A Week to Peak: Episode 3
Work your entire body with these five training routines that pay special attention to two all-important zones — glutes and arms.
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The premise of this series is simple — a week’s worth of workouts.
Perhaps you’ve got a big vacation coming up in roughly seven days and want to get in a great week of training before you relax (and look your best in a bikini). Or maybe your current program is just growing stale and you need something new to reignite your training spark.
These Week to Peak routines can get you there. Choose one that looks appealing and that matches your goals and accommodates your available equipment. The workouts are challenging and fun, and they are suitable for most intermediate and advanced athletes.
Enjoy!
Episode 3: Total-Body Workouts — Focus on Glutes and Arms
Who doesn’t want great glutes and shapely arms? When these areas are well-sculpted, you can pull off just about any outfit — jeans, shorts, bikinis, tank tops — you name it. These five routines work your entire body with special attention paid to those two all-important zones. So for this week, you’ll alternate between glutes and arms with a high-intensity interval training and ab workout thrown in for good measure.
The first glute-focused day gives you a good a–kicking with bodyweight jump squats, step-ups, lunges and Romanian deadlifts, and the second uses goblet squats and a trio of isolated hip-extension movements to get the job done. To get the most out these workouts, go as heavy as possible while maintaining proper form and hitting all the prescribed rep counts.
In the first arm-focused workout, you’ll train chest, back, biceps and triceps using a moderately heavy load and working in straight sets, and in the second, you’ll train arms and shoulders with slightly higher rep counts and will superset biceps and triceps to increase intensity.
If you want to move a little more, you can do 30 to 40 minutes of steady-state cardio of your choice, such as running, walking, cardio machine, etc., on days 6 and 7.
Workout Snapshot
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Total Body + Glute Focus 1 | Chest and Back + Arm Focus 1 | HIIT Cardio + Abs | Total Body + Glute Focus 2 | Arm Focus 2 + Shoulders | Rest or Optional Cardio 30-40 Minutes | Rest or Optional Cardio 30-40 Minutes |
Day 1
Total Body + Glute Focus 1 — Straight Sets
Complete all sets and reps of one exercise before moving on to the next. Rest no more than 30 to 60 seconds between sets to keep intensity high.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Jump Squat | 3-4 | 15-20 |
| Dumbbell Step-Up | 3 | 12 (each leg) |
| Dumbbell Three-Way Lunge* | 3 | 30 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3-4 | 12-15 |
*10 walking lunges (5 each leg) + 10 alternating side lunges + 10 alternating reverse lunges = 1 set (30 reps)
Day 2
Chest and Back + Arm Focus 1
Complete the moves in each superset back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 seconds between supersets.
Superset 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Chest Press | 3 | 12 |
| Two-Arm Dumbbell Bent-Over Row | 12 |
Superset 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Two-Arm Dumbbell Straight-Arm Kickback | 3 | 15 |
| Dumbbell Flat-Bench Chest Flye | 15 |
Arm Focus 1 — Straight Sets
Complete all sets and reps of one exercise before moving on to the next. Rest no more than 30 to 60 seconds between sets to keep intensity high.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Cable/Resistance-Band Pressdown | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell/Resistance-Band Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Bench Dip | 3 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell/Resistance-Band Hammer Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
Day 3
HIIT Cardio + Abs
Warm-Up
Perform five to 10 minutes of light cardio of your choice.
HIIT Cardio
Complete 12 rounds of the following workout using the cardio modality of your choice.
| Activity | Time |
| All-Out Work | 20 seconds |
| Rest | 40 seconds |
Abs — Tabata
Complete two rounds of the following workout.
| Exercise | Seconds |
| Sit-Up | 20 |
| Rest | 10 |
| Side Plank (left) | 20 |
| Rest | 10 |
| V-Up | 20 |
| Rest | 10 |
| Side Plank (right) | 20 |
| Rest | 10 |
Day 4
Total Body + Glute Focus 2 — Straight Sets
Complete all sets and reps of one exercise before moving on to the next. Rest no more than 30 to 60 seconds between sets to keep intensity high.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Hip Thrust | 4 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Goblet Squat | 3 | 15 |
| Prone Banded Leg Lift | 2 | 20 (each leg) |
| Banded Glute Bridge | 1 | 50 |
Notes
- For your hip thrusts, use whatever weights you have available — dumbbells, barbell, weight plates, etc.
- For the leg lifts and glute bridges, choose a moderately challenging mini-band loop and position it around your middle to lower thighs above your knees.
Day 5
Arm Focus 2 + Shoulders
Complete the moves in each superset back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 seconds between supersets.
Superset 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps/Time |
| Two-Arm Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 20 |
| Two-Arm Dumbbell Skullcrusher | 20 | |
| Rest | 30 seconds |
Superset 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps/Time |
| Resistance-Band/Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension | 3 | 15-20 |
| Tesistance-Band/Dumbbell Preacher Curl | 15-20 | |
| Rest | 30 seconds |
Shoulders — Straight Sets
Complete all sets and reps of one exercise before moving on to the next. Rest no more than 30 to 60 seconds between sets to keep intensity high.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Overhead Dumbbell Press | 3 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 15 |
| Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear-Delt Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
Notes
If you’re short on time and/or want to increase intensity, perform these three exercises as a tri-set.
Days 6 and 7
Cardio (optional)
Perform 30 to 40 minutes of steady-state cardio at a moderate intensity using the modality of your choice.