Workout of the Week – January 19

This week’s workout is a little rough…but fun!  It should take you 45-55 minutes to complete.  There are 10 exercises.  Do 10 repetitions of each exercise, then 15 of each, then 20 of each, then 15 of each, and finally 10 of each.  That’s why we call it: 10-15-20-15-10  You can count your first round of 10 as your warm-up, just use s little lighter weights.

1. Gate Swings: Starting with your feet together, jump out to a squat (in 2nd position for you ballerinas :), then jump back to feet together.

2. Weighted Sumo Squats: Grab some weights, bags of flour, children, or any other heavy item you’ve got on hand.  Hold the weights in front of your chest, or place a weighted bar across your shoulders.  Legs are slightly wider apart than a regular squat and toes point outwards a little (not full turn-out dancers, just 25 degrees or so).  Bend your knees to a low squat, preferably so that your elbows tap your knees.

3. Sit Throughs: These are fun!  Start on all fours, crouched like you are about to do a frog jump.  Pick up your right leg and cross it in front of your left as far as you can.  Then put your right leg back down and try with your left.  If that made sense to you…Great!  If not, watch this 1-minute youtube video.

4. Suicide Push-ups: Start in high plank, or push-up position. Bend your right arm and put your whole forearm on the ground.  Repeat with your left arm (now you’re in low plank).  Then, straighten your right arm and put your palm back on the floor.  Repeat with your left arm.  You should be back to where you started!  Here’s a video.

5. Compact Crunch: You know a regular crunch, hands behind head, lift your head and shoulder blades off the ground.  Now, do that, but also lift your legs of the ground at the same time so that your elbows and knees almost touch in the air.  Then, lay back down.  Go again.  (It’s like you’re making a letter c with your body).

6. Military Press: Stand with legs straight and hands holding weights that are resting on your shoulders.  Press the weights straight above your head without using your legs for momentum.  Lower and repeat.

7. Jump Lunge with Twist: Do a classic plyo lunge (video here), but hold a weight in your hands in front of your chest.  After each jump (leg switch), twist toward the front leg and dip the weight back, down, and up.  It should feel as though you were paddling a kayak with the upper body.

8.  Medicine Ball Burpees: Perform a burpee, but hold a medicine ball in your hands (video here).  If you don’t have a medicine ball, then regular burpees are still wonderful!!!

9. Elevated Glute Bridge: Lay on your back and put your feet up on a stair, bench, couch, etc.  Press your hips up high, then lay them back down.  You can add a weight (held on your lower abdomen) to make it harder.  Increase intensity by holding one leg up in the air while performing the exercise.  Here’s a video!

10. Tricep push-ups or dips: Perform a tricep push-up by starting in push-up position, making sure your hands are directly underneath your shoulders.  Move down into your push-up by bending the elbows and keeping the elbows right next to your body.  They should be touching your waist, NOT out to the sides (video here).  You can be on knees or toes.  If you prefer, you can also do a tricep dip, by placing hands on a stair or bench and feet on the floor.  Bending the elbows to the back, dip your hips down and up, keeping your feet far out in front of you (video here).

Have fun, and let me know how it goes!