Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 1
Description
The 8-week Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 1 weight training program is designed to:
- Train all of your major muscle groups
- Build muscle/curves in the 9–11 rep range
- Strengthen your core and primal movement patterns
- Introduce you to the intensity technique of superset training
The program is a three-day training split, which means that you will divide your body into three and train each of the three sections in a separate workout. In Workout A, you will train your back, biceps, and core; in Workout B, you will train your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core; and in Workout C, you will train your legs and glutes.
Since you are training in the 9–11 rep range and therefore using heavier weights than you used in the Women’s Beginner program, you will be resting a little longer between sets and exercises.
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 the Women’s Beginner program
- Anyone who has at least 3 months of consistent weight training experience
Instructions
- Complete the workouts (A, B, and C) in the order presented
- The recommend workout schedules are ABCX (i.e. three days on, one day off) or ABCXABX (i.e. three days on, one day off, two days on, one day off, and then continue the sequence from where you left off)
- Complete all of the sets for one exercise before moving on to the sets of the following exercise
- 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
- If possible, perform the exercises marked with an asterisk (*) as a superset (i.e. after you perform a set of one exercise, perform a set of the other exercise without resting)
- Don’t forget to warm up before, and stretch after, each workout
- Once you have completed Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 1, you must take a deload week. Only then can you move on to the next program or repeat the same program
| Workout A (Back, biceps, core) | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Barbell deadlift | 3 x 9–11 |
| Machine-assisted pull-up | 2 x 9–11 |
| Seated cable row | 3 x 9–11 |
| EZ bar curl* | 2 x 9–11 |
| Lying side hip raise* | 3 x 20–25 |
| Bicycle crunch | 3 x 20–25 |
| *To be performed as a superset | |
| Workout B (Chest, shoulders, triceps, core) | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Push-up (on knees if necessary) | 3 x 9–11 |
| Barbell shoulder press | 2 x 9–11 |
| Barbell wide-grip upright row | 2 x 9–11 |
| Cable face pull | 3 x 9–11 |
| Weighted bench dip* (YT) | 2 x 9–11 |
| Cable down-up twist* | 2 x 9–11 |
| Wheel rollout | 3 x 10–15 |
| *To be performed as a superset | |
| Workout C (Legs, glutes) | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Barbell sumo squat | 3 x 9–11 |
| Dumbbell forward-leaning lunge | 2 x 9–11 |
| Seated or lying leg curl | 3 x 9–11 |
| Barbell hip thrust | 2 x 9–11 |
| Cable hip abduction | 2 x 15–20 |
| Standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise* | 3 x 15–20 |
| Weighted captain’s chair leg and hip raise* | 3 x 9–11 |
| *To be performed as a superset | |
Alternatives for the cable/machine exercises
- Machine-assisted pull-up — Self-assisted pull-up (YT) or band lat pull-down (YT)
- Seated cable row — Bent-over dumbbell row, bent-over barbell row, or seated band row (YT)
- Cable face pull — Band face pull (YT) or dumbbell face pull (YT)
- Cable down-up twist — Band down-up twist (YT) or weighted Russian twist
- Wheel rollout — Ab walkout (YT) or inch worm (YT)
- Seated or lying leg curl — Inverse leg curl, one-leg stability ball leg curl (YT), or band leg curl (YT)
- Cable hip abduction — Band hip abduction (YT) or side plank hip abduction
- 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)
