Sunday, May 6, 2012

Anywhere Workout


It’s not about WHERE you work out, but HOW you work out.
Good for you if you belong to a fancy gym, a decent gym, or have some dusty weights under your bed.  But, whatever you have or don’t have doesn’t really matter, what matters is that you get off your butt and MOVE.
This routine is simple, kicks-ass, burns calories, strengthens major muscles groups and will pump up endorphins so you’ll feel energized all day. You’ll also boost your metabolism so your inner fire will be cooking that body fat as fuel for 24 hours!
Don’t be a wuss--sweating, grunting and groaning are allowed!
Make sure you hydrate, and always check with your doctor before beginning any new routine.
Note:   No fancy workout wear required--whatever is comfortable. A clock or timer is helpful, otherwise you can count one potato, two potato up to 60.)
Important:  Good sneakers and a supportive sports bra (or jock thingy if you’re a dude.)
This workout should take about 30-40 minutes total. You can adjust duration by how many times you repeat sequences. If you don’t have much time, blast through it once and do another round later on.
WARM-UP FOR 5-10 Minutes:  (walk, power walk, march in place, skip, jog, shadow box, jump rope, bike, etc.)
STRETCH:  Take a few moments to stretch out your muscles. This should feel good after your warm-up.
Aim to repeat both Strength and Cardio sections at least 3 times for maximum butt-kicking benefits.

STRENGTH SECTION:
15 Push-ups:   (Military style on toes, easier style on knees, or use the back of a bench, sofa, kitchen counter, etc.--keep your hips down and keep your core tight.)


15 Squats:    (Nice and slow up and down, engage your glutes, keep your head up and chest lifted.)



1 Minute Forearm Plank:  (On forearms, elbows under shoulders, on toes, body in one long straight line, suck in those abs and breath.)


20 Triceps Dips:  (On the edge of a bench, coffee table, side of the tub, etc.)


20 Walking Lunges:  (If you don’t have the space, 20 stationary lunges each leg.)

100 Crunches:  (Get creative, challenge yourself, tighten those abs!)


1 Minute Wall Sit:  (Back against a wall, slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, knees over your ankles...hold it and breath.)


***6 One Minute Cardio Intervals:  (Go for performing these intervals back to back---don’t even stop the clock unless you really need a quick break.)
1st Minute:  Jumping Jacks (Modify if needed by jacking one leg to the side, then the other.)


2nd Minute:  Shadow Jabs (Stand with knees soft, hips tucked in and alternate punches across your body, make sure you don’t snap out your elbow. Think Ali!)


3rd Minute:   Alternating Front Kicks (Just like it sounds, right leg kick forward, left leg kick forward, don’t snap out the knees, keep your core tight and kick like a Rockette!)

4th Minute:  Hoops (Pretend you're on the court, reach behind you to take the ball, run up a few steps, jump and dunk your ball, alternate grabbing the ball from the other side from time to time.)



5th Minute:  Axe Chops  (Grab your “AXE”, raise it over your head and chop that piece of wood towards the outside of your right ankle, then raise it up again and chop to the left. Engage your core as you chop up and down.)


6th Minute:   180 degree Hop Squat  (Soften knees, squat down a bit then hop to the right 180 degrees landing in a soft squat, hop back to start, do this 30 seconds to the right, then 30 seconds to the left. Keep those knees soft, land light, keep your head up and chest lifted.)



Repeat the above Strength and Cardio Intervals 2 more times for a great workout!
Remember to always take a break if you need it and stop if you’re experiencing any pain. LISTEN to your body. Learn to know when you’re pushing yourself or need to slow down. Stay hydrated and have fun!

4 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Sara---Doing this workout today ! It's one of my favorites b/c it keeps you moving!
      Best,

      Laura McDonald

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  2. Great workout with some good beginner variations. I'm a big fan of squats and push ups in particular, but all great movements.

    Chrisy M Fitness
    Familyfitnesslife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks! Your blog is great, BTW, Healthy Best,
    Laura

    ReplyDelete