Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Day 8 - Full Body Fitness Assessment #2
Uploaded: 2022-06-17T19:05:11.623Z
Duration: 30 min
Description: Day 8 - Full Body Fitness Assessment #2

The goal of these Full Body Assessments (FBA's) is to set a basis for your fitness levels, which are then tested at the start of every new week, and again on the final day of the challenge. You should track how many complete repetitions you're able to perform for each exercise within each circuit. You should notice that these improve every time you complete a new one, and will highlight areas that you need to improve upon.

The goal of these Full Body Assessments (FBA's) is to set a basis for your fitness levels, which are then tested at the start of every new week, and on the final day of the challenge. You should track how many complete repetitions you're able to perform for each exercise within each circuit. You should notice that these improve every time you complete a new one, and will highlight areas that you need to improve upon.

Position your feet shoulder-width apart, and squat down by pushing your hips back (as though you're about to sit down on to a chair behind you), keeping your knees soft, with your back straight and hands together in front of your chest.

At the bottom of the rep (when your thighs are parallel to the floor), spring up, exploding into the air, thrusting your arms behind you to help generate force.

Keep your legs and arms long while in the air, and land softly on the balls of your feet, cushioning the landing by bending your knees and going back into the lowering of the squat. 

Continue to repeat this process (jumping up, and as you land, go immediately back into the squat), for the required amount of time for each round.

If you need to rest, only rest for a brief period of time, continuing to perform reps until time is up. Then you can allow extra time to recover after the movement has been performed.

Squat Thrust

Place your hands on the floor a little wider than shoulder width and either side of your chest. With your body kept straight (imagine a straight line from your heels through your legs, hips, back and shoulders),  flex the elbow to lower yourself to the floor (keeping the elbows pointing back back behind you, and not flared out to the side).

Stop just before your chest touches the floor, the explosively push back up, stopping short of locking the arms out. (Imaging you're pushing through the floor as opposed to lifting your body back up to the sky).

If these are too challenging for you at first, perform them with your knees on the floor but still keep your hips raised up.

All reps should be performed smoothly and under control. No fast or jerky movements.

Perform all reps in a smooth and consistent fashion, without pausing at the top or bottom, engaging the muscles in the chest and triceps during each repetition.

Push Ups

Lie on your back with your arms and legs stretched out, making you as long as possible. Keeping your abs engaged, exhale and  raise your arms and legs up straight so they meet directly over your hips, and then crunch your upper abs, pushing your hands and feet upwards.

Lower the arms and legs back down to starting position in a slow and controlled manner as you take a breath in,  resisting them from falling back to the floor. As soon as they touch the floor, raise them both up at the same time again, and into a crunch upwards.

This movement will focus on developing greater core strength, as well as engage and conditioning much of your abdominal muscles. 

If you're unable to perform this movement with straight limbs, keep your knees bent and drive your elbows up and towards your knees (like a double crunch).

V-Ups

Start by standing tall with your feet close together and arms at your side.  With a spring in your knees, jump your feet apart (twice that of your shoulder width), landing on the balls of your feet with your knees soft, and extend your arms up and out to the side, bringing your hands together over your head.

Return back to the starting position, and continue to repeat this pattern in a smooth and fluid movement without rest until time is up. 

If you become too fatigued with time still left, perform jogging on the spot with high knees.

Star Jumps

Start in a plank position (board straight with arms extended, hands under your shoulders, and a straight line from your back to your legs), then spring your knees forwards under your chest and push up into a squatted position, ready to spring upwards with enough force that you can drive your knees up to your chest height while in the air.

Land softly with bent knees, and on the balls of your feet, and immediately drop down into a plank position again without rest.

Depending on your athleticism and conditioning, you can add in a push up while in the plank position to make it more challenging. You can also lessen the intensity by simply standing upright instead of jumping up from the plank.

Burpees

Start by bending forwards at the waist to touch your toes (or as close to your toes as you can, with knees bent), and start to walking your hands forwards on the floor in front of you until you're extended out in a plank-like position.

Walk your hands back towards your feet as you raise your hips back into the air and keeping your abdominals engaged throughout the full rep.

Perform all reps in a continuous movement (without pausing at the start or end of the movement).

These will light up your abdominal muscles, and help improve your muscular endurance. If these are too challenging at first, you can perform these in a kneeling position.

Inch Worm

Start in a lunged position, with both knees bent at 90 degrees, and your arms behind and in front of you opposite to your knees (if your right knee is in front of you, your left arm should be forwards).

Keeping your abdominal muscles engaged, spring up into the air and quickly switch legs so you land with the back leg now forwards, and your arms also reversed. 

Landing softly on the balls of your feet, spring back up repeating the switch mid air. Continue to perform all reps with a smooth and fluid motion until time is up.

If you become too fatigued during your set, continue to perform regular lunges back and forth, or even stationary lunges (3 reps on each leg) until time is up.

Split Lunge Jump

Start with your feet close together in an upright position, with your back straight, and arms extended out in front of  your chest. Quickly raise one knee high up towards your hands, returning it back to the floor with soft knees, landing on the ball of your foot, and repeat with the other leg.

The goal here is to alternate each knee high up in an exaggerated jog on the spot. Keep your abdominals engaged, back straight, and arms extended out throughout the full set.

If these become too challenging after time, bring your arms back in towards you, and continue to jog on the spot, driving each knee up as high as you can until time is up.

High Knees

Start in a plank position, resting on your forearms under your chest, with your hips raised, abdominals pulled in tight, and a straight line from your back through your legs.

Bring one hand under your chest, extending your arm like your would for the upwards portion of a push up, and repeat with the other arm so you end with both arms extended straight directly under you.

Reverse the movement to bring you back to the starting position, then start with the opposite arm to be the first to be extended, and continue to alternate between each arm starting as you go from extended arms to bent arms underneath you. Perform all reps smoothly and without pausing until time is up.

If these are too challenging for you, try performing them in a kneeling position instead of extended legs.

Elbow to Straight Arm Plank

Sit on the floor and raise your feet a few inches off the floor with knees bent. Place your hands together in front of you (as though you're clapping), and lean slightly back to engage the abdominals.

keeping your abdominals engaged, rotate your torso from left to right, driving your hands down towards the floor either side of your hips.

This movement targets your side oblique muscles. Try to limit as much movement as possible in your legs from also twisting. If these are too challenging, you can keep your feet on the ground and even place them under a dumbbell (or weight) to keep them anchored down.

Day 8 - Full Body Fitness Assessment #2

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