Special Thanks to Sylvie Thomas ’17 for the softball workout information!

Get yourself big like Hans and Franz

Sometimes, working out at the KAC can be intimidating. There are so many different weights and machines, and seeing the more experienced lifters use heavy weights can leave you feeling lost and even a little scared. Thankfully, many student-athletes know their way around the KAC very well and have a good set of workouts on hand. Fear not, because today, we are featuring a workout based on what the Ladies of the Softball team usually do. It’s a nice workout, with a good mix of bodyweight and dumbbell/barbell weight exercises.

We’ve included videos of each exercise to help you learn proper form. Don’t try to use too much weight at first- its better to have good form and do a small amount of weight than to do more weight with bad form. Not only will you get more out of the exercise, you will also minimize the chance of injury.

Note: Numbers with dashes in between are repetitions for a single set, so 4/4/2/2/1 means two sets of four, two sets of two, and one set of one repetition.

• Hang cleans– 4/4/2/2/1:

This is a great lift that really works on explosiveness and leg strength. As you lower the number of repetitions, try to increase the weight.

• Jumping lunges– 20/16/12:

Another exercise that’s great for your legs. Bonus points if you wear cool-looking boots like the lady in the video.

• Kettlebell swings-15/12/10:

Kettlebell exercises mix strength with cardio for a two-in-one exercise. Like the hang cleans, try to add a little weight as you go down in repetitions.

• Jackknifes– 3×12:

This is a great ab workout that will give you more than a traditional crunch. Please keep your shirt on when you’re doing these in the KAC, though.

• Hamstring curls– 3×12:

Hamstring curls will get you a nice burn in your hamstrings and are a good boost for strengthening your legs overall.

• Y-T-W– 2×5-10:

A great exercise for shoulder strength and stability. Make sure you use very light dumbbells with this one.

• Treadmill Sprints- 12 sprints at 15 seconds moving from 11 mph to 13 mph

Do a speed you’re comfortable with; the mph are simply suggestions. This is a nice cardio exercise to end your workout on.