Can You Go #Beastmode?

You may be ready to sweat, but are you ready to go #beastmode? Get pumped this fall with two challenging workouts that will put an average gym day to shame.

You can't call just any workout #beastmode on Twitter or Instagram—it has to go above and beyond a normal gym session. If you want to claim #beastmode status for your next workout, we have two workouts for you to try.

Beast Builder: If you've never gone #beastmode before, try this workout developed by Gold's Gym Fitness Institute trainer Mike Ryan. It consists of five exercises, all with beginner, intermediate and advanced options.

To get ready for a #beastmode session, Ryan has a trick: He visualizes how much weight he wants to lift that day. "Mentally challenging yourself is the key to the game so you don't get bored or stagnant," he says. (Read about how other Gold's Gym trainers get into #beastmode on our sidebar.)

The Dirty Dozen: This advanced workout is part of our partnership with Veteran Operation Wellness to support their nationwide Day of Action on October 11, 2014. So show your support and drive awareness of veteran nonprofit organizations by powering through this 12-move workout developed by Guy Seaman, Fitness Manager for Gold's Gym.

Get ready for your session with a proper warm-up that includes 10 to 15 minutes of light cardio. Do four sets of everything with a brief rest in between.

SQUATS WITH OVERHEAD PRESS

Beginner: 12–15 reps with no weights
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart; keep your back straight and your head up. Bend your knees and drop your torso forward slightly. Lower your butt toward the floor as if you were sitting in a chair. As you stand back up, push through the heels of your feet. Raise your arms overhead as you come up from the squat.

Intermediate: 12–15 reps with light dumbbells
Squat with dumbbells held at your sides and press dumbbells up overhead as you return to standing.

Advanced: 6–8 squats and 4–5 presses with maximum weight
Perform the squats at a rack with a bar, going as heavy as possible with minimal rest. Do the presses separately, with as many repetitions as you can squeeze out.

PULL-UPS WITH LEG RAISES

Beginner: 10 reps
Support yourself with a chair underneath a pull-up bar. Grab bar, keeping arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and extend body down. Pull up, aiming your chest toward the sky. As you bring your chin over the bar, bring your knees up to your chest.

Intermediate: 12–15 reps with no assistance

Advanced: 12–15 reps with added weight
Put a 10–15 pound dumbbell between your feet, keeping heels together as if you're choking the weight. Perform a pull-up and bring your knees to your chest.

PLANK TO PUSH-UP

Beginner: 12–15 reps with push-ups on knees
Hold a plank for 10 seconds, then do a push-up. That's one rep.

Intermediate: 12–15 reps with regular push-ups
Same as above but hold plank for 15 seconds.

Advanced: 12–15 reps with elevated push-ups
Same as above but put your feet on a bench behind you.

KETTLEBELL SWING

Beginner: 12–15 reps with light weight
Focus on form. Place a kettlebell between your feet. Bend down as if you're sitting and pick the kettlebell up. Snap your hips and swing the kettlebell up to chest level. Explode from the hips with proper form.

Intermediate: 12–15 reps with heavier weight

Advanced: 6–8 reps with max weight

WALKING LUNGES WITH OVERHEAD PRESS

Beginner: Lunge for 20 total yards with no weight
Start with feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides. Step several feet forward with your right foot and bend down until your leg forms a 90-degree angle and your back knee almost touches the ground. Push off your back foot and bring legs together. Repeat on opposite side. Lunge for 10 yards, then turn around and lunge back to start.

Intermediate: Lunge for 40 total yards with overhead press
Choose a weight that is challenging but manageable for four rounds. As you lunge down, press weight overhead. Lunge for 20 yards, then turn around and lunge back to start.

Advanced: Lunge for 100 total yards with overhead press
Grab heavy dumbbells (Ryan suggests 45-pound dumbbells or two 45-pound plates) and lunge down as you press up. Lunge for 50 yards, then turn around and lunge back to start.

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The Galaxy Multi Gym Wings & Thighs Workout

In honor of Turkey Day, we dish on the six best moves to pump up your wings and thighs.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we have bird on the brain, so we asked Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute trainer Adam Friedman to give us exercise moves that would focus on your very own wings and thighs (aka your delts and upper legs) plus the hows and whys behind each one. Add a serving of these six simple and effective moves to your regular routine once or twice a week to get your gobble on.

DEADLIFT

Why: This powerful hip movement helps tone the entire body while simultaneously developing muscle mass in your thighs. Friedman urges people to focus on clean technique rather than maximum weight. “That means a straight spine with perfect posture through the shoulders,” he says. “Use your lats to really stabilize your spine. The movement should be dominated by the hips.”

How: Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, and a dumbbell between your feet. Bend your knees, as if sitting back, while keeping your back straight, and pick up the dumbbell. Take a deep breath, stand up, then exhale. You’ll know the dumbbell is too heavy if your spine rounds forward instead of staying neutral.

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

Why: This exercise focuses on the quads but also tones and strengthens the entire lower body. Friedman offers a word of caution: “People put too much weight on the back foot. The working leg is the front leg, and 90% of your weight should be on it. The back foot is there for balance and just a little bit of assistance.”

How: Start with one foot on the floor and the other leg extended backward so the sole of your foot is facing upwards resting on a bench. If you want, put a bar on your shoulders for added weight resistance. Bend your front knee and keep your back straight while your other knee lowers toward the floor. Just before it touches the floor, pause, then return to the starting position.

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps on each side

SIDE LUNGE

Why: This one is simple and works to build muscle while increasing flexibility.

How: Stand straight with your abs tight to maintain balance and place your hands on your hips. Move your left foot to the side, bending your knee, while keeping your right leg straight. Make sure your left knee doesn’t pass your left toe. Push your left foot into the floor and return to a standing position. Complete the set, then go down to your right. Hold a medicine ball in your hands for a more advanced move.

Start with 3 sets of 8 reps on each side

DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

Why: This move targets the shoulders along with the triceps and back. Friedman recommends standing up rather than sitting while doing shoulder presses because it encourages proper form. “People make a mistake when they don’t use their abdominals and core to stabilize,” he says. “It comes down to keeping the spine neutral and making sure there’s no arching of the lower back.”

How: Take a dumbbell in each hand using an overhand grip, with your arms out to the side and your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle with the dumbbells toward the ceiling. Simultaneously push both arms upward until each one is straight. Bring them back to the original position, controlling the dumbbells throughout the movement.

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps

DUMBBELL SIDE-LATERAL RAISE

Why: The raises work the lateral delts on the side of the shoulder, which are difficult to train and can be overlooked as a result. Make sure to watch your arm movement. “I typically don’t advise raising the elbows above the shoulder, because that can impinge the cartilage in the AC joint that attaches your shoulder to your torso,” Friedman says.

How: Start by standing straight with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms hanging down by your sides. Pinch your shoulder blades together and tighten your stomach, then raise the dumbbells up until your arms are parallel to the ground. Pause briefly, then return to the starting position.

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps

BENT-OVER DUMBBELL REVERSE FLY

Why: This works your posterior deltoid in the back of your shoulders as well as your upper back and neck. Using free weights helps train the entire spectrum of muscles, as opposed to using a machine that can focus too much on one group. “It’s super important to maintain a neutral spine in any bent-over move, especially here,” Friedman says. “Make sure to maintain it the entire time. Don’t swing the dumbbell to get it up, and really focus on retracting the shoulder blades. It’s an excellent exercise that helps with the postural muscles and balance.”

How: With a dumbbell in each hand, bend at the waist while keeping a straight back, your chest up, and your knees slightly bent. Bring your elbows up until they are even with your back, focusing on a tight stomach then lower back to the starting position.

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps

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FACILITIES

As you will have realized already, 48 Fitness is not just another gymnasium. At every step, we have taken extreme care to ensure we don't compromise on any feature that will deprive our members of a truly distinct ambience, aura and appearance that he/she has not experienced hitherto. To provide you with that experience, we have worked out every minute detail with respect to the interiors. Our music systems from BOSE ensure that you have access to the best quality sound to suit your music needs. 

In addition to this, our custom DMX controlled lights dynamically change with the music to create a visually captivating experience. Our key personnel-trainers, Fitness consultants and the front-office team are the best in the business, and each one has been groomed to ensure you get the best health club experience in India.

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