Home WOrkout FAQ

Welcome! So excited to be on this journey with you. We are super excited about the program we’ve put together for you in the upcoming weeks.

Can I be honest with you, we’ve never done general programs before because there is no one size fits all.

However… we found a solution to this for our at home programs!

It’s called auto-regulation and we’ve built it into almost every exercise, here’s what it means.

It means you SHOULD NEVER WORK THROUGH PAIN. Read that again.

So every* exercise has an option to either progress an exercise if you find it too easy. They also have an option to modify any exercise you find painful or too difficult to complete the prescribed reps.

(*almost every)

You’ll find this option in the description of each video, specific to that exercise.

And we are super excited to be able to scale any exercise to your needs. Making things as hard as they should be, but not too hard.

At the end of the day we cannot cover every instance so if you find you are unable to complete a movement or find pain even after choosing the modified option. Skip that exercise for today and please reach out to us for further guidance.

Email us at alex@elevatemytraining.com.

We would love to help!

PS you can hit “ctrl + F” to search this page for a specific question if you have one.

FAQ

How can I set up an incline exercise?

Now is a great time to get creative with what you have access to and dependent on the exercise. For your safety, ensure the object you’re using can support your weight performing the movement and ensure the object won’t move or slide while performing the movement. Here are a few examples of objects that may help you to effectively perform the movement safely. Use your best judgement.

How can I set up kneeling exercises?

Most will find kneeling on flat or firm surfaces uncomfortable. We highly recommend using some additional padding; If you have a yoga or exercise mat that’s awesome! Otherwise you can use a folded blanket, a pillow, or folded towel(s.) Here is our preferred setup using folded hand towels.

How can I set up a sliding exercise?

There are two (main) situations when it comes to sliding exercises: carpet or hardwood (or tile.) Here is a great time to dig through bin from the last time you moved; Furniture sliders make great exercise tools ($12 online here) on carpeted surfaces. Towels or even socks can work great on hardwood and some tile. Here are the common items we recommend depending on the surfaces you’re working with.

How can I set up a feet elevated exercise?

Now is a great time to get creative with what you have access to and dependent on the exercise. For your safety, ensure the object you’re using can support your weight performing the movement and ensure the object won’t move or slide while performing the movement. Here are a few examples of objects that may help you to effectively perform the movement safely. Use your best judgement.

How can I setup a dumbbell or hand weight exercise?

While any of the movements shown can be performed without weight at all, instead focused on engaging the muscles; You can add any lightly weighted object to an exercise. Any dumbell exercise can be a can of soup, soda, or even a milk jug. Any weights shown represent less than 5lbs so don’t worry about going too heavy.

What if I have access to additional equipment? (dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, sandbags, sliders, bag of rice, jugs of water, etc.)

That’s awesome! Take advantage of those as you see fit, most of the Heating Up, Strength Builder and even some Finishers can benefit from additional weight. You don’t need to add anything to get the benefits based on the program however if you’ve got it, use it*!

*use your judgment on where to apply additional resistance.

Do I just do each exercise for the number of rounds and then move on?

Most workouts will contain Circuits or Blocks. These are a series of exercises to be performed one after the other and then repeated for the appropriate number of sets/rounds. Such as a1) followed by a2) and then a3), repeating each of the 3 exercises in the circuit each round.

Do I have to do these in the order listed?

No, however they are designed to help warm up you body safely as well as spread the work over several muscle groups to limit rest required between exercises.

Do I need to do this in the prescribed circuit listed?

No, however they are designed to help warm up you body safely as well as share the work over several muscle groups to limit rest required between exercises.

I don’t have the equipment shown in the video, what are my options?

See options listed here in the FAQ for adjusting to what you have access to. You can also select the “Need to Modify this Exercise” Option listed in the description of the specific exercise you’re referring too.

What is auto-regulation for exercises?

Auto-regulating is the process of self adjusting the difficulty or demand of a movement based on your bodies feedback. Each exercise, where appropriate, has an option to make the movement slightly less demanding “Need to Modify this Exercise” as well as make it more demanding “Want to Progress this Movement.”

This is located on YouTube under the specific videos description.

I have pain, but it’s manageable, should I work through it?

No. Working through even mild joint pain or discomfort maybe a sign you’re making an existing issue worse. Choose the “Need to Modify this Exercise” Option in the videos description until you have a pain free variation. If you still have pain, skip this exercise for today and please reach out to us for further guidance at alex@elevatemytraining.com

I cannot complete the reps prescribed, what should I do?

Perform as many sets/rounds as you can while achieving the reps prescribed. Once you’re not able to achieve the prescribed reps, choose the “Need to Modify this Exercise” option and finish the reps and sets at the new variation.

Where can I find a modified option for an exercise?

See the description under the video for the “Need to Modify this Exercise” Option. This is located on YouTube under the specific videos description.

This exercise seems too easy, how can I make it harder?

While not every exercise is intended to be “max effort” each exercise outside the mobility portion should be challenging and fatiguing. If you find you’re not feeling fatigued by the end of your set/round we recommend selecting the “Want to Progress this Movement” option located in the description on Youtube.

I feel like I should be more sweaty, what’s wrong?

This is not intended to be a cardio specific program, with that in mind it’s important to know being sweaty is not the goal. However your muscles/body should feel fatigued especially after competing several rounds of an exercise.

Judge your workout on how tired the muscle you’re working feels. You may want to visit the question “This exercise seems too easy, how can I make it harder?” above.

It takes me a bit to transition exercises, am I going too slow?

This is not intended to be a cardio specific program, with that in mind it’s not very important to go quickly between exercises. Except when it is a timed set such as an AMRAP (As Many Reps/Rounds as Possible.)

Take your time to rest briefly, set up the exercise intentionally and safely.

I don’t feel like I’m working hard enough overall, am I just too advanced for this program?

The short answer, is no. You may need to slow down your individual reps to avoid rushing through or opting for the more advanced exercise labeled “Want to Progress this Movement.”  It is also important to know that being sweaty is only a good metric of how much you sweat. No how beneficial the workout was, you should still feel ready to take on the day after a workout.

If this program isn’t intended as a cardio workout should I still do cardio?

Great question, that’s up to you. Your individual level of fitness may benefit from some various cardio activity. We would love to help with this more in a 1-on-1 setting, please email us at alex@elevatemytraining.com.

Most people would benefit from adding walking, jogging, running, rowing, cycling or just about any steady state form of activity. Every bit of movement counts and building a habit of fitness is the easiest way to stay healthy. Start small and work your way up.

Terms:

“Reps” is the shorthand for repetitions, how many times you’ll be repeating the movement in a given set. For example “Pushup x 10” would be 10 receptions of the pushup.

“Sets” is another way of saying rounds. This is how many time you will perform the prescribed reps of a given exercise. Often sets or rounds are in regards to a circuit, such as performing exercise “a1” and then “a2” and then a3” before repeating this series for the prescribed number of sets.

“Rounds” is another way of saying sets. This is how many time you will perform the prescribed reps of a given exercise. Often sets or rounds are in regards to a circuit, such as performing exercise “a1” and then “a2” and then a3” before repeating this series for the prescribed number of sets.

“AMRAP” this has two possible meaning, both along the same lines. Either “As Many Rounds As Possible”or “As Many Reps As Possible” depending on the context.

“Timed” often refers to either the duration of an exercise such as holding for 20 seconds or to the duration of a circuit such as completing as many rounds as possible in a longer duration such as 12 minutes.