by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 10, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Travel Workouts, Workouts
All too often we think we need lots of jumping, burpees, and well, cardio in general, if we want to lose fat.
And while all of those moves and exercises should have a place in our routine, overdoing those things may actually be holding us back.
Sometimes those workouts that look “easy,” that seem simple, that won’t have you gasping for air, are the essential workouts we are MISSING.
They are hard in a different way and require you to establish an efficient mind-body connection to build your foundation.
They create proper recruitment patterns to keep you injury free and help your body work well so you can get even more out of all of your workouts.
And while these routines may seem easy, they will challenge your body in a new way and lead to killer results. Hey they can even burn so good!
So if you haven’t ever done a Density Interval Workout, you should try this one below!
By pairing together a basic movement and an isometric, we can not only get the correct muscles working but even build functional, full-body strength!
The Full-Body Density Interval Workout
Complete 3-4 rounds of the following circuit, resting up to 30 seconds between rounds. If the move is done on one side, do the hold then the reps on that side before switching and moving on.
After the circuit, complete 2-3 rounds of the Core Burner with 30 seconds rest between rounds. If one sided, do both moves, the hold and the reps, on that side before moving on. Then stretch and roll out.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds each side Warrior III
30 seconds each side Warrior III Squats
30 seconds Push Up Holds
30 seconds Climber Push Ups
30 seconds Wall Sit
30 seconds Squats
30 seconds Glute Bridge Hold
30 seconds Glute Bridges
CORE BURNER:
30 seconds each side Side Plank
30 seconds each side Side Plank Oblique Twists
30 seconds Forearm Front Plank
30 seconds Plank Hip Dips
35 minutes. No equipment needed! –> The 10-Week Slim Down!
by Cori Lefkowith | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Travel Workouts, Workouts
Not all workouts to build strength need to be done for reps and sets. Sometimes INTERVALS can help you build strength, especially if you need to challenge yourself with just your own bodyweight!
If you want a 30 minute workout to build your leg, chest, shoulder, arm and CORE strength, you’ll love this Squat and Press 1 Minute Max Out. It’s a great Anterior Chain workout aka you’ll feel your entire frontside working!
The Squat And Press 1 Minute Max Out
WARM UP:
Roll out.
Stretch:
5-8 rounds Dynamic Squat Flow
WORKOUT:
Set a timer for 1 minute intervals with no rest between. You have 1 minute to complete as many reps of each move as you can. Record how many you get each minute and try to beat that next time. Rest 1 minute between each round. Complete 3-5 rounds. If you are short on time, just do 3 rounds.
CIRCUIT:
1 minute Alternating Front Lunges*
1 minute T Push Up
1 minute Squat to Lunge
1 minute Plank with Punch
1 minute Sprinter Sit Up
1 minute Rest
COOL DOWN:
Roll out.
Some Recommended Stretches:
Camel Bridge
Child’s Pose with Reaches
*NOTES: If you have weights this is a great place to use them. You can also simply move faster to get more reps if you don’t have weights…Or hold your dog or child or any heavy object even up at your chest to add some more weight! 😉
Don’t have hours to spend at the gym but want to build full body strength as you lean down?
Learn more about my 6-Week Bodyweight Shred!
Bodyweight Workouts like this one that you can do anywhere and easily fit into your busy schedule!
GET STARTED WITH THE 6-WEEK BODYWEIGHT SHRED!
by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 22, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Butt, Core, Workouts
Building a strong core means getting your abs and glutes firing properly. It means using moves that target your abs and glutes in a way that you can focus on them working before integrating them into more compound moves.
BUT it isn’t just about activating and then integrating.
It is also key that you correct imbalances to make sure your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex is stable and you can prevent compensations and injury!
That is why using some unilateral movements in your core training is so key.
If you’re ready to build a strong, stable core, try this Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner. It uses 3 simple moves to get your abs, glutes and obliques firing!
The Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner
This quick workout focused on unilateral moves is just under 15 minutes and can be shortened and used as part of your warm up or even as a burnout to end your workout! Or if you’re short on time, it’s the perfect quick workout to do ANYWHERE!
WORKOUT:
Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work with about 3 seconds to transition from move to move. Do not rest during the 30 seconds of work. Modify if needed to keep moving. Make sure you feel your abs, obliques and glutes working. If your lower back takes over, modify the move. Do not just push through. If you want results, you NEED to get the right muscles working! Complete 2-4 rounds. Beginners may rest up to 30 seconds between rounds.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Side Plank Clams
30 seconds per side Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
30 seconds Glute Bridge with March
More advanced exercisers can even sub in the Single Leg Glute Bridge, but this is an advanced move and you don’t want your lower back or hamstrings to take over for your glutes. Moves like the Glute Bridge with March are a great way to get the benefits of a unilateral move without fully having to do a unilateral move!
Ready to build a bulletproof core and get flat abs using just your own bodyweight?
Learn more about my 28 day Core Burner!
by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 16, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Push Ups
Stop wasting time on bicep curls and isolated tricep extensions. If you want strong, and sexy arms, it’s time you started focusing on HYBRID exercises.
These moves will get you better results in less time because they work more muscles at once, including the larger muscle groups of our upper bodies!
And as much as I love weights, you don’t even need weights to build killer functional upper body strength.
Using your own bodyweight, you can get in a great upper body workout AND even work your core! Try these 5 Hybrid Bodyweight Upper Body Exercises that you’ll be sure to feel the next day!
5 Bodyweight Upper Body Exercise (no equipment needed!)
Below are 5 Hybrid Exercises to work your arms, chest, shoulders and even back. Try including these in your next upper body workout, especially if you need something quick at home!
These are some of my favorite moves from my 6-Week Bodyweight Shred to not only work the upper body, but also the CORE!
Climber Push Ups:
This core-intensive push up variation will work not only your chest, but really target your triceps and shoulders as well!
To do the Climber Push Up, start in a plank from your forearms. You can set your feet wider apart if needed to create a more stable base. Make sure your body is in a nice straight line from your head to your heels and that your shoulders are stacked over your elbows while on your forearms.
Engage your abs and, keeping your body in a nice straight line, climb one hand at a time up to a plank position from your hands. Place your hands right below your shoulders, but outside your chest as you climb up. Try to wiggle your hips as little as possible as you climb and don’t let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground as you climb up.
Then at the top perform a push up. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you drop your chest between your hands and down toward the ground. Press all the way back up.Then climb back down, placing your elbows right below your shoulders. Repeat, climbing back up. Make sure to alternate or switch which hand leads the climb at some point.
Beginners can do the whole thing from their knees or even just drop to their knees for the push up.
Push Up Leg Kick:
This Push Up is a great way to work your obliques and really toast your entire core!
To do the Push Up Leg Kick, set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and outside your chest and your feet close together. Your body should be in a nice straight line with your abs braced and glutes and quads engaged.
Then lower down to the bottom of the push up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Press back up and at the top, kick one leg out to the side toward your elbow. Your hips may rotate slightly as you kick, but your butt shouldn’t go up in the air.
Kick your leg up as close to your elbow as you can and then lower it back down and place your foot back on the ground. Once your foot is back down, repeat the push up then kick the other leg out to the side toward your elbow. Keep your leg as straight as you can as you kick it out. Place your foot back and repeat the push up before repeating on the first side.
You can modify the move by doing it from your knees then come up onto your toes for the kick. You can also do it with your hands up on an incline. To advance the move further, perform the kick at the BOTTOM of the push up!
Scapular Wall Hold/Reps:
This move is a must-do if you have a desk job. Whether you perform the isometric or the reps, it is a great way to work your back and open up your chest.
To do the Scapular Wall Hold Reps, stand with your back relaxing against the wall and your feet about six inches away. Bend your arms and drive your elbows back into the wall. With your body in a nice straight line, drive off the wall with your elbows, pressing your chest out and pinching your shoulder blades down and back. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your body moves as one unit.
Relax back into against the wall, keeping your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Do not let your hips drop. Then repeat the press out, driving off your elbows. Do not arch your low back as you press out. Also, make sure not to shrug your shoulders. The further from the wall that you walk your feet out, the harder the move will be.
To do the hold, you would simply hold pressed out. That is a great activation move even before your pull up work!
Row Push Up:
This anti-rotational core move will work not only your abs, but also your chest, back, arms and shoulders. Talk about a move that works EVERYTHING!
To do the Row Push Up, set up in a high plank position with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands outside your chest (beginners can do this from their knees). Then perform a push up, lowering your chest to the ground as your body moves as one unit. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your head jut forward. Also, make sure your arms create an arrow shape (–>) with your body instead of flaring way out.
Press back up, again keeping your body in a nice straight line. At the top of the push up, row one arm up. Lift the hand off the ground as you drive your elbow down and back toward the ceiling. Feel your back work to lift your arm. Bring your hand to about chest height then place it back down and repeat the push up.
At the top of the push up, row the other hand up. Try not to let your body rotate as you row. Also, do not let your butt go up in the air. You want to keep your body square to the ground as fighting the rotation works your core more.
If you have weights and really want to use them, you may also do the Renegade Row Push Up.
Push Up Walk Back:
This push up variation is going to work your arms, shoulders and abs and get your blood pumping. It is also a great way to work on your mobility with the walk back! (Hey a little extra lower body work never hurts!)
To do the Push Up Walk Back, start standing with your feet close together. Then bend your knees and squat down slightly. Rock forward to “dive out” and extend into a push up.
As you dive out and catch yourself, bend your elbows to absorb the shock of landing. You will perform a push up as you catch yourself and lower your chest to the ground. Push back up to a plank position and then, keeping your legs straight, walk your hands back in toward your feet.
Stand all the way back up and then squat down to repeat the dive back out and push up. This is an advanced move. Beginners may need to walk out instead and go down to their knees for the push up.
Ready to build full-body strength as you burn fat WITHOUT using any equipment?
Learn more about my Bodyweight Shred!
by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 11, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Workouts
Ready to get the sweat dripping and blood pumping?!? Heck yes, right!? 😉
Then try this Bodyweight 30/10 Cardio Killer!
It will take you just 20 minutes if you complete all 6 rounds so you can get your workout in even on a busy day! No need to spend hours in the gym or even buy expensive cardio equipment. All you need is your own bodyweight for killer results!
The 30/10 Bodyweight Cardio Killer
Set a timer for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Work as hard as you can for 30 seconds on a move then rest 10 seconds while you transition to the next exercise. Regress moves as needed, but do not rest during the 30 seconds on each move. Beginners may rest up to 30 seconds more between rounds if needed. Complete 4-6 rounds of the circuit below.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Snowboard Hop Burpees
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Push Up Leg Kick
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Squat Jump Bulldog
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Inchworm Plank
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Bicycles
10 seconds Rest
Love this workout?
It’s part of my Cardio Killer series available with my 28-Day Core Burner program! It pairs perfectly with my Bodyweight Booty Burners and Core Burners. Learn More –>
by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 6, 2018 | Blog, Bodyweight, Butt, Exercises
Have you ever noticed you have a stronger and weaker side?
Have you ever been told your hips are uneven? Your SI joint is “out of whack” or you have an upslip or even rotation?
Or maybe you’ve just noticed you always get low back or hip pain on one side?
Heck…maybe you’ve even noticed a leg length discrepancy you weren’t born with!?
All of these things show imbalances and compensations that need to be addressed….
Addressed by UNILATERAL moves.
All too often with bilateral movements, we can compensate and our dominant side takes over for our weaker side.
We can often “hide our weakness” and make it hard to activate the right muscles when we do bilateral moves.
Plus, because one side is stronger, we compensate so our weaker side can “keep up.”
But if we don’t want to risk compensating, which can lead to injury, we first need to correct our imbalances.
And by correcting those imbalances, especially when it comes to GLUTE ACTIVATION, we can create lumbo-pelvic-hip stability so we can prevent injury and lift more.
This is where unilateral activation comes into play.
It helps us address those imbalances so that right muscles are working and we can shrink the gap between our weaker and stronger side!
So if you have hip issues, low back issues…even knee pain…unilateral glute activation is especially important!
And not only doing unilateral, or single sided glute activation, but even potentially more reps, on that weaker side.
So if you’re ready to build hip stability, try these 3 Unilateral Bodyweight Glute Activation Exercises to correct those imbalance and get both glutes firing!
1. Glute Bridge with Rocks:
Unilateral moves are essential to correct imbalances because you can isolate one side at a time and focus in on the muscles that need to be working. And glute bridges are a must-do activation move to improve your hip extension.
HOWEVER, Single Leg Glute Bridges are an advanced move that could lead to you using your lower back or hamstrings to power the lift instead of correcting the existing imbalance.
So how can you get the benefit of a Single Leg Bridge if the move is too advanced? Do a Glute Bridge with Rocks! This move allows you to use both sides to bridge up WHILE pausing to activate each side a little extra individually.
To do the Glute Bridge Rocks, set up like you are going to do the Basic Glute Bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be about hip-width apart and your knees should be in line with your feet and hips.
Bend your arms to 90 degrees and then drive through your arms, upper back and heels to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to bridge up. Then slightly release the contraction in one glute and rock to bridge one hip up slightly higher. Really focus on contracting that glute. Release that side and rock your other hip slightly up to contract that glute harder. Keep your abs braced as you rock slightly and alternate contracting each glute a little bit extra at the top of the bridge.
Do not let your low back take over as you hold at the top and work to contract each glute a little bit extra. Also, do not let your hips sag down toward the ground. Alternate rocks until all reps are complete then lower down.
2. 3-Way Hip Circles:
Activation moves can not only activate but also MOBILIZE. And the 3-Way Hip Circles do just that – they activate your glutes as you open up your hips.
You will work your glute medius with the Fire Hydrant and your glute maximus with the Donkey Kick portion. And you will even activate your abs with a Knee Tuck! It’s the perfect move to build hip stability!
To do the 3-Way Hip Circles, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet.
Then, keeping your knee bent to about 90 degrees, kick one leg back like into a Donkey Kick. Hold there for a second. Make sure to keep your arms straight and squeeze your glutes as you extend your hip and drive your heel up toward the ceiling.
Then, keeping your knee bent, bring your leg up and out to the side into the Fire Hydrant position. Do not lower your leg down as you move from the Donkey Kick to the Fire Hydrant. Keep your foot flexed and knee bent to 90 degrees.
Without touching your knee down, then drive the knee forward and in toward your elbow. Feel your abs engage as you hold.
Repeat the circle, kicking your foot back to repeat.
3. Warrior III Squats:
Work on your balance, core stability, hip mobility AND glute activation with this Unilateral Activation Exercises – The Warrior III Squats. You’ll feel this move working from the ground up!
To do Warrior III Squats, set up in the Warrior III position. Start balancing on one leg then hinge over so that your chest is parallel to the ground. Reach your raised leg back toward the wall behind you as you keep your hips square to the ground and straighten your standing leg as much as you can. Then reach your hands overhead toward the wall in front of you or out to the sides or even back toward your feet.
From this Warrior III position, bend your standing leg to perform a small squat. Make sure to keep your raised leg up and reaching toward the wall behind you as you stay in that hinged over position as you squat. Do not start to stand up as you squat.
Straighten your standing leg back out and then repeat the small squat. The lower you squat as you maintain that Warrior III position, the harder the move will be. Also, the more you completely straighten your standing leg, the harder the move will be.
Complete all reps on one side before switching. Do not let your hips open up as you squat. Also, do not go forward onto your toes or round your back. The move doesn’t have to be super big to have benefit!
Ready to correct those imbalances with 15-minute booty burner workouts? Learn how here –>
This is where unilateral activation comes into play.
