Feel Like the Strong Woman You Are With This Empowering Workout

Updated on 1/3/2018 at 3:20 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

Bad day? Mad at your significant other? Going through a breakup? Devastated by politics? We feel ya. So many things can cause anger and negative stress, but why let it fester and take over your mood? Best way to get it out: punch stuff. No, seriously. Let's work out all of the bad feelings — with a workout!

Chris Dovale, personal trainer and owner of 9th House Fitness, designed a mega empowering workout that's going to leave you fit, toned, strong, inspired — and feeling like a total badass. If you're feeling pissed off, channel all that anger into these exercises and turn it into good, healthy energy for your body. Let's do this!

Boxing

"Punching the heavy bag is one of the best ways to get your aggression out while simultaneously burning a ton of calories," said Chris. "Not to mention, boxing is a great form of self-defense. I suggest hitting the bag in intervals such as 30-60 seconds all-out effort, followed by 30-90 seconds rest. Repeat 6-10 times. Make sure to keep your wrists straight when making contact with the bag!"

Deadlift

"Deadlifting is one of my favorite ways to get my aggression out," he said. "There is something badass about picking up something heavy and putting it back down. Make sure your technique is solid when performing the deadlift." Here are Chris's tips:

Keep your back straight and core tight
Sit back on your heels, and drive through your heels while pulling the bar up to a standing position
Squeeze your glutes at the top
Lower the weight the same way you lifted it up
To ensure the right muscles are doing the work, make sure the bar is grazing your legs the whole way up

Finding a challenging weight for 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps is perfect for building strength as well as muscle.

Medicine Ball Slams

Another great way to get aggression or anger out? Slam stuff! Make it count by doing medicine ball slams. Here are Chris's instructions (and a solid warning).

Lift up the medicine ball with a tight core and a straight back
Press it above your head and use your core to slam the ball on the ground
As it bounces back up, use the momentum to carry you into your next rep
Do 3-4 sets of 10-20 slams (depending on the weight of the ball)
Warning: if you are using a rubber medicine ball that has a lot of bounce to it, be careful not to get smacked in the face after you slam it down and lean forward to pick it pack up (good tip — thanks for looking out, Chris)

Sledgehammer Swings

"These are best done on an old tractor tire (laying on its side) if you have the luxury," said Chris. "This exercise falls into the category of what I call 'blue-collar conditioning,' and it is a great way to build strength, let out your aggression, and burn calories. To me, this kind of conditioning beats the treadmill any day."

Don't have a tire to hit with a sledgehammer? Do a woodchopper, which uses the same motion, but with a medicine ball (and no tire). If you're at a CrossFit gym or have access to a tire and hammer, Chris says, "Make sure you use your core when swinging the sledgehammer, as you would when swinging a baseball bat."

Here's how to do a standing wood chopper.

Hill Sprints

"No matter what you are going through, after running up a hill at max speed multiple times, you will be a lot more chill afterwords," said Chris. And we couldn't agree more.

"Pick a hill and a finish line that will take about 20-30 seconds to reach. Run the distance as fast as you can, walk back down, and repeat. You should rest anywhere from 60-90 seconds. Aim for 6-10 sprints." If you don't have a hill near you, pick a flight of stairs or set your treadmill to a steep incline and go, go, go!