Mix dumbbells, a box, a clock, a world-renowned trainer, and the desire to be the fittest version of yourself, and what do you get? DailyBurn Black Fire, your new workout program led by Bob Harper, fitness television star, three-time number one New York Times best-selling author and celebrity trainer.
You’ve watched him change hundreds of people’s lives on TV, and now’s your chance to work out with him at home.
The plan: High-intensity sessions never totaling more than 20 active minutes, five days a week, with two dynamic recovery days. Every day is a different workout; you’ll focus on numerous disciplines including speed, endurance, balance and agility through constantly varied movements to become more functionally fit overall.
“It’s all about being able to challenge the body and make the body think,” says Bob, who has more than 20 years of experience in the health and fitness field. ”No one wants to be doing the same workout all the time because you get too comfortable.” The program is designed to be challenging, but still accessible for all levels since you can scale each movement to your ability.
Black Fire with Bob Harper: Making Every Rep Count
For many, the hardest part of a fitness program is sticking with it. But with Black Fire you’ll be writing down your score for each workout, so you can easily track progress over the 60 days. That’s right — your biggest competition is yourself! “Maybe a workout is 10 minutes long and you have done a certain amount of reps,” explains Bob, “then a couple weeks later you do it again and the reps increase. You can see the results as the numbers change and that’s motivation within itself.”
Think you got what it takes? If you’re ready to join Bob Harper, turn your living room into your gym, and push your body harder than ever before, here’s what to expect over the next 60 days of Black Fire.
“You need to constantly be checking your form and make sure your last rep looks as good as your first rep.”
Phase 1: The Basics
Before jumping into any workout program it’s important to create a foundation by learning the proper form for each exercise. “The way the phases are set up is so important when it comes to preparing yourself for more difficult moves,” says Bob. “I help teach you the basic movements so your body knows what you’re doing, and then we add from there.” Don’t be fooled thinking this is the “easy” part, though. You may be doing bodyweight-only burpees and air squats, but you’ll be doing them to exhaustion.
Phase 2: Stacking Up
It’s time to pick up the intensity and build on the workout sequencing, so while the cap is still 20-minutes, each minute will be as effective as possible. “It’s all about improvement and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.” Instead of just bodyweight movements, you’ll be adding equipment like dumbbells and medicine balls to perform exercises such as bent over rows, deadlifts and wall balls.
Phase 3: Next Grade
Here, you’ll utilize the strength, balance and coordination you’ve been building up with DailyBurn trainer Anja Garcia. These functional training principles become important to help prevent injury as you get older. Expect to try gymnastic moves you may never have attempted before like handstand kick-ups and push-ups to bridge. “Challenge yourself but be smart about it,” warns Bob. “You need to constantly be checking your form and make sure your last rep looks as good as your first rep.” When fatigue starts to set in, this stage will test your mind as well as your body. And if you’re not sure about your posture or have a question about technique, don’t hesitate reaching out to a DailyBurn coach.
Phase 4: True Grit
“Black Fire is gritty; it’s raw and refreshing. It’s something that’s not out there yet. It’s aggressive.”
Find out how far you’ve come. During the last two weeks of Black Fire, revisit each workout in sequential order to track improvement from the first time you performed it. From “Weighted Tabata” to “Cyclone 15” to “Air Force Style,” you should notice that you feel stronger and more coordinated. “Go faster, get heavier with the weights, push the limits to see those results,” says Bob. Breathless will have a whole new meaning when you’ve completed this final phase. But man, will it feel good.
Black Fire turns your home or hotel room into a personal gym so those who want to truly push themselves and advance their fitness level now can. It’s far from easy; in fact, it’s challenging and competitive. Black Fire gives you that anxious, excited feeling in your stomach, of “what’s going to happen today,” as the clock counts down 3, 2, 1. But it’s that rush of adrenaline that sets it apart from other fitness programs.
“I’ve seen all the workouts and I’ve done a ton of workout DVDs but this program is different,” says Harper. “Black Fire is gritty; it’s raw and refreshing. It’s something that’s not out there yet. It’s aggressive. And that’s why I wanted to be a part of it and why I believe in it.”
If you’re up for the challenge, head to DailyBurn.com to start your first Black Fire workout with Bob Harper today.
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