"The Crusader"....Team Workout!

Last week we embarked on our first team training session- something that will be making a regular appearance in our week now- every Tuesday....bring on the SWEAT.

Unaware of what exactly we had agreed to, we all gathered in the 'Skills Zone' for our first team training session of our 12 Week Challenge.  We soon realised things were about to get serious when we spotted the suspicious smile on our trainer Matt's face...he was about to turn up the heat BIG time, and he was loving every second.

Here's the workout we did, try it out yourself...making sure you use a barbell weight that REALLY challenges you.

'The Crusader'

Deadlifts:

Powerclean:

Front Squats:

NOTE: correct arm position on the RIGHT. 
Elbows forward, resting the bar on your arms/chest.

Push Press:

 Row:

Deadlift: (yes, AGAIN!)

2min sprint on Spin bike:

6 reps of each exercise + 2min bike; 6 rounds.

NOTES:

- The exercises are in such an order that you should be able to continue from one to the other in a single fluid movement...no dropping the bar/resting if at all possible!

- It is meant to be a 2km sprint on the bike, however since we were using spin bikes, we couldn't register this and so just went with the 2mins instead.

Weights Used & Overall Times Taken:

Krystal - 20kg Olympic Barbell          24mins 36sec
Kirsten - 20kg Olympic Barbell          26mins 43sec
Jo -        15kg Barbell                       25mins 23sec
Lauren - 2 x 6kg Kettlebells (12kg)   26mins 23sec

Here's the feedback from the girls:

“I found the ‘Crusader Challenge’ very, err... challenging! Being my first ‘proper’ workout since before I was pregnant it was definitely a struggle, in particular the 2minute bike sprint at the end of each set. During the challenge I felt as though my legs were going to fall off and that I would not be able to finish but thanks to my fellow reception staff’s encouragement I made it- yay for me! Afterwards I felt really good and even though my legs hurt for a further 2 days (eek!) it was definitely worth it J”  - Lauren

"Holy WOW.  I was REALLY pushed out of my comfort zone with this workout.  That 20kg bar took me to hell & back, but man it felt good to have conquered the entire routine at the end of it all.  The hardest move for me was the Push Press...getting that weight right up there each time was TOUGH.  I loved working out as a team, because when the going got tough all you had to do was look around at your team mates & realise that they were hurting too....then there was no way you were going to give up." - Kirsten

“The workout was tough but not outside my capabilities.  I found the bike reps the hardest due mainly to the discomfort of the bike seat.  While I was indeed 'buggered' afterwards, I did enjoy the challenge!" - Jo

"I really enjoyed 'The Crusader' workout.  It was a great challenge & I really had to push myself.  The bike sprint at the end of each set is a great way to improve fitness."  - Krystal

We finished off with some relaxing partner-stretching...as if we weren't doing enough team bonding as it was, we went that step further- stretching each other out after a hardcore workout when you're both covered in SWEAT.  Yeah, we did.

Let us know how you go with your attempts! 

Go hard or go home!  :-)