Leave Your Fat Behind! Walking Workout

Leave Your Fat Behind!
Power off pounds with this easy, 6-week walking workout that trims and
firms your hips, butt, and thighs
Are you sitting down? We bet you are. If you’re like the average American, you
now sit more than ever before – spending about 8 hours a day parked in your car,
at your desk, and on the sofa. Along with widening your waistline, all that sitting
weakens the glute muscles in your butt—and weak glutes don’t just sag in your
favorite jeans, they slow you down.
To the rescue: our Strong Strides plan, designed by trainer Leigh Crews, an American Council on Exercise spokesperson. You’ll notice a lift in your Levi’s after just 2
weeks, drop about 10 pounds in 6 weeks, and if you keep it up, walk off 20 pounds
and two sizes (or more).
THE STRONG STRIDES PLAN
WEEK 1
This program includes Butt-Booster strength moves to wake up your glutes, Hill
Walks to train those butt muscles to power every step, and a Bun-Shaper Walk that
combines cardio and toning to give your rear the ultimate lift and blast fat faster.
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace*)
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
WEEK 2
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Hill Walk
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Hill Walk
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
WEEK 3
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
Butt
Boosters
(1 set)
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
BunShaper
Walk
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Hill Walk
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
Rest
Walk 30
min (brisk
pace)
(20-sec
drills)
Butt
Boosters
(2 sets)
Butt
Boosters
(2 sets)
Butt
Boosters
(2 sets)
Week 4 Same as Week 3, but do 40-sec drills for Bun-Shaper Walk
Week 5 Same as Week 3, but do 60-sec drills for Bun-Shaper Walk and 3 sets of Butt Boosters
Week 6Same as Week 5
*About 3.5 to 4.0 mph, the pace you’d walk if you were late for an appointment
PREVENTION.COM
1
LEAVE YOUR FAT BEHIND
THE WORKOUT
Do the moves below before or after your
walks. A set is 8 to 12 repetitions, unless
otherwise indicated.
ButtBooster
Strength
Moves
Do these
exercises in addition to walking
on days 3, 5, and
7.
You’ll work all
your glutes—from
the big gluteus
maximus, which
powers you
forward, to the
smaller medius
and minimus
muscles, which
ensure a smooth
stride—from
every angle for
a firmer, curvier
posterior.
1
Twisting Lunge
With right leg, step across body to the left
(the 11 o’clock position if you were standing
on a clock face). Bend knees until right thigh
is parallel to floor, as you twist torso to right.
Stand up. Do 1 set, then switch legs and repeat.
2
Stability Ball Leg Curl
Squeeze glutes, lift hips off floor, bend
knees, and roll ball toward butt with
heels. Extend legs, rolling ball out.
Repeat without lowering hips.
3
Donkey Kick Circle
With a 2- or 3-pound dumbbell tucked
behind left knee, rotate leg from hip and
draw 5 to 6 circles with knee in both
directions. Switch legs.
4
Bridge with Towel
With toes lifted and a rolled-up towel
between calves and thighs, squeeze glutes
and raise hips so body forms a straight line
from shoulders to knees. Slowly lower and
repeat.
PREVENTION.COM
2
LEAVE YOUR FAT BEHIND
THE WORKOUT
The
Hill
Walk
Walk for 30 minutes, hitting as many hills as possible. (Or climb
stairs or stadium bleachers at a track.) Time how long it takes you
to go up a hill, staircase, or set of bleachers, then recover by walking on level ground for about half that time. For instance, if you’re
climbing for 45 seconds, recover for 20 to 25 seconds. Timing doesn’t
have to be exact—just aim to make the majority of your walk uphill.
Or hop on a treadmill and do the workout below.
Do this routine
on days 1 and 4 of
week 2 and day
4 of weeks 3, 4,
5, and 6.
TIME
The Hill Walk
incorporates
inclines and
specific intervals
proven to activate
maximum glute
muscles while
you walk. When
you move from
flat terrain to hilly
ground, more
muscle fibers
in your glutes
are activated to
propel you against
the force of gravity.
0:00–4:59
5:00–9:59
ACTIVITY
INCLINE
Warm-Up (easy,
window-shopping
pace)
1%
Flat Walk (brisk,
late-for-an-appointment
pace)
1%
Incline Walk
(maintain brisk pace)
3-5%
10:00–11:29
Flat Walk
1%
11:30–12:29
60%
The boost in calorie
burn you will get
from walking uphill
or climbing stairs
or bleachers. The
result: faster weight
loss!
PREVENTION.COM
12:30–25:59
Repeat 90-sec Incline
Walk and 60-sec
Flat Walk intervals
(minutes 10:00–12:29)
5 more times.
Cool-Down
(easy pace)
3-5%
1%
1%
26:00–30:00
3
LEAVE YOUR FAT BEHIND
THE WORKOUT
BunShaper
Walk
Do this routine
on day 1 of weeks
3, 4, 5, and 6.
For maximum
benefit, focus on
contracting your
butt muscles (you
should feel your
buns working,
not just your
thighs) throughout the drills.
Then maintain
that active glute
feeling when
you’re walking,
squeezing your
butt muscles with
every step.
Start walking at an easy, window-shopping pace. Gradually
increase to a brisk, late-for-an-appointment speed over the
next 10 minutes. Then stop walking and do drill #1 (at left)
for 20 seconds. (Each week, increase duration by 20 seconds
until you’re doing each drill for a full minute in week 5.) Follow
each drill with 5 minutes of brisk walking. After the last drill
and brisk walking interval, cool down by strolling at an easy
pace for 4 minutes.
Total workout time: 35 to 38 minutes
1 Speed Skater
Sweep right leg out to side and
jump. In one smooth motion,
land on right leg in a partial squat
and swing left leg diagonally
behind you. Then leap to left,
sweeping right leg behind you.
Continue jumping side to side.
2
quadriceps
Long Lunge with Reach
Take a long step forward with
left leg (about 2 to 3 feet), bend
knees, and lower right knee toward ground. Simultaneously
lean forward from hips and reach
as though setting something on
ground by front foot. Press into
left foot, pull hands back, and
stand up with feet together. Repeat with opposite leg.
3
glutes
quadriceps
glutes
hamstrings
glutes
Single-Leg Step-Down
quadriceps
Stand with left foot on step or
curb, right leg hanging off. Bend
hips and left knee and lower right
foot, gently tapping right heel
on ground. Press into left heel
and straighten leg, then repeat.
Switch legs halfway through.
4
Heel Walk
Raise toes off ground and walk
so you’re balancing on heels
only. Take short, quick steps and
swing arms naturally. Your pace
will probably be slower than
normal.
PREVENTION.COM
glutes
quadriceps
shin
4