leave your fat behind! walking workout - prevention · pdf fileif you’re like the...

Are you sitting down? We bet you are. If youre 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 buttand weak glutes dont just sag in your favorite jeans, they slow you down.
To the rescue: our Strong Strides plan, designed by trainer Leigh Crews, an Ameri-can Council on Exercise spokesperson. Youll notice a lift in your Levis 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).
Power off pounds with this easy, 6-week walking workout that trims and firms your hips, butt, and thighs
PREVENTION.COM PREVENTION.COM
Leave Your Fat Behind!
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.
THE STRONG STRIDES PLAN
WE
EK
1
WE
EK
2
WE
EK
3
DAY 5DAY 1 DAY 4 DAY 7DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 6
Walk 30 min (brisk
pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
Walk 30 min (brisk
pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
Walk 30 min (brisk
pace)
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 6 Same as Week 5
RestWalk 30
min (brisk pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
Walk 30 min (brisk
pace)
Walk 30 min (brisk
pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
RestWalk 30
min (brisk pace*)
RestWalk 30
min (brisk pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
Hill WalkWalk 30
min (brisk pace)
Butt Boosters
(1 set)
RestHill Walk
RestWalk 30
min (brisk pace)
Hill WalkWalk 30
min (brisk pace)
Rest
Bun- Shaper Walk
(20-sec drills)
*About 3.5 to 4.0 mph, the pace youd walk if you were late for an appointment

PREVENTION.COM PREVENTION.COM 2
LEAVE YOUR FAT BEHIND
Youll work all your glutesfrom
the big gluteus maximus, which
powers you forward, to the smaller medius and minimus
muscles, which ensure a smooth
stridefrom every angle for a firmer, curvier
posterior.
Butt- Booster Strength Moves
Do these exercises in addi-tion to walking
on days 3, 5, and 7.
THE WORKOUTDo the moves below before or after your walks. A set is 8 to 12 repetitions, unless otherwise indicated.
Twisting Lunge With right leg, step across body to the left (the 11 oclock 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 re-peat.
1
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.
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.
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.
2
3
4

PREVENTION.COM 3
THE WORKOUT
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 walk-ing on level ground for about half that time. For instance, if youre climbing for 45 seconds, recover for 20 to 25 seconds. Timing doesnt have to be exactjust aim to make the majority of your walk uphill. Or hop on a treadmill and do the workout below.
Cool-Down (easy pace)
Flat Walk (brisk, late-for-an-appointment
pace)
Incline Walk (maintain brisk pace)
Warm-Up (easy, window-shopping
pace)1%
1%
Flat Walk 1%
1%
3-5%
Repeat 90-sec Incline Walk and 60-sec
Flat Walk intervals (minutes 10:0012:29)
5 more times. 1%
3-5%
The boost in calorie burn you will get from walking uphill or climbing stairs or bleachers. The result: faster weight loss!
26:0030:00
12:3025:59
11:3012:29
10:0011:29
5:009:59
0:004:59
TIME ACTIVITY INCLINE
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 grav-
ity.
The Hill
Walk
Do this routine on days 1 and 4 of
week 2 and day 4 of weeks 3, 4,
5, and 6.
60%

Long Lunge with ReachTake a long step forward with left leg (about 2 to 3 feet), bend knees, and lower right knee to-ward 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. Re-peat with opposite leg.
PREVENTION.COM 4
For maximum benefit, focus on contracting your
butt muscles (you should feel your buns working, not just your
thighs) through-out the drills. Then maintain
that active glute feeling when
youre walking, squeezing your
butt muscles with every step.
Bun- Shaper Walk
Do this routine on day 1 of weeks
3, 4, 5, and 6.
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.
1
THE WORKOUTStart 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 youre 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
Single-Leg Step-DownStand 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.
3
Heel Walk Raise toes off ground and walk so youre balancing on heels only. Take short, quick steps and swing arms naturally. Your pace will probably be slower than normal.
4
quadricepsglutes
glutes
glutes
glutes
ham- strings
quadriceps
shin
quadriceps
2
quadriceps

leave your fat behind! walking workout - prevention · pdf fileif you’re like the...

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