Today’s morning workout kicked off with 25 minutes on the elliptical before I headed into the weight room to complete an upper body workout from Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp.
The workout utilized pyramid training which always kicks my butt and makes my muscles burn in the best way. Pyramid training can be progressive or regressive, and today’s workout progressed from light to heavy weight.
The first set of the workout began with 15-20 reps at a moderate weight. For the next two sets, the number of reps decreased while the weight I used for the exercise increased.
The breakdown of my bicep concentration curls looked like this:
There are many different ways to do pyramid training and it’s a great way to challenge muscles with some heavier weights! I usually do bicep curls at 15 pounds, so curling 20 pound dumbbells felt challenging but not ridiculous. (It actually made me realize I can and should probably curl heavier weights when I do bicep curls on my own.)
On another note, whenever I do bicep concentration curls at the gym I feel like a total badass. It just seems like the stereotypical exercise you see bodybuilders do or something.
(Source)
“I want to pump YOU up!”
Breakfast
For breakfast this morning, I made myself a plate of scrambled eggs with shredded cheese and peppers.
Plus a toasted whole wheat English muffin on the side!
Question of the Morning
- What exercise makes you feel like a badass in the gym?
Burpees make me feel like a badass even though they’re so darn hard. They make me want to roll over and cry.
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I’ve never heard of this pyramid thing- thanks for sharing!
Squats make me feel like I’m really serious in the gym. 😉
Haha Julie I know exactly what you mean about feeling badass when you lift weights at the gyms. I’m exactly the same! I kind of feel like doing a ‘grrr’ sound too but always abstain (though it wouldn’t be THAT weird given the noises some guys make when they lift in my gym!). That pyramid workout looks really tough, I’ll try and give it a go next time! Thanks for sharing.
Spinning always makes me feel like a badass.. is that weird? I always get way insanely sweaty and I always feel so good. I feel like when you are overly sweaty, people look at you like you’re a badass.
Ha, I love today’s question. Everyone has their thing (or two). I think bench pressing and walking barbell lunges are my BA moves. 🙂
I agree, burpies are the worst! I would say completing a really tough interval run with fast sprints makes me feel like a badass! I’ve done a few of yours and although they kick my butt, I feel AMAZING afterwards 🙂
I feel pretty impressive when I make it more than 2 miles on the treadmill. I’m not at the gym too often, so I’ll go with cheering. I feel SO cool when my stunt pulls a perfect extended stunt with a perfect fulldown. That’s exciting!
I agree burpees! Or when I’m running on the treadmill and I crank up the speed and race a guy next to me 🙂
Pyramid training is always a fun way to mix things up! I know what you mean about the concentrated bicep curl making you feel all badass – so true! I also feel like that when I’m doing box jumps. Those things can be rough!
I wanna try the pyramid!! Thank you for sharing! I feel like one when I do skull crushers… even the name is badass! 🙂
Totally with you on the burpees! I’m usually the only one doing them! Competition burpees with tuck jumps combined….total badass 🙂
I love these pyramid set workouts! I’m off to do the leg one today…those stepups kill me!
I love bicep curls… feel so strong! They’re my favorite area to work. 🙂
pyramid training is the best!! so killer
I think I’d say burpees too 😉
Pullups, even if I do kipping pullups, I still feel badass! I also feel badass when guys at the gym ask me questions or recommendations for them of workouts to try
Love pyramid training – great way to challenge the muscles for different rep ranges within the same program/workout! I always forget to include it in MY own programming, but do often use it for clients’!
Pyramid training was one of my favorite things that I learned from Tina’s Bootcamp! I’m going to have to go back and find some old workouts!
haha concentration curls make me feel badass, standing chest flyes make ma feel badass too!
20 reps of anything is tough!!
Yep bicep curls will do that 🙂 for me it’s cable Rows because all the guys get intense and huff and puff when doing it!
I’ve never heard of Pyramid either but I love the concept.
Also loving your confetti eggs – looks exactly like a breakfast I would love and with the english muffin too!!! 🙂
I love pyramid training, especially while running on the treadmill!
I love pyramid training, but I totally agree with you on the burpee thing. They suck, but once you complete a bunch in a row you feel invincible.
I’ve really enjoyed these pyramid style workouts. I feel like I’m getting in a solid workout and challenging myself without getting overly exhausted or bored, and that’s the way I like my strength training!
I love using the barbell at CrossFit. My coach got an awesome picture of me doing a sumo deadlift high pull a few weeks ago and it totally makes me feel like a badass.
I’m still pretty weak so I was pushing myself with 10 lbs weights for BBB. I was showing off to my husband “Look at me!” and then he started doing curls with 27.5 lbs. weights. Sigh…
pushups – lots of them – on my toes!
I just did the BBB leg/chest workout this morning! But the concentration curls made me feel like a badass too. I felt like a serious weight lifter haha
This workout method sounds intense…and in a good way!
Burpees and running long distances always make me feel like a badass at the gym!!
running really fast on the treadmill and beating the person next to me 🙂 Oh yes. We are racing.
People always stare at me when I do burpees! But usually when I do arms I feel like a tiny bad ass. Until it comes to pull ups or something which I suck at!
Anything with heavy weights makes me feel badass. Also intervals where I’m running like crazy on the treadmill!!
Burpees are my nightmare. But they’re definitely my most badass move haha
Doing pull ups makes me feel like a boss, even though I’m doing them assisted, doesn’t matter! Also jumping switch lunges, they make me feel so strong!
Although I understand why you’re doing Best Body Boot Camp, I do miss following your workouts. Finding new and interesting workouts is the main reason I follow your blog, so I would love to see more of them. Otherwise, I love your blog. Just a suggestion.
I would have to say deadlifts. I was totally intimidated by them until my husband taught me how to do them with proper form. Now, they are my favorite! But I hardly ever see other women doing deadlifts, so I always start feeling a bit prideful when I do them!
I love doing pyramid training! Such a fun way to mix things up and prevent gym boredom. Definitely did one of your walk/run treadmill routines this morning–love getting my “sweaty-mess” on before the sun’s up!
Pull ups make me feel like a bad ass!!! Even though I can only do about 1… That 1 makes me feel good 🙂
I always do a pyramid type workout when I do dumbbell routines. I started out where you are and now worked up to 22.5lbs! It’s amazing how much you can lift if you really give it a try. Lifting heavy I see much more of a difference in my body and the intensity of the workout. I can get my heart pumping as if I’m doing cardio simply doing a 45 minute dumbbell workout. It’s pretty great 🙂
this may sound like a weird question but here goes….I have been trying to go workout early each morning like you do but about 20-30 minutes into my workout (which is about 45 minutes after i wake up) i have to go to the bathroom (#2) . I know it sounds gross but my body always has to go around that time. its especially embarrassing when Im in the middle of a group exercise class and i have to miss out on 10 or so minutes of the class to go to the bathroom. any suggestions?
when i curl i sit in a squat and put my curling elbow on my inner knee if that makes sense. yes i feel like a total badass doing those. pretty much whenever i lift, as girls aren’t typically seen in the weight room there. also renegade (plank) rows and flys do it everytime. i love lifting!
I’m on a mission to perfect my burpee technique! I still just feel awkward doing them! The exercise that makes me feel badass– free weight squats!
Ack burpees! Those make me want to cry, too!
Definitely squats and deadlifts make me feel like a badass, or really most strength exercises, since I’ve pushed myself to lift heavier. It’s definitely a mind over matter thing. But being the only lady in a weight room full of dudes has gone from scary to badass! 🙂
Side planks. I’ve gotten to the point I can do a side plank and keep my top leg lifted.
I LOVE PYRAMID TRAINING!!!!! I might be a little too excitable this morning after RPM – endorphins are still a’flowin’! My bad ass exercise at the gym is dead lifts or maybe squats – anything that lets me load a ton of weight on the bar. Since most women at my gym tend to stay in light weight high rep territory, I feel like super woman over by the squat rack!
Anytime I do anything with a kettlebell, I always feel like a super BA. Probably because I associate them with CrossFit. I only use a 9 lb. one, but carrying it around makes me feel gangsta.
Plyo push ups, for sure! 😀
I feel pretty badass when I do dead lifts!
HAHA! Any concentration curl always makes me feel funny, but because I feel like I probably look like some girl trying to be a bodybuilder but meanwhile I’m just this normal sized girl. Barbels always make me feel like a badass, not sure why, I guess they just seem crazier than dumbbells even though the weight can be the same.
I know a badass yogi seems like an oxymoron, but when I hold some of my balancing yoga positions perfectly and everyone else is falling over, I feel like a badass! 🙂
Spin! I know it’s gross but feeling that sweat roll down and my legs burning makes me feel sexy, alive and a TOTAL BAD ASS!