Fitness Guru Offers In Home Workout Routine

Work It Out!

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The winter months can be tough, readers. We know you don’t have the energy or inclination to trudge to the gym. That’s why we asked Billy Polson for his advice. The RealJock.com Strong and Lean 12-Week Workout program and the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body personal training gym, which was voted the best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006 and 2007.

A competitive swimmer and triathlete in his own right, Polson has over 15 years of experience working as a coach and trainer, and was named by Men’s Journal as one of the Top 100 Trainers in America in 2005. In 2006, the San Francisco Chronicle named him one of the Top 10 Trainers in the Bay Area. So, basically, Polson knows his shit.

Before we get into the groove, you should read what Polson had to say to our muscular editor (pictured)*.

Psych!

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Andrew Belonsky: What kind of kid were you? Were you scrawny, were you athletic?

Billy Polson: You know what, I was kind of in the middle. First off, my nick name – are you going to print this? – my nickname in high school was “Tuber,” because I had an inner-tube around my waste, so I guess you could say I was a fat kid in that way –

AB: That’s horrible!

BP: But I randomly played soccer and did a little recreational stuff. Then, in college, is when I came into my own. I started doing gymnastics and I was a cheerleader. So, that’s when I first learned how to correctly use my body for exercise, lifting and weight training and that kind of stuff.

AB: I see. So, how often do you work out now?

BP: Six days a week.

AB: What do you do on that 7th day? Do you go crazy?

BP: Ha! I say it’s six, but sometimes I do seven, but I guarantee myself six. The seventh day it is a little – by the end of the day I don’t feel good. I’m totally addicted to working out, I must admit.

AB: How long have you been a big fitness buff?

BP: Well, college is when I started working out. In terms of training folks, I started personal training eight years ago.

AB: Let me ask you – about – what’s the one thing that binds the thirteen things that you’ve laid out for our readers? Why are these all so essential?

BP: The main thing that I was trying to do was to keep everyone’s body moving and working in full ranges of motion and to keep your muscles awake without any equipment. It’s definitely not going to add muscle, but the maintenance of it and just keeping all your muscles awake will definitely help people survive the holidays without tightening up and their back bothering them. The second thing was to give people cardio. A lot of these routines are full body movement, so they have a cardio element to them and will combat all the extra calories that people are taking in while at home with mom. So, the cardio element and moving quickly through the exercises should give at least a little extra calorie burn.

AB: Here’s another question – I am a very heavy smoker – very –

BP: Okay.

AB: So, I like to do cardio, because, you know, I might as well do something good for my heart and all that, but my friend Anthony told me not to do cardio because I’m going to burn too many calories. One of my end goals – and possibly unattainable – is to gain muscle. I’m sort of spindly: a hobbledehoy. So, are these – the cardio in the program that you’ve laid forth – going to burn calories. Are there ways to do cardio without burning too many calories?

BP: Well, cardio’s always going to burn calories. Workouts are always going to burn calories. Walking is going to burn calories. The key is going to be – if you’re looking to add muscle mass to your body, the key to doing that is actually finding the balance of where your body is burning – what caloric level, basically your resting metabolism and eating more than you’re burning.

AB: How do you do that?

BP: First, get a metabolism test done. Most nutritionists will do that. It’s actually a breathing test that measures how much oxygen you’re taking in, how much carbon dioxide you’re putting out. Based on that, it can tell you exactly how many calories you’re burning. If you’re sat down in a chair all day long, it would tell you how many calories you burn. Based on that, if you exercise and burn 300 extra calories five days a week, you calculate that in and you average out over the week. Let’s say you burn 2000 calories a day and then you exercise everyday and you burn 300 extra calories. Everyday your bodies burning 2300 calories. So, that would mean that you need to be taking in more than 2300 calories in order to maintain or build muscle mass on top of that. So, that’s the first part of the answer. The second part of the answer is that if you are trying to – you’re just doing cardio for heart and health – you don’t want to do cardio every single work out. Maybe do cardio three times a week and do it maybe for 20 minutes and focus more of your time on muscle building exercises.

AB: What sort of stretching should somebody do before this sort of work out?

BP: What I tried to do in terms of the order I put the exercises in and the fact that most of them are full range of motion movement, they should actually take care of most of the stretching you should do before hand. The stuff that you’re starting with will slowly allow you to wake up and warm your body up. Have you ever heard of a foam roller?

AB: No.

BP: It’s the big white tube you see at the gym – they’re made out of foam. Those actually – basically those are a way to massage your muscles and work out all the kinks. It’s the closest you can come to having a massage therapist working on you without having the therapist. That’s the number one thing I recommend to use the foam roller. You can find them online, as well as millions of exercises in terms of stretching. It’s a much safer way to stretch and keep your muscles active and loose than just laying and stretching. It helps iron out a knot. It helps lengthen the muscles.

AB: So, what would you say is the greatest benefit you get from staying active.

BP: I just feel better everyday. I feel energetic, healthy, confident. It’s this rolling set of things that build on each other. I stand up straighter, I’m happier. It rolls into these emotional sides. It’s an emotional high. It’s not a chore.

AB: Do you think there would be less strife in this world if everybody went to the gym?

BP: [Laughs] How do I answer that? To quote Elle Wood from Legally Blonde: Exercising gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy and happy people just don’t kill.”
…..
Some Notes On The Workout:
This workout can be done just about anywhere that has a floor. Polson created this workout with the following goals in mind:
• Maintain or even improve your fitness level during the holidays

• Easy to do at home (all levels)

• Maintain your range of motion in your joints and your mobility.

• Work your core and stretch it as well in order to battle the lower back stiffness from car/plane rides.

To do the complete 13-exercise workout, you will need one small, inexpensive piece of portable equipment: tubes. You can buy these tubes very inexpensively online, and they easily fit in even the most overstuffed suitcase. The tubes will make a huge difference in any travel workout, because they allow you to mimic many of the exercises you do at the gym…

If you don’t have access to tubes, don’t worry about it — just skip the two tube-based exercises and do a circuit of 11 exercises.

The Workout Is a Circuit
This workout is in a circuit. That means you do one set of the recommended number of reps of each of the 13 exercises, and then return to the beginning and do a second circuit of all 13 exercises all over again.

Make This Circuit Workout a Cardio Workout by Doing Jumping Jacks/Jumping Rope:
To increase the difficulty of this exercise program and make it a cardio workout, you can jump rope or do basic jumping jacks between every exercise. Either jump rope for 100 jumps of the rope, or do 50 jumping jacks. If using rope, try double leg jumps, alternate single running jumps, repeating single leg hops on each leg, backwards jumping, speed double jumps, and so on to mix it up.

If you don’t want to do this cardio version of the workout, rest no more than 60 seconds between exercises.

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Mountain Climbers:

Muscles Worked: Legs

Reps: Alternate legs for a count of 60 seconds

Description: Take a push-up, or plank position, on the floor: face down, with your weight on hands and feet, arms extended, hands directly below shoulders. Walk your feet forward underneath you, bringing your hips into the air. Stagger your feet, such that your left knee is bent under you, near your chest, with your right foot behind you and your right knee somewhat bent. Using a powerful leg thrust, as though you were climbing a very steep hill, switch your leg position, bringing your right knee toward your chest in a tuck, and letting your left leg reach behind you for balance. Make this a big “stride”, and try to generate enough power that both feet come off the floor as you switch your legs. Continue to alternate legs, pushing hard off the floor and bringing your knee deep under your body with each step, until you have done a full minute of mountain climbers. Try not to slow down or go smaller as you fatigue.

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Front Lunges with Shoelace Tap:

Muscles Worked: Legs

Reps: 10 lunges per leg

Description: This modified lunge without weights gives your legs a great workout and improves flexibility. Stand erect with your feet hip-width apart and your arms hanging at your sides. From the starting position, step your right leg forward. As soon as your right leg is forward, begin to bend your right knee in a slight lunge and bend down toward your right foot, bringing your hands together in front of you. Reach down and touch the shoelaces of your right foot with the fingertips of both hands. After touching your shoelaces, reverse direction, stand up, and bring your right foot back to starting position.

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Push-ups (basic):
Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps

Reps: Max out (do as many as you can while maintaining proper form)

Description: Position yourself on the floor in a prone position (face down) with your legs together and extended straight behind you and your arms slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Support yourself on your toes and your hands, with your palms down on the ground. Your arms should be straight but without locked elbows. Your spine should be neutral with no arch. From the starting position, slowly bend your arms and descend toward the floor. Keep your neck in line with your spine throughout the movement; do not jut your chin out towards the floor at the bottom of the movement. Stop when your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Reverse position and push back up to the starting position. Do not lock your elbows at the top of the movement. Without pausing at the top, immediately descend into your next rep.

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Single-Leg Step-Ups from Seated Position:

Muscles Worked: Legs

Reps: 10 each leg

Description: This exercise develops quadriceps, hip flexors, and hamstrings while also building core strength. Sit on a flat bench with your knees bent, your feet in front of you, and your arms down at your sides. Your feet should be directly under your knees. Raise one foot off the floor and hold it in the air in front of you. From the starting position, use only the foot on the floor to raise yourself to standing. You should remain on only the one foot throughout. From the upright position, use the same one base leg slowly to return to sitting. Your hips will push out behind you as you sit. Complete a full set of stand-ups with the right foot on the floor, and then switch legs and perform another set with the left foot down. Keep your hips square and your core engaged throughout; do not arch your back.
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Side-Pillar Hip Lifts:

Muscles Worked: Abdominals (obliques)

Reps: 20 each side

Description: Lie on your side and support yourself on one elbow. One foot should be one on top of the other, and your lower hip should be on the floor. Your lower arm’s elbow should be directly under your armpit. The forearm of your lower/supporting arm should point directly forward. Bend your upper arm’s elbow and place that hand on your hip. From the starting position, use your obliques and hips on your lower side to lift up to a flat position. Your body should be in a straight diagonal line from head to feet. Be careful not to tip your shoulders or hips forward or back as you lift. From the top of your lift, lower slowly down to your starting position, but do not let your hip touch the floor between lifts. After you have finished 20 lifts on one side, switch to the other side and perform 20 more.
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Step-Back and Single Rows with Tubes:
Tubes Required*** Note our photos are using cables, not tubes, sorry. Skip if you don’t have tubes.

Muscles Worked: Legs, Back

Reps: 12 each side

Description: Attach the end of the tube to a stationary points at hip height. Stand facing the machine with your feet hip-width apart and one tube handle in each hand, with your arms extended toward the machine and your palms facing inward. Bend your knees and press your hips slightly back into a slight sitting position. Keep the majority of your weight back on your heels, while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet. From the starting position, step back with one foot about two to three feet behind you. Using the arm on the same side as your stepping leg, perform a row–pull your elbow behind you, squeezing across your shoulder blade and keeping your elbow bent. Your upper body will turn somewhat as you perform the row, but you should not pivot through your knee. Allow your arm to return to the starting position as you bring your leg back to the start as well. Do an entire set of 12 on one side, and then switch to the other side and repeat.
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Bent-Over Single Pull-Downs with Tubes:
Tubes Required*** Note our photos are using cables, not tubes, sorry. Skip if you don’t have tubes.

Muscles Worked: Legs, Back

Reps: 12 each arm

Description: Attach your tubes to a stationary point at hip height. Bend over in front of the machine with your feet hip-width apart and one handle in each hand, with your arms extended toward the machine and your palms facing inward. Your back should be flat and your neck neutral, and you should be positioned far enough away from the fixed point so that you arms are fully extended toward the machine at the level of your ears. Bend your knees and press your hips slightly back into a slight sitting position. Keep the majority of your weight back on your heels, while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet. Next, pull one arm in toward you until your elbow is bent in at your side and your hand is just at shoulder level in front of your chest. Keep your hand in a straight line as you bring it in toward you; do not arc wide, and do not twist your upper body. Pause for a moment, then allow your hand to return to the starting position, following the same path and maintaining resistance throughout.

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Leg Swings:

Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Reps: 20

Description: Lie flat on a floor mat or the floor with your hands straight out to your sides and your palms facing down. Lift your legs up off the floor so that your hips are at a right angle, and bend your knees so that your knees are at a right angle as well. From the starting position, lower your legs down to the right and towards the floor, being sure to hold your legs in the same position (90-degree-angled hips, 90-degree-angled knees) as you move. Your upper body should remain motionless; focus on pivoting your legs and hips using your abdominal muscles and core. When your legs have touched the floor at right, reverse the motion and bring them back up to starting position. Without pausing, move through starting position and lower your legs down to your left. When you have lowered your legs to both sides you have completed one repetition.

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Alternate Side Lunges with Shoe Tap:

Muscles Worked: Legs

Reps: 12 each side

Description: Stand with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart. From the starting position, lift up your right leg and step out into a lunge. As you step your right foot down, bend your right knee and reach both of your hands down to touch the top of your right shoe, while keeping your left leg straight. Keep both toes front throughout the movement and the majority of the weight on your right foot should be on your heel. Once you have touched your shoe, reverse direction, stand back up and step your right foot back into starting position. From starting position, repeat the lunge on the other side by stepping your left foot out, bending your left knee and touching your left shoe, keeping your right knee straight throughout the movement and both toes front, and then standing up and returning to starting position.
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Superman Hold with Freestyle Kicks:

Muscles Worked: Back (lower)

Reps: Kick for 60 seconds
Description: Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended and your arms straight on the floor in front of you with palms facing down. From the starting position, raise both your legs off the floor as you retract your shoulder blades and lift your arms, shoulders, and chest off the floor as well. Keep your head and neck in line with your back. Once only your stomach and hips are on the floor, maintain the elevated position as you perform freestyle kicks: Kick from the hip with alternating legs, keeping your toes pointed and your knees straight. Be careful not to fling your legs or bend your knees–your kicks should be small, quick, and controlled. Continue to kick for 60 seconds before slowly lowering your legs, chest, shoulders and arms back to the floor.

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Shoulder Push-ups (aka Beginner Handstand Push-ups):

Muscles Worked: Shoulders

Reps: 12

Description: Begin in piked-up position on the floor, with your hips in the air, your palms flat on the floor a little more than shoulder-width apart in front of you, your legs as straight as possible, your feet hip-width apart with heels slightly off the ground, and your body supported by your hands and the balls of your feet. Keep your neck in line with your spine throughout this entire movement. The more you are able to keep your hips up high over your shoulders throughout the movement, the easier it will be to progress to the more advanced variations of the exercise. From the starting position, slowly lower down your body into a push-up until your the crown of your head almost touches the floor. Reverse the motion and push your upper body back up to the starting position. Your shoulders should do the majority of the work.

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Double and Single Line Hops:

Muscles Worked: Legs

Reps: 9 doubles, then 10 singles, then another 9 doubles, then another 10 singles
Description: Using cables, string, or anything else you have handy, create two straight parallel lines on the floor about two to three feet apart from each other. Stand outside of one of the lines on the leg farthest away from that line with your body perpendicular to the line. From the starting position, push off with the leg you are standing on and hop across the two- to three-foot gap to the outside of the other line. Land outside of the far line on the foot farthest outside of that line, then immediately push off with that foot and hop back across the gap separating the lines, landing on your starting foot. Hop back and forth across the double lines nine times, then immediately switch to single-line jumps. To do single-line hops, stand on one foot and hop back and forth on that foot across one of the lines. After you have finished 10 single-line hops, do another nine double-line hops, followed by another 10 single-line hops. Do all of the hops at once without resting in between.

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Full Sit-ups:

Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Reps: 20
Description: Lie flat on a floor mat with your legs straight out in front of you, flat on the floor with your knees straight. Place your arms over your head flat on the floor behind you, palms facing up. From the starting position, lift your arms over your head in an arc and then follow with your upper body. Be sure to tuck your chin hard to your chest throughout the movement to prevent neck injury. Your arms will help propel your body through this movement. As you get stronger, try the hands-behind-the-head variation below. Touch your fingers to your toes, or as close to your toes as you can get, then reverse the movement and, again keeping your chin tucked, go back down to starting position. As soon as your back and arms are touching the ground, reverse the motion and start your second repetition.
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