September Workout Game Plan
For the month of September our muscle group pairings will be shoulders/legs and back/chest. The more we can condition ourselves to utilize the same amount of weight under longer periods of tension, the quicker we will see our overall ability to increase weight from month to month! Last month we increased our consecutive exercises per muscle group to two. This month we will increase that to three consecutive exercises per muscle group with the goal of increasing the same weight from the previous month.
The more we focus on that increased time-under-tension, the more you will notice your ability to increase in weight when we move back to just one muscle group in a row! Our time-under-tension focus works on a 4-exercise cycle (increasing consecutive exercises by one every month and then back to one, until we reach four in a row, and then back to the beginning), so that gives us ample time to really break down and build up those muscles to get the most out of our workouts!
 
 
New September Workout Additions!
At Fit Fx, we are constantly striving to keep the routines fun and fresh by adding new exercises each month! Some of them will be altogether new to our members, while a few will be twists on some of our old favorites! Adding new exercises allows us to add to our extensive library of workout options which means not only do we keep things unique and fresh, but we are able to maximize our workout potential instead of getting caught up in the same thing month in and month out! Let’s take a look at the newest addition for September:
1.) Front Raise Hold, Side Raise
➢ You might have noticed the new workouts last month began putting tension on both sides of the body even on stations that focused on single side. This had such an effective impact that we are going to continue with more similar additions! This exercise requires us to hold a kettlebell out in front of us with an extended arm at shoulder level. Meanwhile the other arm, also holding a kettlebell, is raised up and down at our side, also to shoulder level. While the front arm remains stationary (hold), the other arm continuously moves up and down (raise). This exercise is sure to leave those shoulders remembering that station!
2.) Dumbbell Pullover Hold
➢ Once again, maximizing tension by adding in the opposite side hold. While laying flat on the bench, you will have two dumbbells. Each arm will be extended back, like a traditional pullover, except while one arm remains back (hold), the other performs the normal pullover in which we raise it back above our chest. We continue this motion with one arm while the other holds extended out. This too will leave that muscle group (back) giving everything it has to give on those stations!
3.) Dumbbell Press Hold
➢ Very similar to the pullover hold, we will be on the bench with one arm holding the weight extended while the other performs the exercise. This time, rather than our arms being extended back toward our head and above our shoulders we will be extended our arms directly above our chest and performing a chest press. One arm will remain extended for the duration of the exercise while we bring the other back toward our chest before pressing back up again. Your chest muscles won’t soon forget this one!