-body exercises
- Try to master the proper form of each exercise, including proper breathing technique. Also, try to develop a mental connection with your muscles and with the movement patterns
- If you get bored of an exercise, see the Overview of women’s weight training programs for alternatives
- If training at home in the absence of cable machines and other specialized equipment, see below the exercise tables for exercise alternatives
- In weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, take the last set of every exercise to failure. Then, without resting, reduce the amount of weight on the bar and continue until failure again. This intensity technique is known as dropset training. Note that it is not safe to use it on some exercises, such as the barbell squat, unless you have a spotter. Therefore, if you do not have a spotter, do not use the technique on these exercises
- Don’t forget to warm up before, and stretch after, each workout
- Once you have completed Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 3, you must take a deload week. Only then can you move on to the next program or repeat the same program
| Workout A (Pull) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| *Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 | |
| Barbell deadlift | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Seated or lying leg curl | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Seated twisting cable row | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Reverse dumbbell fly | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Weighted captain’s chair leg and hip raise | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Wheel rollout | 3 x 10–15 | 3 x 15–20 |
| *If possible, perform a dropset for the last set of every exercise | ||
| Workout B (Push) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| *Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 | |
| Dumbbell rear lunge | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Barbell hip thrust | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise | 3 x 15–20 | 3 x 10–15 |
| Barbell bench press | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Diamond push-up (on knees if necessary) | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 12–14 |
| Lying side hip raise | 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 25–30 |
| One-leg front plank | 2 x 60–90 s | 2 x 90–120 s |
| *If possible, perform a dropset for the last set of every exercise. s = seconds | ||
| Workout C (Pull) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| *Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 | |
| Weighted inverted row | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| One-arm lat pull-down | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Cable face pull | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| EZ bar curl | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Twisting hyperextension holding plate against chest | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Bicycle crunch | 3 x 20–25 | 3 x 25–30 |
| Lying straight leg raise | 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 25–30 |
| *If possible, perform a dropset for the last set of every exercise | ||
| Workout D (Push) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| *Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 | |
| Barbell sumo squat | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 6–8 |
| Smith machine kneeling rear kick | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Cable hip abduction | 2 x 15–20 | 2 x 10–15 |
| Machine standing calf raise | 3 x 15–20 | 3 x 10–15 |
| Push-up (on stability ball if available) | 3 x 9–11 | 3 x 12–14 |
| Dumbbell one-arm shoulder press | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| Triceps dip with dumbbell between feet | 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 |
| *If possible, perform a dropset for the last set of every exercise | ||
Alternatives for the cable/machine exercises
- Seated or lying leg curl — Inverse leg curl, one-leg stability ball leg curl (YT), or band leg curl (YT)
- Seated twisting cable row — Seated twisting band row (YT) or dumbbell twisting row (YT)
- Weighted captain’s chair leg and hip raise — Hanging leg and hip raise with dumbbell between feet or lying band leg and hip raise (YT)
- Wheel rollout — Standing ab walkout (YT) or inch worm (YT)
- Weighted inverted row — Bent-over barbell row or seated band row (YT)
- One-arm lat pull-down — One-arm band lat pull-down (YT), self-assisted pull-up (YT), or pull-up
- Cable face pull — Band face pull (YT) or dumbbell face pull (YT)
- Twisting hyperextension holding a plate against chest — Twisting hyperextension on flat bench holding a plate against chest
- Smith machine kneeling rear kick — Band kneeling rear kick (YT) or single-leg barbell glute bridge (YT)
- Cable hip abduction — Band hip abduction (YT) or side plank hip abduction
- Machine standing calf raise — Barbell seated calf raise (YT) or band standing calf raise (YT)
- Triceps dip — Weighted bench dip (YT)
