You might be familiar with the phrase “there’s no substitute for experience”, and our featured trainer has no shortage of that.
As an Orangetheory coach, Lara Gadson has taught 2,000 classes and worked with more than 13,000 people. That’s why I wanted to raid her expertise for a workout people could do at home. And she gave me an excellent three-move sequence that she uses herself.
“These are three exercises I live by—they’ve dramatically increased my strength over the past year,” she tells me. “And this hasn’t just helped me when I’m doing these exact moves either. They’ve built my strength up for other exercises and functional life movements too.”
You don’t need much to do this workout, just a yoga mat and a set of dumbbells. Line them up, along with a bottle of water, and you’re good to go.
How to do Orangetheory trainer Lara Gadson’s dumbbell workout
- Tempo squat x6
- Tempo gorilla row x6 on each side
- Alternating single-leg V-up x6 each side
Perform the exercises listed above as a circuit, taking a few deep breaths after each exercise before moving on to the next one. Gadson recommends completing three rounds in total.
These exercises are designed to build strength and stability, so don’t rush through them. Take your time and focus on the muscles targeted by each move—this is a training technique called mind-muscle connection, which can improve muscle engagement.
1. Tempo squat
(Image credit: OrangeTheory)
Sets: 3 Reps: 6
- Stand upright with your feet roughly hip-width apart. You can perform this exercise with just your bodyweight, or hold a weight tight to your chest to increase the difficulty.
- Push your hips back to initiate the squatting movement, then bend your knees to lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your chest up. This downward portion of the exercise should be slowed down so it takes three seconds, increasing your working…
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