by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 8, 2013
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Back/Lats
Chest/Shoulders
Wrist/Forearms
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest 20 seconds between each round and up to 3 minutes between circuits.
CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds Burpees
20 seconds Lateral Crawling
20 seconds Rest
CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds Split Squat Jumps
20 seconds 90 Degree Squat Jumps
20 seconds Rest
CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds T Push Up
20 seconds Sprinter Sit Up
20 seconds Rest
CIRCUIT #4:
20 seconds Circle Shuffle, Sprawl, Sit Thru
20 seconds Mountain Climbers
20 seconds Rest
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Back/Lats
Chest/Shoulders
Wrist/Forearms
NOTES:
Do not stop moving during the 20 seconds of work. It is better to have to rest longer between rounds and circuits than to stop during the 20 seconds. Do a modified variation of an exercise to keep moving quickly rather than a harder variation where you need to rest during the 20 seconds you have to do work.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Burpees – Start standing with your feet together. Then place your hands on the ground in front of your feet. Jump your feet back so you are in the high plank position. Beginners may need to step their feet back instead of jumping them back. Advanced lifters will then do a push up, dropping their chests to the ground. If you can’t move quickly while including the push up or you can’t do a full push up, you will simply jump your feet back then jump them back in with no push up in between. If you do include the push up, once you press back up, jump your feet back up to your hands. As you stand back up, you are going to jump up off the ground. Beginners may not want to include the jump at the top. After you jump, go right back down and repeat the move.
Lateral Crawling – Set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Then flex your feet and lift up onto your toes. Place your hands close together and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then step your left hand to the left so your hands are apart as you step your right foot together withyour left. Then step your right hand to meet your left hand as you move your left foot to the left. Keep moving the opposite arm and leg laterally until you’ve completed your 20-50ft then crawl laterally back.
Split Squat Jumps – Step one foot backward into a lunge. Sink into a deep lunge, bending both knees as if kneeling down to the ground. Then jump up and as you jump, switch into a lunge on the other side. Sink down into the lunge on the other side once you land and then explode back up and while jumping switch back into a lunge on the first side. Beginners may need to do quick step back lunges instead of jumping to switch. The lower you go in the lunge and the quicker you jump and switch, the harder the move will be.
90 Degree Squat Jumps – One rep of the 90 Degree Rotational Squat Jumps is actually four squat jumps. You will start facing forward with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Squat down and then as you jump up, rotate to the right about 90 degrees. As you land go right back into a squat to load for the next jump. Do not land with your legs straight even if you are a beginner. Beginners may not be able to go right back into the squat, which is ok. Everyone will squat though before jumping back center. When you land back center, squat down and jump 90 degrees to the left. Then load again and jump back to the center. That is one rep. Repeat by jumping back to the right.
T Push Up – Set up in a regular push up position from your hands and knees (beginner) or hands and toes (advanced). Your hands should be outside your shoulders and your legs should be together. Your body should be in a nice straight line. Squeeze your glutes and draw your belly button in toward your spine. Do not let your hips sag or go up toward the ceiling and don’t tuck your head. Once at the top of a push up, do a push up and then when you push back up to the top, rotate open balancing on one hand as if you are doing a side plank. Hold and then rotate back to a push up position. Do another push up and rotate to the other side. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you do a push up and make sure to really rotate open into a side plank.
Sprinter Sit Up – Lie on your back and raise both legs straight out off the ground. Beginners may keep one leg on the ground. Crunch your upper body up so that you are sitting on your sit bones and then bring one knee into your chest. Lie back down and straighten both legs back out. Then bring the other knee into the chest as you crunch back up. Keep alternating, trying to keep both legs off the ground when you straighten back out. Do not let your chest cave when you crunch up. Keep your back flat as you crunch up and bring one knee in.
Circle Shuffle, Sprawl, Sit Thru – Place a cone or some object to circle around. Bend your knees with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then move laterally, shuffling around the cone. Make full circles, half circles and even quarter circles, moving both ways. Mix it up. Circle around the cone both ways. While circling mix in a sprawl and sit thru occasionally. So while circling, drop down to the ground in the top of a crawl or bull dog hold. To do the sit thru, flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. You will then rotate open toward the right and bring your left leg under and through toward where your right hand is. As you bring your left leg forward and through, lift your right hand. You should be almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. Then bring the left leg back through so you are back in the starting position. Next rotate to the left and kick your right leg through and forward as you lift your left hand. Once you’ve done a sit thru to each side, stand back up and begin shuffling again.
Mountain Climbers – Set up in a high plank from your hands and toes. Bring your right knee in toward your chest. Then drive the foot back out and bring your left knee in toward your chest. As you bring each knee in, you will just lightly tap the toe of that leg on the ground. Do not put weight on that front leg. Go as fast as you can, alternating knee drives. Mountain Climbers should look like you are “running” with your hands on the ground. Beginners may need to go slowly to start or even put their hands up on a low table or bar to perform incline mountain climbers. Advanced exercisers will want to “run” as quickly as possible or even add sliders or a towel under their feet.
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 6, 2013
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats
WORKOUT
Complete 3 rounds of each circuit. Rest the same amount of time to double the amount of time it took you to complete the circuit. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.
CIRCUIT #1:
Sprint Suicide
20-50ft Lateral Crawls
10-20 reps per side Bicycles
CIRCUIT #2:
Shuffle Suicide
3-5 reps each way Circle Crawls
10-20 reps Full Body Crunch
CIRCUIT #3:
Carioca Suicide
20-50ft Forward/Backward Crawl
10-15 reps per side Oblique V ups
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats
NOTES:
This is a great variation of the resisted sprint workout.
For all the suicides, beginners can do a 2 cone suicide, intermediate a 3 cone suicide and advanced a 4 cone suicide. For every one, the final cone will be about 50ft from the starting point.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Suicide – Sprint, side shuffle and carioca as fast as you can while maintaining good form. Start at one cone and go to the first cone. Then come back to the start and then quickly go back to the second cone. Return to the starting cone and then shuffle to the third cone and come back to the start. Always start with the closest cone even if you are only doing a two cone suicide.
Lateral Crawls – Set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Then flex your feet and lift up onto your toes. Place your hands close together and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then step your left hand to the left so your hands are apart as you step your right foot together withyour left. Then step your right hand to meet your left hand as you move your left foot to the left. Keep moving the opposite arm and leg laterally until you’ve completed your 20-50ft then crawl laterally back.
Bicycles – Lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you and your hands behind your head. Lift your legs up off the ground. Beginners may need to keep their feet up higher while more advanced exercisers will be able to keep their feet only an inch or two off the ground. Bring your right knee into your chest, keeping the left leg off the ground. As you bring the right knee in, crunch the upper body up and bring the left elbow up and across to touch your right knee. Then straighten you right knee out and bring your left knee in as you rotate your left elbow to the ground and your right elbow to your left knee. Keep rotating and alternating touches until all reps are complete.
Circle Crawls – Set up on your hands and knees. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Your knees should be under your hips and your hands should be under your shoulders. Pretend their is a string attaching your belly button to the ground. You may even want to put something on the ground under your belly button to keep you centered. Then begin to circle over that spot. Do one full circle one direction then switch and do a complete circle the other way. To move in a circle, you will take a step with the opposite hand and leg. Make sure to move both your hands and feet. You do not just want to move your feet and circle around your hands! Beginners may need to do a baby crawl on their hands and knees to start.
Full Body Crunch – Lie on your back with your legs out straight. You can place your hands behind your head or across your chest. Lift your feet up off the ground and tuck your knees in toward your chest as you crunch your upper body up. Keep a space between your chin and your chest as you lift your shoulder blades up off the ground. Crunch both your lower and upper body together then relax your upper body back down as you kick your legs out straight. Do not touch your heels to the ground until all reps are complete. Beginners may need to keep their feet up higher in the air while more advanced exercisers will kick their legs out close to the ground, keeping them only an inch or two up off the ground. After you kick your legs out, crunch everything back together.
Forward/Backward Crawl – Set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Then flex your feet and lift up onto your toes. Take a step forward with your left foot and right hand, keeping your knees close to the ground and your back flat. Then step forward with your right foot and left hand. Keep alternating moving the opposite arm and opposite leg together. Once you’ve crawled forward the 20-50ft, you will then reverse the crawl. Take a small step back with your right foot as you step back with your left hand. Take small steps, especially moving backward. If you reach too much with your leg, you are going to put more strain on your shoulders and your movement will get off. The opposite arm and leg need to move together. Keep your knees close to the ground as you move backward. Beginners may need to perform a baby crawl from their knees and hands.
Oblique V ups – Lie on your side with your bottom arm out in front of you just below shoulder height. Angle your straight legs a bit out in front of you, stacked one on top of the other. Keep your legs together. V up on your side reaching your top hand toward your toes. Lift your legs up as high as you can as you sort of prop yourself up on your bottom arm. Relax back down and repeat.
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 5, 2013
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back/Lats
WORKOUT
Perform one round of the isometric circuit below. Hold each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Rest no more than a minute before starting circuit 2.
CIRCUIT #1:
Toes
Squat Hold
Scapular Hold
High Plank
Glute Bridge
Perform 3-6 rounds of circuit #2. Rest for 15 seconds between each exercise and 1 minute between each round. Beginners may find they need more rest between rounds.
CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds Burpee Sit Thrus
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Lateral Ski Hops
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Push Ups
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Full Body Crunch
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back/Lats
NOTES:
Do as much work as possible in 30 seconds. Do whatever level of the exercise allows you to keep moving the entire time. You should be challenged but you don’t want to have to rest during the 30 seconds of work.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Toes – Stand with your feet only a few inches apart. Then lift up onto your toes. Do not rock to the outside of your feet. Try to get up onto your big toe as much as possible. Hold that position. To make this move harder, do a single leg balance, lifting up onto the ball of only one foot.
Squat Hold – Place your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Sink down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. To make it easier, do not sink as low. Keep your core engaged and your chest up. Do not lean forward too much. Make sure to sit back on your heels when you squat. You should not be on your toes at all. Do not sink below 90 degrees with this move as that actually makes it easier. And do not let your knees collapse inward. If you want to make this move harder, you could hold a weight at chest height. Make sure to keep your core tight and back flat. Beginners may want to start with a wall sit if they can’t sink down very low without their chest falling forward. Sink down as low as you can, but not below having your knees bent to 90 degrees. Press your back into the wall. Drive back off your heels, pressing yourself firmly into the wall and hold.
Scapular Hold – Stand with your back to the wall. Step a couple of inches away and bend your arms to 90 degrees. Keep your elbows in by your sides and drive them back toward the wall. Lean onto your elbows on the wall. Do not let your upper arms or back touch the wall. Relax your head back. Pinch your shoulder blades down and back while keeping your core tight as you lean into the wall. You should feel this move low between your shoulder blades. To advance the move, move your feet a bit further from the wall.
High Plank – Set up on your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Feet are together and hands are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button into your spine and squeeze your quads, glutes and adductors. Your shoulder blades should be down and back and your shoulders shouldn’t be up by your ears. Do not let your upper back round. Keep your head in line with your spine. If you really draw your belly button in and tilt your pelvic forward, your abs should almost instantly start shaking.
Glute Bridge – Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground about hip-width apart. Bring your heels in close enough to your butt that you can touch your heels when you extend your arms down by your sides. Then bend your arms to 90 degrees with only your forearms on the ground. Drive up through your heels, lifting your glutes up as high off the ground as you can. Squeeze your butt and keep your core tight. Do not hyperextend your low back. Also make sure your knees do not fall open and you are not pushing yourself backward. You want to drive straight up. Beginners will want to stick with a two-leg glute bridge while more advanced exercisers will want to progress to a single leg glute bridge.
Burpee Sit Thrus – Start standing with your feet together. Then place your hands on the ground in front of your feet. Jump your feet back so you are in the crawling/bull dog position. Beginners may need to step their feet back instead of jumping them back. Once you are in the bull dog position, you are going to perform a sit thru each way. Kick your left leg under and through as you lift your right hand and replace it with your left leg. Then bring your leg back under into the bull dog position and kick through the other way, rotating open. Once you’ve completed a sit thru on each side, jump your feet back in and stand up. As you stand back up, you are going to jump up off the ground. Beginners may not want to include the jump at the top. After you jump, go right back down and repeat the move.
Lateral Ski Hops – Keep your feet together and squat down. Then with your feet together, jump side to side. Try to jump as far to each side as quickly as possible. Beginners may want to pause in a squat after each jump to balance.
Push Ups – Beginners will do either an incline push up with their hands up on a bench or a push up from their knees. Advanced exercisers will do a push up from their hands and toes. For any variation, start by lying on the ground with your legs together. Place your hands outside your chest. Draw your belly button in toward your spine and squeeze your glutes. If doing this move from your toes, you will then press up onto your hands and toes. Your body should move in one straight line. Everything should move together as you press up to the top of the push up with the arms full extended. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground. Do not tuck your chin. Keep your head in line with your spine. Make sure to keep your core tight so your low back doesn’t arch. Then lower back down, making sure your body moves as one unit. Touch your chest to the ground and then lift right back up. If your body doesn’t move together, if you do the “worm” as you press up or down, regress to your knees or an incline push up. Move quickly even if that means regressing the move. It is better to do an easier variation and move the entire 30 seconds than to do a harder variation and have to rest during the 30 seconds.
Full Body Crunch – Lie on your back with your legs out straight. You can place your hands behind your head or across your chest. Lift your feet up off the ground and tuck your knees in toward your chest as you crunch your upper body up. Keep a space between your chin and your chest as you lift your shoulder blades up off the ground. Crunch both your lower and upper body together then relax your upper body back down as you kick your legs out straight. Do not touch your heels to the ground until all reps are complete. Beginners may need to keep their feet up higher in the air while more advanced exercisers will kick their legs out close to the ground, keeping them only an inch or two up off the ground. After you kick your legs out, crunch everything back together.
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 5, 2013
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hamstring
Hips/Glutes
Back
Chest/Shoulders
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between rounds and between circuits.
CIRCUIT #1:
30 sec – 1 min Toe Hold
20-30 Jump Rope Jumps for height
CIRCUIT #2:
30 sec – 1 min Squat Hold
15-20 Squat Jumps
CIRCUIT #3:
30 sec – 1 min High Plank Hold
10-20 Explosive Push Ups
CIRCUIT #4:
30 sec – 1 min Pull Up and Hold
10-15 Medball Soccer Throw
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hamstring
Hips/Glutes
Back
Chest/Shoulders
NOTES:
Beginners may want to modify some of the jumping moves. For example, instead of jump squats, they may want to do simple BW squats. Also, if you don’t have a med ball or a wall to throw it against, you can do band pullovers. Move quickly to pull the band out, but really control letting the band go back. You can also do simple med ball slams if you just don’t have the wall.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Toe Hold – Stand with your feet only a few inches apart. Then lift up onto your toes. Do not rock to the outside of your feet. Try to get up onto your big toe as much as possible. Hold that position. To make this move harder, do a single leg balance, lifting up onto the ball of only one foot.
Jump Rope Jumps for height – Stand with your feet only a couple of inches apart. Do a slight knee bend, but nowhere near a full squat and jump up as high as you can. Then bend your knees slightly as you land and repeat. Beginners will want to do smaller hops.
Squat Hold – Place your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Sink down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. To make it easier, do not sink as low. Keep your core engaged and your chest up. Do not lean forward too much. Make sure to sit back on your heels when you squat. You should not be on your toes at all. Do not sink below 90 degrees with this move as that actually makes it easier. And do not let your knees collapse inward. If you want to make this move harder, you could hold a weight at chest height. Make sure to keep your core tight and back flat. Beginners may want to start with a wall sit if they can’t sink down very low without their chest falling forward. Sink down as low as you can, but not below having your knees bent to 90 degrees. Press your back into the wall. Drive back off your heels, pressing yourself firmly into the wall and hold.
Squat Jumps – Stand with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Perform a shallow squat and explode as high off the ground as possible, reaching overhead and extending your body. Do not squat too low. If you drop too low in a squat, you will actually reduce your power. Beginners may need to rest between each rep; however, that doesn’t mean landing with your legs straight. You should never land with your legs completely locked. Bend your knees to help you absorb the impact of landing.To make the move harder, jump up and sink right back into the squat to repeat as quickly as possible. Really focus on a soft landing and then exploding quickly into as high a jump as you can.
High Plank Hold – Set up on your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Feet are together and hands are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button into your spine and squeeze your quads, glutes and adductors. Your shoulder blades should be down and back and your shoulders shouldn’t be up by your ears. Do not let your upper back round. Keep your head in line with your spine. If you really draw your belly button in and tilt your pelvic forward, your abs should almost instantly start shaking.
Explosive Push Ups – Set up on your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Beginners may even use an incline. Feet are together and hands are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button into your spine and squeeze your quads, glutes and adductors. Your shoulder blades should be down and back and your shoulders shouldn’t be up by your ears. Do not let your upper back round. Keep your head in line with your spine. Then drop your chest to the ground, keeping your body in a nice straight line. When you push back up, push hard enough that you come up off the ground. Your core should stay tight as you drive back up. Do not let your hips sink or your butt go up in the air. Land and go right back into a push up. Each time explode as high off the ground as you can.
Pull Up and Hold – You can do this as a chin up or pull up. You can do it off a bar, off a peg board and/or off of TRX straps. Whichever you use pull to the top of a pull up or chin up and HOLD. The less stable the appliance, the harder this move will be. Keep your legs straight down toward the ground and your chin above the bar. Keep your chest should be pressed out and your shoulder blades should be down and back. Squeeze your belly button in toward your spine and keep your glutes tight. Hold there until time is up.
Med Ball Soccer Throw – Hold a med ball in both hands, facing a wall. Step back away from the wall enough that you can catch the ball after it hits the wall. Extend your arms up overhead and back. Your elbows should be slightly bent. Then step forward with one foot and throw the ball into the wall, extending your arms forward and down toward the wall as you throw. Catch the ball and step back. Extend the arms back overhead. Then step forward with the other foot and throw again.
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 5, 2013
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Hamstrings
Hips/Glutes
Lats/Back
Chest
Shoulders/Traps
WORKOUT
Set timer for 15 minutes. Complete as many rounds of the circuit below as possible, resting only as needed. Record how many rounds and reps you complete.
CIRCUIT:
8-12 reps per side Low to High Band Chops
8-12 reps per side Band Snap Downs
8-12 reps per side Lunge with Chest Press
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Hamstrings
Hips/Glutes
Lats/Back
Chest
Shoulders/Traps
NOTES:
Do not go to failure on any move because that will cause you to need to rest. Stop a few reps short so you can keep moving from exercise to exercise. Rest only as needed because your goal is to do as much work in the 15 minutes as possible.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Low to High Band Chops – Set a band low and set up sideways to the anchor point. Grab the handle and step away from the anchor point until there is not slack in the band. Pivot and bend your knees so the band is outside the knee closest to the anchor point. Keep your chest up as you pivot down. Then, keeping your arms straight, pull the band up and across your body. Stand up and pivot to the other side as you bring the band up and across your body to the outside of your shoulder furthest from the anchor point. Then pivot and squat back down, bringing the band back and across to just outside your knee. Repeat, standing up and pivoting as you take the band from low to high. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side. (Bottom photos)
Band Snap Downs – Set a band higher up. Grab the handle and move away from the anchor point facing the band. Grab the band with both hands and pull it down toward one hip. Keep your back flat as you hinge over to pull it outside your hip. Your knees should be slightly bent and you should push your butt back as you lean forward and “snap” the band down toward one hip. Then stand back up and bring it down outside the other hip, hinging over and pushing your butt back. Keep alternating pulls to each hip. Do not let your chest round or your knees lock out.
Lunge with Chest Press – Anchor a band with two handles behind you at about chest height. Go lower if there is no anchor point at chest height. Grab a handle in each hand and face away from the anchor point. Stand with just a slight bit of slack in the band. Bring both hands up to your chest. Then lunge forward on the right side and press out from your chest with your left arm. Press straight out at chest height. Bring your hand back to your chest as you push back off the heel of your front foot to come back up to standing. Then lunge forward on the other side and press out with the other hand. Keep alternating lunges and presses until all reps are complete.
