On this first day of the Initiate challenge, we are progressing resistance training with a full body workout using bodyweight and dumbbells. You will notice a lot of flexion and extension in the chosen exercises today!

This workout will run through the FIS 5-Step Cycle of Muscle Maintenance, beginning with gentle isometrics for hip and trunk flexor muscles. Next, in Step 2, we move to the wall for some integrated isometrics, still holding positions. In Step 3, we will hone some of the motions with bodyweight only so that we can understand how our body feels. In Step 4, we progress to adding load. Enjoy some compound (multi-joint) lower body exercises to stimulate muscle growth, combining with upper body motions to optimize muscle coordination and recruitment using bodyweight as well as dumbbells.

For the next segment, the focus is the upper body with pushing and pulling motions using bodyweight, such as the push-up, and dumbbell exercies such as the chest presses and rows. The trunk and spine will also be addressed with some essential core exercises for a well-rounded workout. Each of the exercises will be done for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions to help stimulate the three components of muscle growth:

1. Mechanical Tension: (Most important) Mechanical tension is generated by using an adequately heavy load and performing exercises through a full range of motion over a period of time. You should feel challenged after the sets and reps we are doing.

2. Metabolic Stress: The amount of time we are staying under tension, with moderate to low loads and very short rest periods. (we are only resting approximately 30 seconds)

3. Muscle Damage = Muscle Hypertrophy / growth comes from exercise creating microtears in the sarcolemma, contractile components, and connective tissue, causing an inflammatory response of the body. We actually build muscle as we rest, when the tissue is repaired and regenerated.

Purchase Products used on this video from Amazon:
Neoprene Coated Dumbbells: https://amzn.to/3OCSr28
Yoga Mat: https://amzn.to/2ZDSMrH

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