Fitness 360: Dr. Sara Solomon, Training Program

Sara Solomon believes training should be fun, fast, and intense. Instead of spending an hour counting calories burned on the elliptical or sweating it out on the treadmill, she does rapid-fire, intense workouts that shock her cardiovascular system while toning her muscles. She sets her timer and pushes to the max. It's an easy-to-maintain program that fits into her on-the-go schedule.



Sara Solomon Fitness 360:

Watch The Video - 15:35



Sara trains six days per week, but doesn't let her workouts rule her life. She sets her timer, increases the intensity, and goes balls-to-the-wall—at home. "I warm up with 10 minutes of jump rope, and then proceed with 20-25 minutes of high-intensity resistance interval training," she says.



By cutting the length of her rest periods, cranking the intensity, and lifting heavy, Sara gets both her strength and cardiovascular training in one workout. She does it all with minimal equipment. "I'm using my own bodyweight," Sara says. "I'm using a jump rope and just a few dumbbells around the house." The key isn't the equipment; it's the drive. "I'm not a comfort-zone loser," Sara says. "I'm constantly changing it up."



Sara's workouts are always different and progressive. She might target her lower extremities one day with deadlifts and squats in a 50-second on, 10-second off fashion for 25 minutes. The next day she might hit her upper body with exercises such as Arnold presses, reptile push-ups, or alternating anterior and lateral delt raises and triceps dips off a bench or chair. Either way, she always schedules time for recovery. "I always finish with 10 minutes of stretching and foam rolling," she says. "It's more important than anything else for the sake of injury prevention. It's like flossing for me;it's just something that has to be done daily."



Most important, keep it simple. "If you complicate your workouts, you will run the risk of jeopardizing your daily compliance."



While aerobic-style exercises can be an OK spot for gym newbies to start, she warns people not to make her initial mistake of falling into the steady-state cardio trap. "Aerobic exercise trains the body to become efficient," Sara says. "Your body quickly adapts to repetitive aerobic exercise to ensure you use the least amount of oxygen and energy to perform the greatest amount of work. The decrease in resting energy expenditure that ensues will mean you have to either eat less or exercise longer just to maintain your fat loss."



Most important, keep it simple. "If you complicate your workouts, you will run the risk of jeopardizing your daily compliance," says Sara. "You should always look forward to your next workout, not dread it."



Sara's Efficient, Effective Training Plan



She has two styles of training: AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in a fixed time period with minimal rest; and interval-timed workouts, where she sets a timer for a fixed work period between 30-50 seconds and a set rest period of just 10 seconds.



Sara lifts the heaviest weights she can manage safely to keep her metabolism elevated post-exercise, meaning she burns fat long after her workout is over. Twice a week she includes 4-10 minutes of interval sprinting on a spin bike or treadmill into her workout.



Aim for 8 sets of each glute exercise. Hustle!



Tabata HELL (glutes & jump rope)

Watch The Video - 07:37

• Bulgarian Split Squat: Right leg on bench/ Use two 25-lb kettlebells


• Jump Rope: (Bounce Step Forward and Backward)


• Bulgarian Split Squat: (Right Leg On Bench) Use two 25-lb kettlebells


• Jump Rope: (Bell Jump Forward and Backward)


• Alternating Bench Step Ups: Use two 25-lb kettlebells


• Jump Rope: (Alternate: Foot step: Forward, Bounce Step: Backward)


• Goblet Squats: Use one 35-lb kettlebell


• Jump Rope: High step

Set your timer for 40 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform the circuit once. It should take 12 minutes.



Ten-Minute Jump Rope HIIT

Watch The Video - 11:11

• Basic Bounce: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Alternate-Foot Step: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Side Straddle: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• X-Foot Cross: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Forward Straddle: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Full Twister: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Bell Jump: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Skier's Jump: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Forward Shuffle: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Backward Shuffle: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• High Step: 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest


• Power Jumps (Double Unders): 40 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest

Shoulders: This circuit consists of 5 different shoulder exercises using resistance bands. Each is sandwiched between 30 seconds of high-paced rope work. Perform the circuit as many times as you can in 20 minutes.



Keep it mega-intense! You can probably get through it 3 times. Note that this particular workout video only features shoulders. Below is a video featuring back exercises. You can either perform these on separate days, or amalgamate them into one 20-minute workout.



Resistance Band HIIT (Shoulders)

Watch The Video - 11:32

• Jump Rope (Bounce Step): 30 seconds


• Squat and Overhead Press (2 bands): 12 reps


• Jump Rope (Bounce Step): 30 seconds


• Alternating Front and Side Shoulder Raises (2 bands): 12 reps


• Jump Rope (Bounce Step): 30 seconds


• Rear Delt Fly (1 band): 12 reps


• Jump Rope (Bounce Step): 30 seconds


• Upright Row (1 band): 12 reps


• Jump Rope (Bounce Step): 30 seconds


• Bilateral Shoulder External Rotation (1 band): 12 reps

Back: Set your timer for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform the circuit 4 times, which takes about 25 minutes. Keep it intense!



Back Attack

Watch The Video - 10:24

• Lebert Equilizer (Driveway Barrier) Rows


• Burpee Push-up


• Bilateral External Rotation with Resistance Band


• Mountain Climbers


• Bent Over Row (Right Side, Use Bench and kettlebell)


• Jump Rope (Forward Straddle)


• Bent Over Row (Left Side, Use Bench and kettlebell)


• Jump Rope (Side Straddle)


• Seated Row (Narrow Grip Using Resistance Band)


• Squat Jumps


• Back Extension (Swiss Ball)


• Two-Handed kettlebell swings

Set your timer for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform the circuit 3 times, which takes about 15 minutes.



HIIT Cardio Hell

Watch The Video - 07:51

• Jump Rope Basic Bounce


• Squat Jumps


• Jump Rope Forward Shuffle


• Burpee=>Push-Ups=>High Knees


• Jump Rope Forward Straddle


• Mountain Climbers


• Jump Rope X-Foot Cross

Set your timer for 40 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform the circuit 4 times, which takes about 20 minutes.



Make Your Pants Fall Off!

Watch The Video - 06:20

• Medicine Ball Rolling Push-Ups


• Jump Rope High Step


• Medicine Ball Burpees with Triceps Push-Up into Squat Punch Forward


• Lying Straight Leg Raise (on a bench) with simultaneous Dumbbell Chest Press


• Jump Rope High Step


• Triceps Dips

Perform the circuit 1 time if you are a beginner. This will take about 10 minutes. If you are not a beginner, then do it 2 times. Hustle between exercises.



Hellacious HIIT

Watch The Video - 13:32

• Daniela: 10 burpees with twisting pistons


• Dina: 10 mountain climbers


• Adeline: 60 sec starfish plank


• Brandon: 21s with kettlebell sumo squats


• Krystal: 20 KB swings (alternating arms)


• Lauren: Jump squats


• Cindy: 60 sec wall sit


• Elsie: 60 sec Jump Rope (bounce step)


• Roxanne: Single-leg deadlifts - 10 right leg, 10 left leg


• Jared: 10 Push-ups

Set your timer for 50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform the circuit 10 times for a fast, 10-minute workout.



Core Circuit with Stool

Watch The Video - 07:34

• Sit-Ups with Legs on Stool
  
  Modification: perform crunches instead of full sit-ups.


• Plank Up-Downs with feet on stool & alternating toe taps
  
  Modification: stay in the plank position on your forearms and if you can, perform the alternating toe taps.


• Double Crunch on Stool
  
  Modification: To increase difficulty, extend your legs higher in the air (don't let them drop down). Beginners can extend their legs downward.


• Right-Sided Plank Dips with Feet Elevated on Stool
  
  Modification: Do not use the stool. Or hold the plank without dipping. If you want to increase difficulty, place a weight on your left hip.


• Perform the same protocol for the Left-Sided Plank Dips


• Lying Straight Leg Raise with Hip Thrust while Pinching the Stool Between your Feet
  
  Modification: no stool. No hip thrust. Place your hands under your bottom.

[ Sara Solomon Fitness 360 Main ]





About The Author



Stephanie Smith is a New York native who caught the fitness bug while earning a master's in journalism at the University of Missouri. Find out more.

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