Strength Circuit Workout | Body Recomposition Workout Plan Day 27

Couples Strength Gym Workout | Team Britney Or Usher? | Live Lean Shred Ep. 27

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m taking you into the gym to show you how to do strength circuit workout #16 from the Afterburn 1.0 body recomposition workout plan, with a workout partner.

Welcome back to the Live Lean Shred 42 day body recomposition workout plan.

It’s time to go to the gym.

If you haven’t downloaded the workout yet, you can sign up here to get the new workout PDFs emailed to you for free.

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Strength Circuit Workout #4 | Body Recomposition Workout Plan

We’re back down in the gym for strength workout #4 from our Live Lean Afterburn 1.0 body recomposition workout plan.

For today’s celebrity style workout I’ll be training Usher and Britney Spears 😂.

If you tuned into the series earlier, I put Ryan through Descending Ladder Workout #5 and Megan through Complex Training Workout #9.

This time I’m putting them through a strength workout together.

I asked them to come again since a lot of you have said you train with your significant other.

Therefore I wanted to show you how you can train together while doing the exercises from this 42 day body recomposition workout plan.

Here’s the pdf of today’s strength training circuit style workout, with links to all the exercise demonstration videos.

If you do not have access to the Afterburn 1.0 workout PDFs yet, you can sign up to our newsletter to get every workout emailed to you for free here.

This workout will follow a similar format to the previous strength workout circuits:

• Strength Circuit Workout #1
• Strength Circuit Workout #2
• Strength Circuit Workout #3

Megan also has a little issue with her neck, so we’re going to watch that and workout around it, when needed.

Let’s get into the warm up first, and then move into the workout.

How To Do An Afterburn Workout With A Partner

If you are working out with a partner, you could complete this workout in a couple of different ways:

1. You could alternate taking turns doing the first exercise
   • For example, one partner could rest while the other partner completes a set of the exercise, and vice versa.
   • Note: this is not optimal since the rest periods between exercises within the strength circuits are only 20 seconds.
2. One partner can start with the first exercise in circuit A, while the other person does the second exercise in circuit A, then switch places with each other.
   • This will make the circuit workout more efficient and fast, while sticking with the short 20 second rest periods.

One of the benefits of working out with a partner during a strength workout is you can push each other to lift heavier.

A good training partner will always make you do more than if you were by yourself and prevent you from cheating.

The trash talk also helps 😝.

How Much Weight Should You Be Lifting?

Since this is a strength based workout, it’s important to keep the weights up and the reps lower.

You should select a heavy enough weight that will make you fail out in the 5-8 rep range.

If lifting heavy is new to you, I’d prefer you go lighter during the first set to lock down the form, rather then going too heavy, which then ruins your form.

If needed, start the first set with lighter weights to get used to the movement, then lift heavier weight during the next few sets.

4 Minute Warm Up

Complete the following 4 minute warm up before starting the strength workout.

• WU1. Seal Jacks x 30 seconds
• WU2. Air Squats x 30 seconds
• WU3. Push Up x 30 seconds
• WU4. Alternating Pendulum Lunge x 30 seconds

Repeat this circuit twice, with no breaks between exercises.

Strength Circuit A

Before starting the first exercise, make sure you set up your circuit station with all the required equipment and weights, then complete the following 4 exercises in circuit format.

A1. Dumbbell Step Up

The first exercise in strength circuit A is the dumbbell step up.

Ryan completed the dumbbell step with knee drive, which requires more balance.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 30 per leg
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-6
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Remember to select a weight that makes you come close to muscle failure between 5-8 reps.
• Complete all the reps on one leg at a time, then switch legs.
• Focus on pushing your foot through the step to engage the glutes and hamstrings.
• To feel it even more, rather than balancing the moving foot on top of the step, try to keep it hovering just above the step, to keep the tension on the working leg.
• During Megan’s first set, she failed out at 8 reps while using 25 pound dumbbells.
• During Ryan’s first set, he failed out at 8 reps while using 35 pound dumbbells.
• After you hit 5-8 reps per leg, take a short 20 second rest, then move on to the next exercise in the circuit.

A2. Dumbbell Pullover

The second exercise in strength circuit A is the dumbbell pullover.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 25
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-5
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Dumbbell pullovers will hit the muscles in the chest and back.
• When you extend the dumbbell behind your head you should feel a good stretch in your lats, then when you pull the dumbbell back up you should feel more tension in your chest.
• Place your upper back on top of the bench, with your neck hanging off the edge, while maintaining your neck in a neutral position with your spine.
• You can let your hips drop as you extend your arms up and back over your head to get a better stretch in your lats.
• Make sure you lift heavy enough to fail out at 5-8 reps.
• Once you complete the reps, take a quick 20 second break, then move on to the next exercise.

A3. Barbell Romanian Deadlift

The third exercise in strength circuit A is the barbell romanian deadlift, often referred to as the barbell stiff legged deadlift.

Since we don’t have access to a free weight olympic barbell, we had to substitute this with the smith machine.

Barbell Substitution: Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift

Ryan completed the move with more bend in his knees, similar to a traditional bent knee smith machine deadlift.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 30
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-6
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Megan decided to add a 45 pound weight plate to each side of the smith machine, which made me very happy to see.
• Based on this weight selection, she is in it now to work her glutes.
• Ryan add a 45 pound and 25 pound weight plate to each side of the smith machine.
• With the bar on the lowest setting, bend forward to grip the weight.
• Push your feet through the floor to initiate the lift with your hamstrings, then drive your hips forward.
• At the top of the lift, pretend like you are trying to crack a walnut between your butt cheeks.
• Think “buns of steel”.
• When lowering the weight, rather than having your knees fully locked, they should just be slightly unlocked.
• Focus on keeping your neck in a neutral position with your spine, rather than hyperextending and cranking your neck back.
• Complete 5-8 reps, with the goal of lifting heavy enough weight that makes you fail on the last rep.
• After you complete 5-8 reps, move to the next exercise in the circuit.

A4. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

The last exercise in strength circuit A is the dumbbell incline bench press.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 35
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 5-7
• Rest: 60 seconds

Coaching cues:

• I’ve trained Ryan before so I know he could lift more than 50 pound dumbbells, however that is the heaviest dumbbells we had access to in the gym.
• One way to make lighter weights feel heavier is to slow down the lifting tempo on the way down to a 4 second count, then lift them back up again.
• By slowing the eccentric tempo motion on the way down to a 4 second count, versus a 1-2 second count, you make it more difficult by putting more tension on your muscles.
• Ultimately the slower you go, the more difficult the exercise will be.
• You can even have your training partner touch your chest muscles to make the mind to muscle connection even better.
• If your partner is a female, just make sure you have permission to do that first 😉.
• While Megan was completing her first set, she reached the 8th rep but could still do more without hitting muscle failure.
• This is an example that the 15 pound dumbbells she choose were not heavy enough.
• If this happens, complete a few more than 8 reps, then on your next set increase the weight.
• This first set still counts, so you don’t have to do it over again, however just make sure you go up in weight during the next set.
• Once you complete 5-8 reps, take a 60 second rest, then repeat the circuit.

Remember to have your workout PDF with you during the workout, so you can keep track of how many reps you have left for each exercise.

Even though the rep goal per set is between 5-8 reps, you need to keep track of how many reps you completed per set in order to hit the total rep goal per exercise.

After completing all the reps on the last set for every exercise, it’s time to move on to the ignite it up.

Ignite It Up: Burpees

You can choose between the following 5 different burpee variations:

1. Squat Thrust Burpee
2. Jump Burpee
3. Push Up Burpee
4. Jump Burpee Push Up
5. Burpee Push Up Tuck Jump
6. Burpee Push Up Tuck Jump And Reach

Since Megan was having neck issues, she choose the jump burpee.

Ryan choose the jump burpee push up.

• Reps: 60 seconds
• Sets: 1
• Rest: 60 seconds

Coaching cues:

• This will get the blood flowing and get you sweating.
• Ryan’s burpee variation is a little more advanced as it includes both the push up and jump.
• After a few reps, I challenged Ryan to progress it to the burpee push up tuck jump, then Megan completed the burpee tuck jump.
• After the ignite it up, take a 60 second rest compose your body and let your heart rate drop back down, then move on to strength circuit B.

Strength Circuit B

I love to see the camaraderie and fun trash talk between Megan and Ryan.

In fact, Megan keeps calling out Ryan that his weight selection is too easy because she thinks he’s really strong.

I guess that’s not trash talking, it’s a vote of confidence and a sign of affection.

As a true gentlemen, Ryan was also helping Megan remove the weights from the smith machine.

When it was Megan’s turn, she was also thoughtful and did the same thing for Ryan.

You could say this is relationship goals.

Speaking of gym etiquette, if you’re sharing gym equipment with another person, and you’re loading up the bar with 3 plates on each side to squat 315 pounds, take the weights off the bar after you use it.

You’re not impressing anyone by walking away with the plates still on the bar.

In fact, it’s not fair to make other people remove your weights.

Removing someone else’s weights can be exhausting and may tire you out before you even start your own set.

Bottom line, always put your weights away.

You now have 4 more exercises in strength circuit B.

B1. Dumbbell Walking Lunge

The first exercise in strength circuit B is the dumbbell walking lunge.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 25
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-5
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Select a pair of dumbbells that is enough weight to hit muscle failure after 5-8 reps per leg.
• Keep your back nice and flat with your chest upright.
• When doing walking lunges, I often see people’s back and chest is too far forward, which makes their knee go to far past their foot.
• In many cases, this may not be good for your knees.
• When lowering into the lunge, make sure your knee is in alignment with the platform of your foot.
• Always focus on great form.
• If you reach a wall before completing all of your reps, turn around and keep going until you hit all your reps.
• During Megan’s first set, she hit failure using 25 pound dumbbells.
• Ryan used 35 pound dumbbells, but probably could have gone heavier in order to hit failure between 5-8 reps.
• This means he’ll add more weight for the next set.

B2. Barbell Upright Row

The second exercise in strength circuit B is the barbell upright row.

Barbell Substitution: Smith Machine Upright Row

• Total reps from all sets combined: 35
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 5-7
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• If you have access to an olympic barbell use it instead of the smith machine.
• Take an outside hip width grip.
• Using a wider grip is a little bit safer for the shoulders when performing the barbell upright row.
• Keep your hips and chest upright.
• Ryan loaded up the bar with a 25 pound plate on each side.
• Megan thinks he could lift heavier than this, since the goal is to use enough weight to hit muscle failure after 5-8 reps.
• After Ryan’s first set, Megan was right that Ryan should have lifted more weight.
• If this is the case, once you get to 8 reps, complete a few more reps with the current weight, then increase the weight during the next set.
• For Megan’s set, she add 15 pounds to each side and completed 5 and a half reps.
• Once you hit failure between 5-8 reps, re-rack the weight, stick to the short 20 second rest period, then move on to the next exercise.

B3. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press

The third exercise of strength circuit B is the dumbbell flat bench press.

• Total reps from all sets combined: 30
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-6
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Ryan went with highest weights available, 50 pound dumbbells, however since we know he can lift more than that, he focused on slowing the tempo on the way down, then pressed up with power.

B4. Barbell Front Squat

The last exercise of strength circuit B is the barbell front squat.

Since we didn’t have access to a free weight olympic barbell, we had to use the smith machine.

If you have access to a free weight barbell, use it.

Barbell Substitution: Smith Machine Front Squat

• Total reps from all sets combined: 30
• Reps per set: 5-8
• Sets: 4-6
• Rest: 20 seconds

Coaching cues:

• Position the barbell in the front rack position with your elbows up high.
• Megan used a clean grip, however since Ryan didn’t have as good flexibility in his wrists, he used a cross over grip, with the barbell resting on the front of his shoulders.
• Once you un-rack the weight, keep your abs tight, push your hips go back, then bend your knees to lower down into the squat.
• Press your feet through the floor to rise back up, while bringing your hips forward.
• If you notice the hooks on the smith machine bar are hitting the rack as you go up and down, make sure you twist the bar back more.
• The front squat is a little different than the barbell back squat.
• I like the front squat as it is a little safer for your spine, while pulling in more core activation and hitting the quadricep muscles on the front of the legs more than the hamstrings on the back of your legs.
• During the front squat, keep your abs contracted as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
• If someone was to punch you, their hand should break since your abs are so tight.
• The goal is to select a weight to fail out at 5-8 reps.
• Megan used 2 x 10 pound plates on each side and failed out at 8 reps.
• Ryan used 1 x 45 pound plate on each side.
• Since his legs were quivering during the set, it was a good amount of weight for this exercise.
• Once you finish the circuit, take a 60 second break, then repeat until all the reps are completed for each exercise.

After completing all the circuits, take a 60 second rest, then move on to the 4 minute tabata workout finisher.

4 Minute Tabata Workout Finisher

The 4 minute tabata workout finisher is comprised of:

• 20 seconds of work
• 10 seconds of rest
• Repeat for a total of 4 minutes

C1. Speed Squat

The first tabata exercise is the speed squat.

• Reps: 20 seconds
• Rest: 10 seconds
• Sets: 2

Coaching cues:

• During the speed squat, you want to get down so your thighs are close to parallel to the floor.
• Complete 20 seconds, then take a 10 second break before moving on to the next exercise.

C2. Jump Burpee Push Up

The second exercise is the jump burpee push up.

However, you can do the same burpee variation that you did earlier in the workout, or you could increase the intensity level:

1. Squat Thrust Burpee
2. Jump Burpee
3. Push Up Burpee
4. Jump Burpee Push Up
5. Burpee Push Up Tuck Jump

• Reps: 20 seconds
• Rest: 10 seconds
• Sets: 2

Coaching cues:

• Since this is the workout finisher, you want to leave nothing left in your energy tank.
• Megan choose the jump burpee and Ryan choose the jump burpee push up.
• Complete 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then move on to the next exercise.

C3. Mountain Climbers

The third exercise are mountain climbers.

• Reps: 20 seconds
• Rest: 10 seconds
• Sets: 2

Coaching cues:

• Get down on the ground then drive one knee in at a time while maintaining a flat back.
• Your back should not be flopping up and down in the air.
• The movement should be in a nice and controlled motion, while focusing on contracting your core, as you drive your knees in.
• Think about getting a nice and flat stomach.
• We’re almost done the workout.
• Complete 20 seconds of rep, then rest 10 seconds before moving on to the last exercise.

C4. High Knee Taps

The last exercise are high knee taps.

• Reps: 20 seconds (10 seconds per side)
• Rest: 10 seconds
• Sets: 2

Coaching cues:

• Since you just completed the mountain climber where your knees are driving in horizontally, now your knees will drive up and down vertically.
• Tap your knees with your hands.
• If you arms get tired you can switch to high knee sprints.
• Complete for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then repeat the circuit one more time.

Complete each exercise for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, then repeat one time for a total of 4 minutes.

Once you do that, you are done the workout.

This strength circuit workout should take you between 55-60 minutes to complete.

It’s a little longer than the descending ladder and complex training workouts, however this is needed to kick your butt and get you strong, so you can build the foundation to Live Lean for the rest your life.

After the workout, it’s time to go get a protein shake to recover and repair your muscles.

Thanks again to Ryan and Megan for coming in for today’s workout.

Since they did such a good job, we’re going out to party and eat some food and drinks!

Who Won: Team Usher or Team Britney?

Let’s have a vote in the comments below.

We’ll see you at the next workout.

Keep Living Lean.

Next Workout: Strength Circuit Workout #17 | Body Recomposition Workout Plan