Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

Sweaty September is here!

Ready to kick it off with a BANG?

Unleash The Beast 3: Sweat Revenge is by FAR the most difficult of the beast series. It’s not for the meek: challenging strength intervals, high intensity cardio and four brutal rounds. Dig DEEP to finish, use the right modifications for your level, and if it’s too easy, boost your weights or try to move quicker through the moves.

I busted my ASS trying to finish this workout. Can you beat my score? (read on until the end for my round scores and total time).

You’ll need a set of medium to heavy dumbbells, a mat, a stop watch and a bottle of water. No equipment? No worries! See modifications in the descriptions below for body weight only & beginner options.

IMPORTANT: Warm up for 5-10 minutes prior to the workout, and ALWAYS keep track of your time. Take breaks when needed (at least once per round), but keep them short and the timer running.

This is HIGH intensity, full on, heart pounding exercise… if you put your back into it. Form comes first, but as soon as you get the hang of it, try to move a little quicker. Deeper. Fuller. Snatch that second wind. And third. And fourth. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.

Same ‘Beast’ deal: 1000 reps & 4 rounds. This workout can be modified at any time to suit your level: if you can only manage 2 rounds with weights, drop them for round 3 & 4. Even doing just a few reps of the harder modifications will leave you with an intense workout.

If you’re still working up to that kind of endurance OR are shorter on time, try any of the options below.

Alternate Workout Options

A. Max Rounds in 30 minutes. Set your timer for 30 minutes, and complete as many rounds as you can.

B. 2 Rounds for time. Go hard, write down your time and beat it the next time around. This is a good option for advanced exercisers who are able to bring on the intensity needed for a more intense, but shorter, workout.

C. Beginner scaled reps… more rounds. Cut the reps in half, and move quickly throughout the moves. You’ll get a great cardio burn that’s a little more moderate. Add additional rounds (4 rounds becomes 8, 3 rounds becomes 6, 2 rounds becomes 4).

D. ADVANCED: Try 2 rounds at double the reps (50 becomes 100, 20 becomes 40 and 10 becomes 20). This is VERY challenging, and you’ll need to push yourself. Take breaks (short ones) as needed.

E. Timed Intervals: Aim for about a minute per exercise (or 30 seconds per side). Add a rest interval at the end of every round, and write down your reps instead of time. 

UNLEASH THE BEAST 3: SWEAT REVENGE CIRCUIT

• 50 Lunge Hop Ups
• 20 Single Arm Swings
• 10 Pushup & Plank Rows
• 20 Drop Squat Chops
• 50 Jab/Cross Punches
• 20 Lunge & Chop
• 10 Half Burpee To Shoulder Press
• 20 Mermaid Side V-Ups
• 50 Mountain Climbers

EXERCISE BREAKDOWNS & MODIFICATIONS

50 Lunge Hop Ups (25/side)

Modification: remove the jump to make this easier, simply drawing your knee into your chest. Step back instead of lunging back, and reduce range of motion to suit your needs.

1. From a standing position, step back into a soft, but deep lunge. The deeper the lunge, the harder this move will be (beginners can do a smaller step back). Keep your chest up and weight in the front heel. Arms in an athletic stance.
2. Pushing through your front heel, hop up and off the floor with power. Drive your knee up towards your chest, and jump off the the front leg into the air. Try to jump UP, and not forward.
3. Land softly and back down into the lunge (beginners can tap down before stepping back). Repeat the motion.

Tips: sink down, and not back into the lunge. Make sure to keep your chest and eyes forward. Use the momentum of the swing of your arms to help you power off the ground.

Low impact: Try just the lunge with a knee (no jump). Modify the reps if needed (25 per side can be broken down in sets of 10 & 5 per side, then switching).

20 Single Arm Swings (10/side)

Modifier: do the swing without dumbbells or just a regular squat.

1. Grasp a dumbbell with one hand, palms facing your body. Other arm comes out to the opposite side (shoulder level).
2. Sit down and back into a deep squat, bringing the dumbbell between your legs and to the back of you.
3. Using your HIPS, drive yourself forward and up (imagine your hips on a diagonal, moving from behind you to standing). Tuck your pelvis under your hips like you’re bracing yourself as you STAND, and avoid tilting your torso BACK. Stand tall and squeeze your glutes. Core is tight throughout.
4. Simultaneously, swing the dumbbell forward, up to shoulder level. Use the momentum of your hips (and not your arms) to drive it  forward. Brace your core to support the weight, and avoid over grasping the dumbbell. Chest forward and open.
5. Sit down and back again, swinging the dumbbell between your legs. Repeat 10 times per side.

Tips: Use the momentum of your hips and not your arms to swing the dumbbell forward and back. Tuck your pelvis under your hips as you stand and squeeze your glutes. Imagine your hips being pushed back and propelled forward as you stand tall. Avoid titling backwards as you stand.

10 Pushup & Plank Rows

Modifier: This move can be done with or without dumbbells, and from the knees. You can also swap in regular pushups or modified pushups instead.

1. Start in a tricep pushup position, hands directly under your shoulders and elbows close to the body, a dumbbell in each hand. This is a tricep pushup: you’ll keep your arms close to your body as you lower & lift. Push through the triceps to lift off the ground.
2. Sink down into a pushup. Keep your quads & core tight. Push up and lift one arm into a row. Squeeze your shoulder blades as you lift and bring your elbow up past your back.
3. Replace the dumbbell and row on the other side. That’s one rep (one pushup, 2 rows). Repeat with the pushup.

Tips: keep your hips facing the floor throughout the move. Modify the sections as needed (pushup on your toes, then row on your knees or vice versa).

Option: Try 10 Pushups, then 20 plank rows instead if it’s too difficult to do them back to back.

20 Drop Squat Chops

Modifiers: Static Squat & Chop (no jump). Stand with hands overhead and interlaced. Squat down and back, while rotating hands over to one side (arms straight)

1. Stand tall and bring your arms overhead. Interlace hands together into a fist (or with fingers pointed).
2. Jump your feet into a deep wide squat, while rotating your hands to one side. Keep back flat and twist through the shoulders, not the arms, to rotate. Concentrate on engaging your core & keep your chest up.
3. Swing your hands back overhead as you jump your feet into standing position. Repeat switching sides. 

Tips: Keep arms as straight as you can throughout the move, bending only slightly at the elbow for comfort. Bring elbows in close to the body as you chop down to the side, and crunch through the obliques on the chopping side. Land softly in the jumps, and move as quickly as you can with good form.

50 Jab/Cross Punches (25/side)

Modifier: reduce range of motion.

1. Take legs out wider than shoulder width apart in a slight squat. Face towards the right so that your feet are wide, but your right foot is in front of your left foot. Stay light on your toes and keep hands by your face, in fists (guard UP). 
2. With your right hand, jab to the right, extending your hand towards the right to about nose level. Switching sides, bring right arm close in to the body as you twist your belly button towards the right side and cross punch with your left hand. (Jab + cross = 1 rep). Weight should transfer to the right side as you cross, and staying on your toes will help you pivot (it’s similar to a half squat towards the right side).
3. Return to the wide stance, and repeat on the same side for 25 reps. Switch.

Tips: Keep shoulders back, chest open and twist through the core on the cross punch. Engage your abs throughout, and tuck your hips under to protect your back. The lower your sink into your stance, the harder this move will be. Once you get the hand of it, move more quickly through the punches.

Jab + Cross = 1 rep. 25 per side.

20 Lunge & Chop

Modifier: try this with no dumbbell (hands clasped together), and step back (not forward) into the lunge to make it easier. Reduce range of motion if needed.

1. Stand tall grasping one dumbbell with both hands. Bring arms overhead. Keep elbows soft (not locked), but arms fairly straight. Core engaged.
2. Step forward into a lunge. Find your footing, keep chest up and shoulders back with arms overhead.
3. In a chopping motion, swing your arms down towards the outside of your lunging leg. Twist through the shoulders, engage your core and try to keep one arm straight as you chop.
4. Rotate back into the lunge, then push off the front heel back to standing. That’s one rep.

Switch sides, alternating for 20 reps.

Tips: keep eyes forward as you lunge down. Step first, then sink down into the lunge, and contract your core as you chop down. Imagine you have an axe in your hand. 

10 Half Burpee To Shoulder Press

Modifiers: Step back instead of hopping back into plank at the bottom of the burpee. Opt for light weights or try it without weights, squeezing your shoulder blades during the shoulder press.

1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, hanging by your sides. Neck and shoulders relaxed.
2. Squat deep and down to the ground (eyes forward, chest up) bringing dumbbells down towards the ground. Place them directly under your shoulders and jump or step back into plank position.
3. Reverse the motion; hop or step your feet back into a deep squat (NOTE: Squat first, then stand. Eyes forward and chest up the whole time). Stand.
4. Curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level. Twist and press them up towards the ceiling, then lower. Repeat. 

Tips: Hop your feet in wider to help you up in the squat (from plank, jump them in to either side of your hands), and lead with your chest as you come up to standing.

Advanced: Try adding a pushup (or two!) at the bottom of the burpee and use heavier dumbbells once you get the hang of it. :)

20 Mermaid Side V-Ups (1 /side)

Modifiers: Come up to your elbows, and lift only the legs if needed (no arms). Reduce range of motion to make this easier. Support your tush with a pillow if needed.

1. Lie down on your side. Arm closest to the floor comes out in front of you for support OR you can prop yourself up on your elbow (easier). Top arm reaches over and behind the head, extending the body line. Feet are crossed (like a mermaids tail).
2. Keeping feet crossed and legs straight, lift and twist feet towards the ceiling. Your hips and booty will roll slightly inward as you reach your top hand towards your toes and raise your torso from the floor. Use the arm closest to the floor for balance/to help you up if needed & use your obliques and not your legs to do the lift.
3. With control, lower back down to starting position and repeat.

Tips: The less you roll your tush (staying on your side) the harder it is. You DON’T have to lift high to feel the contraction. Uncrossing the feet will also make this more challenging.

50 Mountain Climbers

Modifier: if the floor is too challenging, place your hands on a bench or couch. Draw your knee into the chest while maintaining an incline position.

1. Start in plank position, shoulders directly over your hands and abs and core tight.
2. Draw your knee in towards your chest, tapping the tops of your shoes into the floor. Keep eyes forward (avoid looking at your knees).
3. Hop the front foot back while bringing your opposite knee into the chest. Think of it as running on the ground. Switch sides as quickly as you can with proper form. Avoid pushing back through your hands, keep your butt down, and make sure your eyes are forward. Core tight and braced throughout the move.

Tips: There are lots of ways to do climbers, but most people simply bring the knee into the chest (hard enough), keeping the foot off the floor and keep the movement slow and controlled. Knee, back to plank, knee, back to plank. This is FINE for beginners (and very challenging), so stick to it if you’re still working on them.

If you’re more ADVANCED, hop each foot in and out (never return to a full plank), and tap the toe in each time (connecting with the floor). This is MUCH more challenging and engages your quads/core in the movement big time. It MAY slow you down, but that’s okay! Switch to an easier modification if needed.