Claire P. Thomas - CPT Fit Guide PDF
Claire P. Thomas - CPT Fit Guide PDF
Claire P. Thomas - CPT Fit Guide PDF
CPT
FIT
guide
By Claire P. Thomas
TABLE Of
CONTENTS
01
ABOUT
03
BREAKDOWN
05
EXPECTATIONS
WARM UP
07 COOL DOWN
09
CARDIO
13
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
19
ABOUT ME
HOW I STARTED
Hey there, I'm Claire! Ever since I was a kid I have truly enjoyed working out. From a
young age, I can remember doing sit-ups and pushups before bed & making it my
mission to complete more each night. During school at recess I was determined to beat
all the boys at arm wrestling and racing. I have always been instilled with this
competitive drive & when I got older it was fulfilled through my sports. I competitively
played soccer, basketball & track for the majority of my life. My dream was to compete
at the next level & when I was given the opportunity to join the University of Oregon
track & field team as a hurdler & heptathlete, I couldn’t pass it up. Although my
collegiate athletic career has now ended, my passion & desire for fitness & exercise has
not. I am pursuing my dream of becoming a personal trainer and being a helpful
resource to individuals ready to make positive & healthy changes in their lives.
ABOUT
1
I USE IT TOO!
When my athletic career ended I
ABOUT THE
guide:
struggled to find workouts that
were challenging, yet enjoyable.
After years of constantly trying
new techniques through A LOT of
THE CPT FIT GUIDE IS A trial & error, I finally created a
HELPFUL STRENGTH & plan that I love & use every day! I
CARDIO PLAN FOR USERS trust that this plan will work for
SEEKING TO SHED you too, but you must be willing
STUBBORN BODY FAT & committed to put in the hard
WHILE STRENGTHENING & work that it takes.
ABOUT
2
BREAKDOWN
The CPT Fit Guide is eight weeks long, but can be repeated as many
times as desired. This program is divided into two four-week phases.
Each phase is a combination of similar workouts; however, the load
will increase and so will the results. Here’s how they break down:
BREAKDOWN
3
EXAMPLE WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Progression:
Week 1 STRENGTH CARDIO CORE
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
week 8
BREAKDOWN
4
EXPECTATIONS
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
* Basic Gym Equipment:
Squat rack with stocked weight plates
Bench
Dumbbells & Kettle Bells
Hamstring curl & leg extension machine
Smith machine
Cable machine w/ rope & wide angled bar attachments
Assisted pull-up machine or pull-up bar & resistance band
Your mindset is your biggest piece of equipment! POSITIVITY & OPTIMISM
GO A LONG WAY IN THE GYM. THEY ARE WHAT PUSH YOU THROUGH
YOUR WORKOUTS & HELP YOU SUCCEED.
*please note that if you do not have a certain piece or pieces of equipment, shoot me an
email and I can suggest an alternative option for you to work the same muscle group.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS:
CPT Fit Core Guide
DIETARY PRECAUTIONS:
When partaking in either strength training or HIIT, it is important to adhere to a
healthy diet. When doing both simultaneously, it is imperative. Two
macronutrients you must never withhold from are protein & carbohydrates.
Protein is essential for muscle development, while carbs are needed to restore
the muscle's primary energy source, glycogen. Healthy fats & fiber are also
necessary to keep energy levels up, so be sure to consume plenty of veggies,
fruits, nuts & whole grains. Hydration is also a key component to a healthy diet
& you should be constantly drinking water throughout the day.
EXPECTATIONS
5
PROGRESS PHOTOS
MEASURE
Progress photos are an excellent
way to track your progress.
Whether you want to lose fat or
YOUR gain muscle, those selfies will
Success help you stay on track & keep you
motivated, even when you think
DITCH THE SCALE! nothing has been working. You
Your weight can fluctuate don’t have to show anyone!
drastically over the course of a (Although I would LOVE to see
24-48 hour period. Depending on them if you're willing to show off
what you ate, how much water your hard work). They can just
you drank, if your food contained serve as a visual timeline of your
sodium, what time of day you body’s gradual transformation
weighed yourself, your weight & hopefully help you stay
may change. You may also find
dedicated for the long haul. One
that the scale went up because
day you might even surprise
you gained some muscle. This is
yourself & your "after" photos will
called body recomp (which is
especially common when you're a
become your "before" photos!
beginner to weight training). You
must keep in mind that muscle
MAKE IT A ROUTINE
outweighs fat. Muscle is It is important to take your
approximately 18% more dense progress photos at the same
than fat. Tracking weekly time/day every week. You should
measurements will keep you in also take them on an empty
check & allow you to not focus as stomach & in bright lighting. I
much on the scale. While your take mine right when I wake up
weight may fluctuate, your waist, every Wednesday morning. Set
hips, & other measurements may an alarm on your phone or leave
be decreasing.
a sticky note on the mirror to
help you remember.
EXPECTATIONS
6
WARMUP
It is extremely important to gradually warm your muscles & increase your heart rate
prior to each workout in the CPT Fit Guide in order to prepare your body for exercise
& prevent it from injury.
STEP 1: Begin each warm up with 5-10 minutes of steady cardio on a piece of
exercise equipment (treadmill, bike, stair-stepper, rower, elliptical, etc.). Gradually
increase your effort until you start to slightly sweat.
STEP 2: Find an open area & perform 10 reps of each of the following movements:
LEG SWINGS
SIDE TO SIDE
ARM CIRCLES
FORWARD +
BACKWARD
WARM UP
7
COOL DOWN
Cooling down after a workout is just as important as warming up. After physical
activity, your heart is still beating faster than normal, your body temperature is higher
& your blood vessels are dilated. A cool-down after physical activity allows a gradual
decrease at the end of your workout.
It’s good to stretch when you’re cooling down because your limbs, muscles and joints
are still warm. Stretching can help reduce the buildup of lactic acid, which can lead to
muscles cramping and stiffness.
After each workout in this guide, hold each of the following stretches for 30 seconds
or more. After each HIIT workout, jog for a few minutes before performing these
stretches.
COOL DOWN
8
CARDIO
HIIT VS. LISS
High Intensity Interval Training, LISS stands for Low-Intensity Steady
_______________________________________________________________
otherwise known as HIIT, is a form of State training. Opposed to HIIT being a
anaerobic, fast-paced exercise that form of anaerobic exercise, LIIS is a
has been proven to burn through form of aerobic exercise. Long-
calories in a short amount of time. distance running is a great example
HIIT gets your heart rate close to its of LISS exercise because it requires
max & then lets you rest briefly before low intensity for a long duration of
you do it all again. By alternating time. LISS is great for increased
between moderate intensity energy, better blood flow, a stronger
exercises & high intensity ones, you heart, overall cardiovascular
are able to accomplish a lot more in a health, & in the initial stages of a
briefer time period. Yes, HIIT should workout program, effective fat
be intense, but pushing too hard, too burning. However, the body quickly
fast can result in injuries & other adapts to become more aerobically
setbacks. It is important to listen to efficient, so only doing LISS training
your body, modify as can eventually become
needed, & complete each movement counterproductive to your goals,
with proper form. especially if one of your goals is long-
term fat loss & maintenance.
HIIT is a great way to get stronger,
faster, build endurance, burn more A person would need to continually
calories (even while you run or work for longer distances &
sleep) & improve your overall physical durations just to burn the same
performance. It’s also great for amount of calories they did when they
boosting your metabolism, preserving first started. That’s why having a
your body’s lean muscle balance of both types of cardio is so
mass & gaining cardiovascular & fat vital. It keeps the body guessing, as
burning benefits. well as helps prevent cardio plateau.
CARDIO
9
around 1. Bodyweight HIIT Circuit
10 MIN
Moves: Burpees, push-ups, jump lunges,
sit-ups, body squats
workouts
seconds, trying to get as many reps in as
you can with 10 seconds of rest between
moves. Do 5 full sets.
3. Treadmill Intervals
Walk on a very steep incline for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, step off to the
side of the treadmill & return incline to zero. Crank the speed up to your
maximum & perform 30 second sprint. Carefully grab handles & jump to
the sides, straddling the moving tread. Do not lower the speed, wait 30
seconds and proceed to another 30 second sprint. Perform a total of 5
sprints.
CARDIO
10
1. CRAZY X's ON THE TURF
20 MIN reach the opposite corner. Walk the length of the end
zone until you reach the next corner. Again, sprint
HIIT diagonally until you reach the opposite corner, & walk
the end zone back to where you originally started. 2
workouts sprints = 1 "X." Perform a total of 3 X's. Jog for 5
minutes around the turf. Perform another 3 X's for a
total of 12 sprints.
*Recovery, in this case, is completely off from your equipment. Safely step to the
side of the treadmill, rower or bike and wiggle out your legs while you count your
rest time. If you choose to use a treadmill, leave it rolling while you rest. Be very
cautious getting back on. Lower the speed if you need to.
CARDIO
11
1. ELLIPTICAL FOR LISS
LISS
The elliptical is great because it is low
impact & effective. I prefer using ellipticals
workouts
with moving arm handles to get more of a
full-body burn.
3.
ROWING FOR LISS
Rowing at an intense level for a number of meters for time is a popular CrossFit
workout, but what many people fail to realize is that rowing is also a great steady
state cardio workout.
Row 30 minutes at a brisk pace but keeping the rate as steady as possible. Bump
up the intensity if you feel you can go harder but ensure that you’re not pushing
yourself too much so you can make it the full 30 minutes.
4.
SWIMMING FOR LISS:
The ultimate full-body workout that is virtually pain free & low impact is swimming.
Changing up the different types of strokes will enable you to work the different
muscles & the natural kicking movement will emulate walking/jogging movements
that will provide a great cardio workout that is great for your joints.
Pick 2 or 3 strokes you are the best at & continuously swim up & down the length of
the pool without letting your feet hit the bottom. Change strokes every 5 minutes.
Swim continuously for 20-40 minutes for the full workout.
CARDIO
12
WORKOUTS
phase 1, weeks 1-4
MONDAYS | weeks 1-2
chest & biceps
10
PHASE 1
13
WEDNESDAYS | weeks 1-2
back & triceps
12
PHASE 1
14
FRIDAYS | weeks 1-2
legs & shoulders
PHASE 1
15
MONDAYS | weeks 3-4
chest & biceps
Regular Push-ups
TUESDAYS | weeks 3-4
cardio & core
11
PHASE 1
16
WEDNESDAYS | weeks 3-4
back & triceps
12
PHASE 1
17
FRIDAYS | weeks 3-4
legs & shoulders
SUNDAYS | weeks 3-4
Cardio & Core
12
PHASE 1
18
WORKOUTS
phase 2, weeks 5-8
MONDAYS | weeks 5-6
chest & biceps
Decline Push-ups
Dumbbell Bicep Curl Circuit
TUESDAYS | weeks 5-6
cardio & core
10
PHASE 2
19
WEDNESDAYS | weeks 5-6
back & triceps
THURSDAYS | weeks 5-6
cardio & core
12
PHASE 2
20
FRIDAYS | weeks 5-6
legs & shoulders
SATURDAYS | weeks 5-6
Rest
11
PHASE 2
21
MONDAYS | weeks 7-8
chest & biceps & cardio
10
PHASE 2
22
WEDNESDAYS | weeks 7-8
back & triceps
6 12
PHASE 2
23
FRIDAYS | weeks 7-8
legs & shoulders
SATURDAYS | weeks 7-8
Rest
SUNDAYS | weeks 7-8
Cardio & Core
11
PHASE 2
24
PLEASE
NOTE:
www.clairepthomas.com
@clairepthomas