Shock therapy: 45-minute fat-burning workout
Shock therapy is a mix of strength and cardio training that shakes your body out of its routine. In 45 minutes you get through chest, legs and interval cardio — heart rate through the roof, weights in hand, rest kept to a minimum. The result: more muscle, less fat and a solid metabolic afterburn for hours after the workout.
What is shock therapy and who is it for
Every woman usually has one area that stands in the way of her final goal — legs, glutes, hips or belly. The shock therapy plan combines strength exercises with interval cardio, so your metabolism rises and fat keeps leaving your body for hours after the workout.
The plan suits those who have been going to the gym for a while, know their bodies and want to break out of their routine. The pace is a bit too tough for beginners — start with a standard plan and take on shock therapy once the basic techniques are clear.
Structure of the shock therapy workout
You train chest for the upper body and legs for the lower body — exactly the areas most people care about most. In between, you add cardio intervals on the elliptical trainer, treadmill or bike. You do every exercise at a fast pace and rest a maximum of 30 sec between sets.
1. Incline dumbbell bench press
Start with this one, because the movement imitates the natural work of the chest muscles — moving the arms up and down — and loads the upper chest in particular. Do one warm-up set of 15 reps with a lighter weight. Then do three sets of 810 reps with a weight you couldn’t lift for any more reps. Keep the bench angle below 30 degrees — a steeper angle shifts the load to the front of the deltoid instead. At the top, squeeze your chest muscles and lower the dumbbells back down slowly.
2. Incline dumbbell flyes
Right after the press, move on to flyes. This exercise brings the arms together over the chest — the second main function of the chest muscles. Choose lighter dumbbells so you can manage three sets of 15 reps, and again 30 sec of rest. At first you feel a stretch; at the top, squeeze. Don’t rush, but keep a steady rhythm.
3. First cardio session
After the chest muscles, move onto the elliptical trainer, treadmill or bike. Go 1 min at an easy pace, then sprint for 1215 sec as hard as you can. Repeat the interval for 5 min — three to four sprints in total. Your heart rate goes through the roof and your calorie burn jumps.
4. Legs: squats, lunges, leg extensions
The final phase is legs. Same logic — three sets per exercise, one warm-up set for the squats, 30 sec of rest and 810 reps per set (except for lunges).
When squatting, make sure your thighs reach parallel to the floor in the middle of the movement; perform it smoothly and calmly. Lunges: dumbbells in straight arms, back straight, head up. Step far enough that the thigh of your front leg is parallel to the ground; return to the starting position and do the same with the other leg. Finish with leg extensions on the machine to finish off the quadriceps.
Then repeat the 5 min cardio interval. In total, you’re spent after 45 min — and feeling great.
Why shock therapy works — three principles
- Heavy weight. Use a training load you can handle for 810 reps (except for flyes and leg extensions). Heavier weights give the muscle a stronger stimulus to grow.
- Less rest. A short break between sets keeps your heart rate high throughout the workout, so fat burning doesn’t stop.
- Cardio between strength training. Studies have shown that cardio sessions woven into strength training help you lose nine times more fat than steady-pace exercise.
Beth Horn’s shock therapy plan
- Incline dumbbell bench press — 1 warm-up set of 15 reps; 3 sets of 810 reps.
- Incline dumbbell flyes — 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Elliptical trainer or treadmill — 5 min (with intervals).
- Barbell squats — 1 warm-up set of 15 reps; 3 sets of 810 reps.
- Lunges with dumbbells in hand — 3 sets of 810 reps.
- Leg extensions — 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Elliptical trainer or bike — 5 min.
Do this workout once a week for six weeks in a row. You can use it to replace one of your regular chest or leg workouts. Your back, shoulder and arm training stays the same.
FAQ about shock therapy
Is shock therapy suitable for beginners?
Rather not. The pace is fast and the rest periods are short, which demands good basic technique. Stick to a standard plan for a few months and come to shock therapy once you’ve got squats and presses down.
How often can you do shock therapy?
Once a week, for six weeks in a row. It’s not worth doing it more often — after a hard interval day your body needs recovery, otherwise growth stalls and the risk of injury rises.
What should you do if your gym has no elliptical trainer?
Replace it with intervals on a treadmill, rowing machine or bike — the same 1 min easy, 1215 sec sprint, 5 min in total. The main idea is a high heart rate and a quick switch between the strength exercises.
Author: Translated by R. Hunt, Flex, author Beth Ho
Source: WHO – physical activity.
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