You can’t transform your body through diet alone.
Burning fat, shaping your muscles, feeling better, and being healthier—it all starts with a smart eating plan and an equally smart exercise program. Other diets “suggest” exercise without giving specifics, or they prescribe a regimen that’s too complex or too time-consuming for anyone with a life. The 5-Factor program is not like any other diet you’ve ever tried.
My first book, 5-Factor Fitness, focused more on exercise, while in this book I’ve been able to give you more nutritional information and exciting, delicious recipes to try. Still, exercise remains a major component of my program if you want the best results possible.
If you have my first book, you’re in for a treat. The exercises and routines in this chapter are all new, yet equally effective, so you’ll build even more lean muscle tissue and burn off even more body fat. I’ll also show you how to extend the original five-week workout plan into a five-month fitness regime that will truly take your body to the next level. If you’re brand-new to exercise and 5-Factor fitness, don’t worry. My plan is the easiest, most effective exercise program you’ll ever use.
The 5-Factor Hollywood Workout routine, just like my 5-Factor Diet, is simple: You’ll do 5 workouts a week, each 25 minutes long and broken into the following five 5-minute phases:
Phase 1: 5 minutes of cardio warm-up
Phase 2: 5 minutes of upper-body strength training
Phase 3: 5 minutes of lower-body strength training
Phase 4: 5 minutes of core training
Phase 5: 5 minutes of fat-burning cardio work
That’s it. If you can give me—or should I say, your body—125 minutes total of attention each week for a recommended five-week cycle, your results will amaze you.
With the 5-Factor Diet’s 5-phase workout, I’ve had clients lose 5 or more pounds a month, without ever feeling like they’re spending all their time working out. In fact, by tweaking the final cardio portion of the workout, you can burn off even more body fat, as I’ll explain when I describe Phase 5 in detail.
I’m sure you’re wondering how a workout that takes so little time can be so effective. You shouldn’t be surprised that I have five very good reasons!
5-FACTOR WORKOUT SECRETS
The 5-Factor Hollywood Workout uses an advanced technique called “supersetting,” in which you do two exercises back-to-back without resting in between. This makes the workout shorter but keeps your heart rate elevated longer, so you burn more calories.
Most workout routines have you perform exercises exactly the same way every time. For instance, you may be asked to do three sets of 12 repetitions per exercise, with 60 seconds of rest between sets. The 5-Factor Workout, on the other hand, constantly changes the type of exercise, the number of repetitions, the rest time between supersets, and the resistance level of your workout. Because the workout is constantly changing, your body never gets bored so it keeps evolving, keeps burning fat, and never stops progressing.
Many workouts you see in magazines string together exotic exercises that isolate only specific, small muscle groups. The problem with that approach? To burn the most calories, you have to involve as many muscles as possible.
That’s why the 5-Factor Workout targets large muscle groups, such as your chest, back, quadriceps, and hamstrings, twice a week. Smaller muscle groups, such as your biceps, triceps, and shoulders, get a workout once a week.
The muscles on the front of your body (chest, biceps, quadriceps) work in tandem with the muscles on the back of your body (back, triceps, and hamstrings). Most routines don’t account for that fact, and they end up working one side of the body more than the other. With the 5-Factor Hollywood Workout, you work opposing muscle groups equally, so your body gets a balanced workout.
Other routines call for 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise—or maybe go as high as 15. The 5-Factor Hollywood Workout pushes your muscles beyond average levels of fatigue by sometimes requiring 15 to 25 reps. This technique uses more calories, so you end up burning off even more body fat.
My workout breaks down into 5 phases, each of which lasts for 5 minutes. You’ll always start with Phase 1, then move to Phase 2, then Phase 3, then Phase 4, and finish with Phase 5. From start to finish, the routine takes only 25 minutes. To give your body a chance to recover, you’ll exercise five days a week and incorporate a rest day twice a week. (In this book, I’ve made Wednesday and Sunday rest days; feel free to choose whichever two days are best for your schedule.) To get the best results, follow my 5-week program, which builds up intensity gradually so that by week 5, your body is burning calories at its highest possible pace.
Warm up with 5 minutes of light cardio exercise. You can walk, cycle, stair climb, or use a cardio machine set on a low level. It doesn’t matter what you do because the goal is just to get your blood flowing to warm up muscles, tendons, and joints.
Begin at a low intensity. Gradually increase the intensity by speeding up the activity you’re doing. By the end of the 5 minutes, I want your heart rate elevated so you’re in a fat-burning zone when you start Phases 2 and 3.
5-FACTOR HOLLYWOOD WORKOUT
Phase 1: Cardio Warm-up
Phase 2: Upper-Body Strength Training
Phase 3: Lower-Body Strength Training
Phase 4: Core Training
Phase 5: Cardio Work
As you warm up, check your pulse by placing two fingers either on the side of your neck or on the front of your wrist just below your palm. Count the heartbeats for 10 seconds, then multiply that number by 6 to determine your pulse rate in beats per minute (BPM). By the end of your warm-up, your BPM should fall within the appropriate range below to burn fat efficiently. (If your BPM is less than suggested, up your intensity in the next workout; if it’s higher than suggested, lower your intensity in the next workout.)
| Age | Pulse |
| 20–24 | 130–170 |
| 25–29 | 127–166 |
| 30–34 | 124–162 |
| 35–39 | 120–157 |
| 40–44 | 117–153 |
| 45–49 | 114–149 |
| 50–54 | 111–145 |
| 55–59 | 107–140 |
| 60–64 | 104–136 |
| 65–69 | 101–132 |
| 70–74 | 98–128 |
| 75–79 | 94–123 |
| 80+ | 91–119 |
Phase 2 and Phase 3, which together work all of the upper- and lower-body muscles, are combined for a good reason—to keep your heart rate elevated so you burn fat as you build muscle.
For 10 minutes, you’ll do two different exercises back-to-back, resting only after completing a superset made up of both exercises. Refer to the charts below to see how many repetitions to perform (it varies by week) and how many seconds to rest between supersets. Repeat this cycle for the prescribed number of supersets.
Here are the 10 exercises you’ll use over the course of the week.
As you see, you’ll be varying the repetitions and adding more supersets as the weeks progress. The rest time between supersets also decreases each week. The exercises themselves stay the same throughout this 5-week plan.
THE ONLY EQUIPMENT YOU NEED
To do the 5-Factor Workout, all you need is a set of dumbbells, a bench with an incline feature (if you don’t have one, modify the exercises as described), and a stability ball.
When using dumbbells, pick a weight that’s heavy enough so you can just barely complete the prescribed repetitions with perfect form. For example, if an exercise calls for you to do 16 repetitions and you could have done 18, your dumbbell isn’t heavy enough to work your muscles, and you’re cheating yourself of results.
INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYS
Lie flat on your back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise your arms above you so the weights come together directly above your chest, palms facing each other. Bend your elbows slightly and slowly lower your arms out to the sides until the weights are in line with your chest. Slowly sweep your arms back up until they are over your chest—imagine you’re hugging a wide barrel—and repeat.
If you don’t have an incline bench: Do this exercise while lying on a flat bench instead.
BALL WALL SQUATS
Stand a few feet away from a wall with your back toward the wall. Tuck a stability ball between your back and the wall, then lean back against the ball until your entire upper body is supported by the ball and the wall. Maintaining your balance, cross your arms in front of your chest, then slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. The ball should roll down the wall as you go. Slowly stand back up and repeat.
REVERSE INCLINE DUMBBELL ROWS
Lie facedown on an incline bench, with your chest flat against the elevated pad. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting your arms hang down to the floor, palms facing each other. Keeping your chest on the bench and your arms close to your torso, pull both dumbbells up to the sides of your chest. Slowly lower your arms back down and repeat.
If you don’t have an incline bench: You can do the exercise one arm at a time. Stand with your right side toward a bench—or bed—and a dumbbell in your left hand. Rest your right hand and knee on the bench, bend forward at the waist, and let your left arm hang down toward the floor. Slowly pull the weight up to the side of your chest, then lower it. Repeat with other arm.
DUMBBELL DEADLIFTS
Position a dumbbell on the floor along the outside of each foot, then stand tall. Bend your knees and grasp the dumbbells with your palms facing in. Keeping your head up and your back straight, slowly stand up until your legs are straight, knees unlocked. Make sure the weights stay close to your body as you stand. Slowly reverse the motion and place the dumbbells back down on the floor. Repeat.
INCLINE DUMBBELL BICEP CURLS
Lie faceup on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, letting your arms hang straight down toward the floor. Your palms should face up toward the front. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly curl both weights up until they are in front of your chest—remember to curl both weights up at the same time. Slowly lower the weights back down and repeat.
If you don’t have an incline bench: Do this exercise standing up instead.
OVERHEAD DUMBBELL TRICEP EXTENSIONS
Sit on a chair or an exercise bench with your back straight. Place your feet firmly on the floor and grasp a single dumbbell with both hands. Raise the weight above your head, rotating it so the top plate rests comfortably in the palms of your hands, with your thumbs around the handle. Slowly lower the weight behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Straighten your arms to raise the weight back over your head. Repeat.
DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES
Stand with your arms in front of you with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Keeping your arms straight and your wrists slightly bent, slowly raise the weights out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the floor (you’ll look like the letter T). Pause for a second, then slowly lower your arms back down in front of you so the dumbbells touch each other right below your waistline. Repeat.
STEP-UPS
Stand in front of an exercise bench (or a sturdy box or staircase). Let your arms hang at your sides. With your back straight, place your left foot on the bench and push yourself up onto the bench until your left leg is straight. You don’t have to bring your right foot onto the bench unless you need to balance yourself. Reverse the exercise by stepping back down and placing both feet back on the floor. Repeat the exercise, using the same leg, for the number of repetitions prescribed. Then change positions to work the opposite leg, this time placing your right foot on the bench.
For added intensity, you may do this exercise while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
BENT-OVER DUMBBELL ROWS
Sit on the edge of a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward at the waist—keeping your back flat—until your back is almost parallel to the floor (your chest should come down as close to your thighs as possible). Let your arms hang straight down, with palms facing each other. Slowly draw your elbows up as high as you can, keeping your arms close to your sides. Pause, then slowly lower them back down until your arms are straight once again. Repeat.
LYING BALL HAMSTRING CURLS
Lie flat on your back with your arms flat on the floor and your heels on top of a stability ball. Press your heels down onto the ball, then tighten your core muscles. Slowly raise your hips up and draw your heels—and the ball—toward your butt as far as you can. Pause, then roll the ball back by straightening your legs; your hips will naturally lower back to the floor as you reverse the motion. Repeat.
Phase 4 targets all four muscle groups that make up your core. You’ll do one abdominal exercise each day, but five different ones over the course of the week. Days 1–4 each focus on one individual muscle group plus the specific ab-toning move, and Day 5 works as many muscle groups as possible in one single exercise.
Here’s the plan:
You’ll be doing more repetitions as the weeks go on. The rest time between sets also increases each week. The 5 core exercises—just like the exercises in Phases 2 and 3—will stay the same throughout the entire 5-week plan.
I wanted to lose pregnancy weight, plus get in shape for health reasons. But I was getting tired of working out and never seeing results. I was never a couch potato, so I became frustrated when I wasn’t seeing any change in my body. 5-Factor changed that. I started to finally see muscle definition, and I love how little time it takes to complete a workout.
Holly Flom AGE: 37 WEIGHT LOST SO FAR: 29 lbs.
BALL CRUNCHES
Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands along the sides of your head. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, slowly lean back until your head, shoulders, and back are all touching the ball. This is the starting position. Slowly curl your shoulders and upper back up off the ball. Lower yourself back down on the ball and repeat.
SEATED DUMBBELL SIDE BENDS
Sit on a chair or bench, holding a dumbbell in your left hand, palm facing in. Rest your right hand on the top of your head and let your left arm hang straight down along your side. Keeping your left arm straight, take a breath and bend at the waist to the right as far as you comfortably can. Return to the starting position, then bend at the waist to the left. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the prescribed number of repetitions. Then switch positions, placing the weight in your right hand and your left hand on top of your head, and repeat the exercise.
REVERSE BALL CRUNCH
Lie flat on the floor faceup and with your knees bent. Place a stability ball behind your knees and draw your feet toward your butt to tuck the ball in place. Extend your arms straight down at your sides, with your palms pressed flat on the floor. This is the start position. Keeping the ball tucked underneath your legs, slowly curl your knees toward your chest. Pause, lower your legs back down until the ball touches the floor, and repeat.
BALL TWISTS
Sit on a bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a stability ball with both hands and extend your arms above your chest. Keeping your arms straight, twist to the right. Bring the ball back to the front so it’s directly in front of you. Then repeat the move, this time twisting to the left. Alternate right and left throughout the set.
BALL TUCK CRUNCH
Position yourself as if you were going to do a sit-up, but instead of keeping your feet on the floor, place them up on a stability ball. Your heels should press against the top of the ball. Keeping your arms bent behind your head, lift your hips and draw your knees toward your midsection—the ball should naturally roll toward your head. Hold, then extend your legs back until they’re back in the starting position. Repeat.
For the last phase, go back to whatever activity you were doing in Phase 1. This time, it should feel easy to work at the same high intensity you achieved at the end of Phase 1. Start exercising, bring your pulse rate back up to your target BPM, and maintain that pace for 5 minutes. If you can go longer and have the time, go for it. The longer you can exercise, the more calories you’ll burn overall. Personally, I would go for no more than 10 minutes total so I’d have enough energy for the next day’s workout.
Five minutes of cardio warm-up
Ten minutes of strength training
Five minutes of core training
Five minutes of cardio work
After you complete the 5-week 5-Factor program, you can repeat it for as long as you like. Its built-in variety makes it a constant challenge for your muscles, so they continue to reap the benefits with each and every cycle. If you’re up for a new challenge, I’ve designed a 5-month plan that really keeps your body guessing—and the results coming!
Follow the same exercises in this chapter and do the required reps, sets, and rest intervals I’ve indicated in the chart. In the middle of the plan, you’ll take a break from the strength training and core exercises by doing cardio for 25 minutes for all 5 workouts for a week. Are you up for my 5-Factor fitness challenge? Ready, set, go!
