Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 5
Description
The 12-week Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 5 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
- Increase training intensity and volume (the number of exercises and sets that you perform) while reducing the amount of time that you spend in the gym
The program consists of four workouts (A, B, C, and D). Workouts A and C will train your upper body and core; workouts B and D will train your lower body and core.
The exercises in all of the workouts have been arranged into supersets, which makes the workouts both shorter and more intense than the workouts of preceding programs.
In weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, you will train in the 9–11 rep range; in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, 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 4
- Anyone who has at least 12 months of consistent weight training experience
Instructions
- Complete the workouts in the order presented
- The recommend workout schedule is ABXCDXX (where ‘X’ is a rest day). Try not to train four days on and three days off (i.e. ABCDXXX)
- The exercises are arranged into pairs as supersets. After you complete one set of the first exercise, perform a set of the second exercise without resting
- Rest for 1 to 2 minutes before repeating the superset and before moving on to the next superset
- Always use a weight that is heavy enough to make 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
- Don’t forget to warm up before, and stretch after, each workout
- Once you have completed Maximum Curves and Functional Fitness 5, you must take a deload week. Only then can you repeat the program or one of the other programs
| Workout A (Upper body and core) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | |
| Inverted row Push-up (on knees if necessary) | 2 x 10–15 2 x 10–15 | 2 x 15–20 2 x 15–20 |
| Medium-grip lat pull-down Dumbbell one-arm shoulder press | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise Cable face pull | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Dumbbell curl Overhead barbell triceps extension | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| One-leg front plank Lying side hip raise | 2 x 60–90 s 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 90–120 s 2 x 25–30 |
| s = seconds | ||
| Workout B (Lower body and core) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | |
| Barbell sumo squat Dumbbell Romanian deadlift (YT) | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Dumbbell forward-leaning lunge Bicycle crunch | 2 x 9–11 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 25–30 |
| Barbell hip thrust Weighted captain’s chair leg and hip raise | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Machine standing calf raise Wheel rollout | 2 x 15–20 2 x 10–15 | 2 x 10–15 2 x 15–20 |
| Hyperextension holding plate against chest Lying alternating straight leg raise | 2 x 9–11 2 x 25–30 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 30–35 |
| Workout C (Upper body and core) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | |
| Seated cable row Diamond push-up (on knees if necessary) | 2 x 9–11 2 x 10–15 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 15–20 |
| Standing twisting cable row One-arm standing twisting cable chest press (YT) | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Reverse dumbbell fly Cable wood chop | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Dumbbell hammer curl Triceps rope push-down | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Seated leg raise holding dumbbell between feet Dumbbell side bend | 2 x 9–11 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 15–20 |
| Workout D (Lower body and core) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | |
| Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | |
| Barbell deadlift Decline twisting sit-up | 2 x 9–11 2 x 20–25 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 25–30 |
| Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat Single straight-leg dumbbell deadlift (YT) | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Smith machine kneeling rear kick Seated or lying leg curl | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
| Machine seated calf raise Hanging straight leg and hip raise | 2 x 15–20 2 x 10–15 | 2 x 10–15 2 x 15–20 |
| Cable hip abduction Cable hip adduction | 2 x 9–11 2 x 9–11 | 2 x 6–8 2 x 6–8 |
Alternatives for the cable/machine exercises
- Medium-grip lat pull-down — Band lat pull-down (YT) using a medium grip or pull-up using a medium grip
- Cable face pull — Band face pull (YT) or dumbbell face pull (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)
- Machine standing calf raise — Standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise or band standing calf raise (YT)
- Wheel rollout — Standing ab walkout (YT) or inch worm (YT)
- Hyperextension holding plate against chest — Straight-leg deadlift (YT)
- Seated cable row — Bent-over dumbbell row, bent-over barbell row, or seated band row (YT)
- Standing twisting cable row — Standing twisting band row (YT) or dumbbell twisting row (YT)
- One-arm standing twisting cable chest press — One-arm standing twisting band chest press (YT) or one-arm hammer-grip dumbbell bench press
- Cable wood chop — Band wood chop (YT), weighted Russian twist, or weighted lying oblique twist (YT)
- Triceps rope push-down — Triceps band push-down (YT) or overhead barbell triceps extension
- Smith machine kneeling rear kick — Band kneeling rear kick (YT) or single-leg barbell glute bridge (YT)
- Seated or lying leg curl — Inverse leg curl, one-leg stability ball leg curl (YT), or band leg curl (YT)
- Machine seated calf raise — Barbell seated calf raise (YT)
- Cable hip abduction — Band hip abduction (YT) or side plank hip abduction
- Cable hip adduction — Band hip adduction (YT) or side plank hip adduction
