Train Like A Champion

IFBB Pro Adela Garcia is the most successful competitor in the history of the Fitness division— with five Ms. Fitness International titles and eight Olympia titles. Before her winning streak began, Adela told herself that she would one day become the “Champion” of these prestigious events. She certainly achieved that… and then some.

While all of us can’t be IFBB Champions like Adela, we can certainly ascend to our own personal fitness greatness. Eager to do so, FitnessRx for Women caught up with Adela to learn her secrets for a Champion physique. Get ready to work!

Champ For a Day: Adela’s High-Intensity Body-Shaping Workout

Adela stays on the top of her game with giant sets, plyometrics and high repetitions. Adela’s high-intensity training regimen keeps her looking lean and tight while giving her endurance for those high-energy routines. So, if you want to blast fat, get in shape and tone your body, try out Adela’s High-Intensity Body-Shaping Workout. Don’t forget your towel and water for this one. You’ll need it!

What does this workout do?

1. Shapes, tightens and tones
2. Burns fat
3. Builds endurance

When It Works

• Need A New Challenge: Do this routine when you want a challenge or a break from your typical regimen. Changing things up will help you bust through plateaus and stay motivated!
• Time To Mix It Up: Incorporate a few exercises or a giant set from the workout to intensify your current training.
• Want A Little Extra: Add another day at the gym to perform this workout and step up your training.
• Short On Time: Do this routine on days when your schedule permits training OR cardio, not both.
• Get A Fresh Start: Do this routine if you’ve missed a few days in the gym and have some catching up to do.

CLICK TO PRINT

Adela’s Tips To Stay Motivated

1. Look at a picture of someone you admire.
2. Listen or watch your favorite music. (Adela likes to watch Ricky Martin videos.)
3. Have a “get real” moment in the mirror.
4. Remember why you started.

Adela’s Championship Training Tips

The Champ explains a few of her favorite exercises for shaping up.

DUMBBELL SQUATS: “Hold a dumbbell in between your legs, position your feet wide with your toes pointed out slightly. Squat to parallel and then return to the starting position.”

WEIGHTED POP SQUATS: “The pop squat is performed in an explosive manner. Start with feet together and standing up straight. Pop your feet out into a squat position. Then, explosively jump up and bring your feet back together. That is one rep.”

STATIONARY LUNGES: “[When in the lunge position], make sure your knee doesn’t go beyond your toes.”

SHOULDER-WIDTH SQUATS WITH ARNOLD PRESSES: “Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells resting on shoulders. Go down into a parallel squat, explode up and finish with an Arnold press.”

SPLIT JUMPS ON STEP: “For this exercise, you will need a 12-inch aerobics step. Begin with one foot on the step and the other foot directly behind you— just like you are in a lunge position. Start by explosively jumping up and switching feet in mid-air. Land with the opposite foot on the step. This is one rep.”

WEIGHTED BURPEES WITH DUMBBELLS: “This is just like a regular burpee, except you will be holding a dumbbell in each hand throughout the whole movement. Start standing with both feet together and a dumbbell in each hand. Go down into a catcher’s stance with the dumbbells now touching the ground (hands parallel and a little wider than shoulder-distance apart). Kick your feet out behind you, and then bring them back in toward your chest. Finally, explosively jump up to the starting position to finish the rep.”

BODYWEIGHT SQUATS: “Have your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands out in front of you. Make sure you get your hip joint below your knee joint.”

WEIGHTED SQUAT JUMPS ON STEP: “Stand on top of a 12-inch aerobics step, holding one dumbbell with both hands. Jump up and land in a squat, straddling the step. Jump back onto the step, landing in the starting position. That is one rep.” Exercise may be performed on an aerobics step, as pictured, or on a bench.

MEDICINE BALL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS: “By putting your hands on an unstable surface like the medicine ball, you will be much more challenged.”

BURPEE JUMPS TO STEP: “Begin the burpee movement standing on a 12-inch step. Jump and land off of the step in a squatted position with your hands on the bench. Kick your feet out into a push-up position. When you bring your feet in from the push-up position, jump onto the step. End the rep by standing upright like the starting position. If the step is too challenging for you, perform a regular burpee, but just jump up as high as you can with forward momentum.”

For more great workouts, see Train Like a Champion with IFBB Figure Pro Nicole Wilkins.

For More Adela…

Interested in training with Adela Garcia, the 8-time Fitness Olympia Champion & 5-time Ms. Fitness International? Visit her website: http://www.offchallenge.com

For Adela’s daily inspiration, follow her on Facebook and Twitter

For appearances, endorsements, etc.: http://www.fmg-fitnessmanagementgroup.com/