If more people knew what to do at the gym the world would be a fitter, healthier, better place. The great workouts is a series of blogs designed to solve this problem. Simply pick one of the workouts, head to the gym, follow along and know that your time was well spent. Today we’re adding the Debra to this list. All you need is a jump rope, a little bit of space to move around and you’re on your way
Why is it called The Debra?
The workout is named after my client Debra who insists we do it every session. We usually work out twice a week. Not for nothing but more people have stopped Debra mid workout and shared how much they admire her, and how hard she is working.
Wanna feel seen. Try The Debra. It’s got a little bit of everything you need to stay fit, while not being terribly complicated.
What is the Debra?
The Debra is a series of three part supersets (i.e. three different exercises back-to-back-to-back with little to no rest in between).
The Supersets- Each superset contains three exercises.
- The first exercise is always :30 jump rope. You can add time (:45-:60) to make your workout more difficult.
- The second exercise is a choice between kettlebell swings or air squats. Do 10 swings, or 10 air squats.
- The third exercise is up to you. Choose a third exercise for a set of 10.
- Completion of all three of these exercises equals a superset.
- Complete three supersets to complete a round.
- Breaks happen bw rounds.
- Aim for 5-6 rounds.
How do I select my exercises?
The third round is where the Debra becomes interesting. Which exercises should you pick? Well, there are 7 cardinal movements that should be trained. Those are:
- Push
- Pull
- Rotate
- Hinge
- Squat
- Lunge
- Gait (walking/running)
Jump rope covers gait, Kettlebell swings count for hinges, and squats cover, you guessed it, squats. With two of those three covered right off the bat select third set exercises that cover the other 5 bases.
For Example
- Jump rope x :30
- K swing x 10
- Pushups (push) x 10
That round covers gait, hinges, and pushes. The next round can look like this:
- jump rope x :30
- k swing x 10
- DB row
Now you’ve checked off gait and hinge (again) as well as your pull. Keep going for a few more rounds adding in third exercises that check the remaining cardinal movements.
What if I suck at jump rope?
A lot of you may be saying ‘hey, this sounds great, but I suck at jumping rope.’ Valid excuse. Well, lucky you, I have thought of everything. There are two kinds of people who suck at jump rope.
1- I can do it, it just ain’t pretty- These folks should try a weighted jump rope. I’ve seen people who were very awkward jumpers rapidly improve when they use a quarter or half pound rope. The additional weight on the rope makes it easier for the body to track where the rope is and adjust pace accordingly.
2- Hopeless- Some people want to jump rope, but no matter how hard they try they just can’t. For these folks I would try rope-less jump ropes. Picture jump rope handles with weighted cables attached to the end. I have a pair of these. You body can’t tell the difference and you’ll never trip. I usually travel with these.
You can do it anywhere
This is a kick ass, well rounded workout with very little equipment that you can do just about anywhere. You don’t even have to go to the gym. Personally I throw my ropes in a small bag and travel with them.
The Verdict
We’ve got strength, cardio, endurance, you can do it anywjere and to top it all off people are going to notice how hard you’re working. If that ain’t a great workout then I don’t know what is.