Day 8: Strength
The first time you did this workout, you started with high volume (16 reps per movement on Day 1) to set in muscle memory for the exercises. Now, for your second time, go up in weight and down in reps. Dumbbells should be two to five pounds heavier, and do 12 reps per exercise — a quantity that’s geared more toward building muscle mass.
WARM-UP
Perform two rounds of the following without resting.
Toy Soldiers
Stand holding arms straight in front of you, palms down. Step forward and kick right leg to touch left palm, knee locked. Repeat with left leg for one rep. Do 10 reps.
Body Weight Squats
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind head. Squat as low as you can, back straight and chest open; stand. Do 10 reps.
Bear Crawls
Start on all fours with hips raised. Quickly step hands and feet forward for five steps, then crawl backward for five. Repeat twice.
WORKOUT
Do 16 reps each of the following three exercises, with no rest between moves. Take a 60-second breather at the end, then repeat, for five total rounds. Use lighter dumbbells for the first two rounds, then scale up to do the remaining rounds with a weight that feels challenging but can still be handled with good form, and complete every rep.
Curl-Squat-Press
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing body, knees soft. Curl bells to shoulders, keeping shoulder blades down and back. Immediately lower into a squat, pushing hips back, chest open — this is key — and weight in heels. Lower until hips are parallel with or even below knees, then drive through heels to stand and press dumbbells straight overhead, elbows locked. Repeat.
Walking Lunges
Stand with arms extended, a dumbbell in each hand at sides. Lunge forward with right foot, keeping torso upright, until back knee grazes floor. Press through right heel to stand; repeat on opposite leg.
Renegade Rows
Start in push-up position with a dumbbell in each hand on floor, back flat, abs engaged. Keeping hips level, pull right hand to right side, driving elbow back; lower weight to floor. Repeat on opposite side. That’s one rep.
