Full Body Archives Page 3 of 13 | Redefining Strength

Lunge For A Stronger Core And Legs

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 22, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of the first exercise, resting up to 90 seconds between rounds. Then rest 1-2 minutes and move on to the circuits. Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit, resting as necessary.

EXERCISE:
3-5 reps per side 7-lunge Lunge Matrix

CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps per side Front to Back Lunge
10-15 reps Inverted Rows
15-20 reps Reverse Hypers
3-5 reps per side Halos

CIRCUIT #2:
8-12 reps per side Side to Curtsy Lunge
8-12 reps per side Single Arm Dumbbell Row
8-12 reps per side Low to High Chopper
50ft Down and Back Overhead Carry

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

NOTES:

Try to add weight to the Lunge Matrix as you go. With the halos, focus on a bigger range of motion instead of going heavier. Don’t worry about moving quickly with this workout. Focus more on challenging yourself with weight and variations. However, don’t try to rest a ton if you don’t need it.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

7-lunge Lunge Matrix – All 7 lunges equal one rep. So 3-5 reps is really 21 to 35 lunges.

Front Lunge: Step the left foot forward and sink down into a front lunge. Bend both the front and back knees. Make sure you do not lean forward as you lunge forward. Also make sure you drive off your front heel to push back to standing.
Angled Front Lunge: After returning to standing after the front lunge, you will again lunge forward, but this time out at an angle. Lunge forward toward “11″ on the clock with your left foot. Bend both your back and front knees as you lunge forward, keeping both toes pointing straight ahead. Then drive off your left heel to come back to standing.
Side Lunge: Again lunging with the left foot, step the left foot out toward “9″ on the clock. As you lunge out to the side, you are going to bend the left knee and sit your butt back. Keep your right leg straight. Both toes should be pointing straight ahead. Keep your leftt heel down as you sink into the lunge. Push your butt back and keep your chest up. Then drive back up to standing.
Backward Rotational Lunge: Next you will lunge back toward “7″ on the clock with your left foot. Your left foot, when you step back, will be perpendicular to your right foot, which is pointing toward “12.” Push your butt back and sink into a lunge, bending the left knee while keeping the right leg straight. Do not let the left heel come up. Keep your chest up and sit your butt backward. Driving off your left heel, push back to standing. Make sure that your right toe doesn’t rotate but continues to point toward “12.” Also make sure your right leg does not bend.
Reverse Lunge: Lunge straight back with your left foot. Bend your front knee as you step your back leg back and drop your back knee down toward the ground. You want to lunge back as if moving to half kneel on the ground. Keep your chest up nice and tall and sit back in your front heel as you lunge back. Then drive back through your front heel to come back up to standing.
Curtsy Lunge: Take your left foot and step your left foot back behind your right leg. You will reach your left foot back to about “5″ on the clock. Make sure you step far enough back (do not keep your left foot too close to your right) that you can bend both knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Keep your right heel down on the ground and your chest up. Then come back to standing. Make sure that you feel this lunge in the outside of your right butt cheek when you lunge back with the left leg.
Forward Cross Lunge: Lunge forward and across toward about “2″ on the clock with your left foot. Pivot your left foot so that your feet are perpendicular. Sink down into a lunge, bending both knees. Make sure your left heel stays down as you lunge. Then drive off your left heel to come back to standing.

Front to Back Lunge – Start standing tall then lunge forward on one side. Bend your knees as you sink down. Try to get your front knee bent to about 90 degrees with your knee over your ankle. Drop your back knee down toward the ground as you keep your chest up. Then drive back through your front heel to come back up to standing. Then step back into a backward lunge, lunging back with the same leg.

Inverted Rows – To do the Inverted Row, you can either use a Suspension Trainer or a Bar. Using a Suspension Trainer, hold a handle in each hand with your palms facing in. Walk your feet forward so that your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Hang from the straps with your body in a nice straight line and your chest pressed out. Engage your core and glutes and keep your legs straight. You want a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Do not let your low back arch or your hips sag toward the ground. Then drive your elbows down and back to row your chest up to the handles. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you row up and do not bounce off the bottom. Keep your wrists straight as you row up. Also, do not shrug your shoulders. Then lower back down. Do not lose tension at the bottom. Make sure to keep the chest pressed out and your body in a nice straight line. Do not swing to row back up. Make sure to feel your back and arms working to row and not just your arms. Focus on feeling your back pull.

Reverse Hypers – To do Bent-Knee Reverse Hypers, (shown in the bottom two photos), lie face down on a bench, box or table with your hips right on the edge of the bench. Hold on to the bench or something in front of you, but make sure it doesn’t make you stretch or tense up your neck and shoulders. Make sure your hips are right about at the edge of the bench. If your hips are too far on the bench, you are more likely to hyperextend your low back in an attempt to get your hips up higher. However, having your hips too far off the bench, will also force you to have to lift more bodyweight and could cause you to engage and use your low back to lift. Keep your legs close together or even place your heels together and turn your toes out to help you engage your glutes. Bend your knees to almost 90 degrees and flex your feet. Then, with your knees bent, kick your heels up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes as you press your hips down into the bench. You can slightly drive up and out as you lift to really get your glutes to work. Make sure that you squeeze your glutes as you lift and don’t hyperextend your low back just to get up higher. You also want to make sure to drive your hips and pubic bone down into the bench as you lift to make sure you are extending your hips and using your glutes. Lift so that your quads are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back taking over. The range of motion isn’t as important as simply getting your glutes engaged and working. Consciously squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower down. You can even slow down the tempo of this move and add in a longer pause at the top to make your glutes work harder. To do a Straight-Leg Reverse Hyper (shown in the top photos), you will set up with your hips on the edge of a bench just like you did with the Bent-Knee Variation. However, instead of bending your knees, you will keep your legs out straight. Start with your feet touching the ground and your legs close together. You can place your heels together and turn your toes out if you struggle to get your glutes to engage and work during the movement. Then, keeping your legs straight, drive your hips down into the bench as you lift your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift and extend your hips. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and then lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back taking over. You want to focus on your glutes working to lift not your low back. If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Make sure that you are also consciously engaging and contracting your glutes at the top of the lift. Hold at the top then lower back down and repeat. Pause longer at the top to make the move more challenging.

Halos – To do Halos, stand with your feet no wider than hip-width apart. Stand with your feet closer together to make the move harder on your core. Hold a kettelbell upside down with one hand on each side close to where the handle attaches to the bell (you can also use a plate weight or dumbbell if you don’t have a kettlebell). Then raise the weight up so that it is in front of your face with your elbows down toward the ground. Stand tall with your shoulders down and back. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core as you begin to circle the bell around your head. Bring the bell back and around your head to the right, pointing the bottom of the kettlebell back behind you as you circle it around the side of your head. Then drop it down behind your head, reach the bottom of the kettlebell down between your shoulder blades as your elbows rotate to point up toward the ceiling. As you circle the kettlebell back and reach down between your shoulder blades, keep your core tight and don’t let your hips wiggle. Also, do not tuck your chin or move your head. You want to circle the kettlebell around as your head stays still. Continue the circle and bring it around the other side, handles leading, and back in front of your face. Then switch the direction of your circle and go back the way you just came. Keep alternating directions until all reps are complete. Do not tuck your chin or bob your head as you circle. Brace your abs and glutes so that you don’t rotate your hips as you circle and instead get all of the mobility from your shoulders and not your hips. Bracing your core will also protect your low back. Only the kettlebell is moving.

Side to Curtsy Lunge – Lunging with the left foot, step the left foot out toward “9″ on the clock. As you lunge out to the side, you are going to bend the left knee and sit your butt back. Keep your right leg straight. Both toes should be pointing straight ahead. Keep your left heel down as you sink into the lunge. Push your butt back and keep your chest up. Then drive back up to standing. If you need to, touch your foot down before moving into the Curtsy Lunge. If you don’t need to, move right into the Curtsy Lunge. After performing the Side Lunge, stand up and lunge back into a Curtsy Lunge with your left foot. Step your left foot back behind your right leg. You will reach your left foot back to about “5″ on the clock. Make sure you step far enough back (do not keep your left foot too close to your right) that you can bend both knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Keep your right heel down on the ground and your chest up. Then come back to standing. Make sure that you feel this lunge in the outside of your right butt cheek when you lunge back with the left leg. Then move back into a Side Lunge and repeat on the same side.

Single Arm Dumbbell Row – To do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, set up with one knee and hand on a bench or box. If you are going to be rowing on your right side, your left knee and hand will be on the bench. Press your chest out and feel the muscles of your back activate. You want your back to stay nice and flat as you row. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand with your right foot on the ground. Keeping your back flat, row the dumbbell up to your side. Drive your elbow up and back as you row and do not let your shoulder shrug. Feel the right side of your back working to row the dumbbell up. Do not row the weight up to your neck. Bring it in to your side at, or just below, chest height. Do not rotate a lot or swing to lift the weight. Once you’ve rowed the weight up, extend your arm all the way back down. Do not reach past full extension to try to drop the weight closer to the ground. You do not want to relax your back at the bottom of the row. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Slow down the tempo or add more weight to make the move more challenging.

Low to High Chopper – Place a band around a low anchor point. Grab the handle of the band in both hands and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Your side will be to the anchor point. Step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band even at the end range of motion. Then pivot your feet and bend your knees to reach the handle down outside the knee closest to the anchor point. Your arms should be straight and your chest should be up and there should be tension on the band. Do not round your back to reach lower. Bend your knees and bring the hands outside your knee. Then bring your arms and the band up and across your body as you stand up and pivot toward the opposite shoulder. You should end reaching the other way with your arms reaching up and out at about shoulder height. Do not reach to high up as you reach across. Then control the band back down and across as you pivot and bend your knees. Move in a slow and controlled fashion back down. Do not let the band pull you. Complete all reps to one side before switching.

Overhead Carry – To do a Unilateral Overhead Carry, take one kettlebell and place your hand through the handle so that you can rest the kettlebell on the back of your forearm. If the kettelbell bothers you or you don’t have one, you can use a dumbbell instead. Press the weight up toward the ceiling, straightening your arm up so that your bicep is by your ear. Do not arch your low back or let your elbow bend as you hold the weight overhead. Keep your core tight and your arm up straight toward the ceiling and do not lean to either side or shrug your shoulders. Then, keeping the weight stable overhead, walk around for the allotted distance or time. Then switch the bell to the other hand. Make sure you keep the arm straight overhead and that you don’t feel it in your low back. If you can’t get your arm up overhead and you feel your neck and upper trap really taking over, try a Farmer’s Walk or Bottoms Up Carry.

The Broken Tabata Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 21, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

WORKOUT
Set a timer for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. You will complete 4 rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Rest 30 seconds between exercises and then up to 1 minute between rounds. Complete 2 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
4 rounds:
20 seconds Burpee Sit Thrus
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Snowboard Hops
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Climber Push Ups
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Skier Jacks
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Bicycles
1 minute Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

NOTES:

Do not rest during the 20 seconds of work. To get the most out of this workout, you need to make sure to go hard the entire work interval and rest during the allotted time. Do not shorten the rest intervals just try and go harder or do harder variations during the work intervals.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Burpee Sit Thrus – To do the Burpee Sit Thru, start standing with your feet together. Then bend down and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a Bull Dog position. Unlike the Basic Burpee, you won’t jump your feet back into a plank. You will want to jump your feet back so you are in more of a crawling position with your knees bent. From this bent-knee position, kick one leg under your body and through as you lift the opposite hand to “sit through.” Then bring the leg back under your body as you lower your hand back down and sit through on the other side. You will again kick the leg under your body and through as you lift your opposite hand. You want to rotate all the way through so you could actually sit if you lost your balance. Once you’ve performed a sit thru to both sides, jump your feet back into your hands and come to standing. Jump up off the ground at the top and then repeat the movement. Beginners may find they want to jump back into more of a plank position to make the sit thru easier. Advanced exercisers with more mobility will want to perform the sit thru from more of a bull dog hold starting position. AKA straighter legs makes the movement easier. Move quickly, rotating open and sitting all the way through on each sit thru.

Snowboard Hops – To do Snowboard Hops, start standing with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart. Face toward one foot, keeping your feet parallel and then step your back foot slightly forward so your stance is slightly staggered. Then squat down, pushing your butt back as you reach the same arm as the foot in front down outside your front toe. You can hinge over at the hips, but do not let your core collapse and simply lean forward. Then explode up off the ground, lifting your hand as you rotate forward and then to face the other way with your body. When you land, your back foot should be in front and your front foot should be in back, slightly staggered forward. Land and squat back down, dropping your front arm down to touch the ground outside your front toe. Then jump back up and rotate back to face the way you started. Beginners may not sink as low or jump as high. They may also do more of a “step” to switch than a full jump. Move quickly and make sure to bend your knees and sink down as you land. Also make sure your heels come down as you squat down. Keep your back flat even as you hinge over to touch the ground.

Climber Push Ups – 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. 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. Then at the top perform a push up. Then climb back down and repeat. You can do the Push Ups from your knees if needed or even regress to just the Plank Climbers as you fatigue.

Skier Jacks – To do the Skier Jack, start standing with your feet together and your arms down by your sides. Then jump one foot forward and the other foot back as you swing the opposite arm up and forward and the other hand back and down toward the ground. Switch your split stance and jump the other foot forward as you swing your arms to bring the other arm up and forward. Keep alternating sides, swinging your arms so that your opposite arm and leg are always forward and backward together. These aren’t lunges, just simply jumping one foot back and the other forward into a split stance. Swing your arms to help you move more quickly.

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.

The Jack It Up Cardio Circuit

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 12, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work and 15 second intervals of rest in between each exercise. Move from exercise to exercise, resting the 15 seconds in between and then rest for 1 minute between rounds. Complete 5-8 rounds of the circuit.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Jack Burpees
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Oblique Jacks
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Split Squat Jacks
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Crossover Jacks
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Jack Sit Ups
1 minute Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders

NOTES:

Do not rest during the 30 seconds of work. Rest during the 15 seconds and during the 1 minute between rounds, but keep moving the entire 30 seconds even if it means bringing the exercise down a notch.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Jack Burpees – To do the Jack Burpee, start standing with your feet together. Then bend over and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a high plank position with your feet together. From that high plank position with your feet together, jump your feet out wide. Do not let your butt go up in the air as you jump your feet out. Jump your feet back together then jump your feet into your hands and come up back up to standing. As you lift your hands and come back to standing, perform either a basic Jumping Jack or a Plyo Jumping Jack. If you do the Plyo Jack, you will jump up off the ground as you spread your legs wide and swing your arms up to the side and overhead. To regress the movement, step back into a plank position instead of jumping back. You can also step your feet out to the side and back in when doing the Plank Jack. And at the top, perform a Basic Jumping Jack or even no Jack at all. The quicker you do the movement and the bigger and higher your Plyo Jack is at the top, the harder the move will be.

Oblique Jacks – To do Oblique Jacks, start standing tall and place your hands either behind your head or up just to the sides of your head. Bend your right knee up and out to the side as you crunch your upper body to the side, dropping your right elbow toward your right knee. Then jump and switch, bending your left knee up and out to the side as you crunch your left elbow down toward your left knee. Quickly jump and switch to the other side. Go back and forth between the sides as quickly as you can, crunching your elbow down to your knee as you raise your knee up as high as you can.

Split Squat Jacks – To do the Split Squat Jack, start by stepping one foot back and sinking into a lunge with your arms down by your sides. Then jump up off the ground and, as you do, switch to land in a lunge on the other side. As you jump and switch to a lunge on the other side, swing your arms out to the side and overhead. When you land in the lunge on the other side, your arms should be up overhead. Quickly land and then jump right back up and again switch to a lunge on the first side as you lower your arms back down by your sides. Try to jump from lunge to lunge quickly. Beginners may not be able to sink as low in the lunge or move as quickly. They may also want to perform more of a “skip” to switch from lunge to lunge instead of completely jumping up off the ground.

Crossover Jacks – To do Crossover Jacks, start standing with your feet together and your arms out in front of you at about shoulder height. Then jump your feet out wide to about shoulder-width or wider. As you jump your feet out, swing your arms out to the side at about shoulder height. Then, when you jump your feet back in, cross one in front of the other. When you jump back in, cross your right leg in front of your left as you swing your arms back in front and cross your right arm on top of your left. Jump back out wide and open your arms out to the sides. Keep your arms up at about shoulder height. Then when you jump back in, cross your left leg in front of your right and cross your left arm over your right arm. Jump back out and repeat, crossing your right side back in front. Keep alternating crosses until all reps are complete. Beginners can modify this by stepping instead of jumping.

Jack Sit Ups – To do the Jack Sit Up, start seated on the ground. Then draw your knees into your chest and wrap your arms around your shins as you lean back and lift your feet off the ground so you are balanced on your butt. Then relax open, opening your arms out wide overhead as you straighten your legs out wide. Try to open your legs out wide closer to the ground. The higher up your legs stay, the easier the move will be. You should look like a big X on the ground with arms and legs out and open. Then sit back up, crunching everything back in so that you are balanced on your butt with your arms hugging your shins. Try to keep your feet off the ground the entire time.

The 20-Minute Metabolic Blast

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 12, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 20 second intervals. Complete both exercises back to back with no rest then rest 20 seconds between rounds. Complete 5 rounds of each circuit before moving on to the next. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds Bull Dog Burpee
20 seconds Forward/Backward Table Top Crawl
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds Side Lunge with Hop
20 seconds Mountain Climbers
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds Circle Shuffle with Sit Thru
20 seconds Plank Skiers
20 seconds Rest

BONUS!:
20 seconds Squat Jacks
20 seconds Push Up Shuffle
20 seconds Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders

NOTES:

Do not rest between exercises. Quickly go right from one to the other, resting 20 seconds between rounds.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Bull Dog Burpee – To do the Bull Dog Burpee, start standing with your feet together. Then squat down and place your hands down on the ground. With your hands down, jump your feet back into the Bull Dog position. Jump your feet back so your knees are an inch off the ground and about under your hips while your hands are about under your shoulders. Then jump your feet back in and outside your hands. Lift your hands and jump up as high as you can before squatting back down and placing your hands back on the ground to jump back into the Bull Dog position.

Forward/Backward Table Top Crawl – To do the Table Top Crawl, set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet and lift up onto your toes/the balls of your feet. Then take a step forward with your left foot and right hand, keeping your knees close to the ground and your back flat. Make sure to brace your core so that your hips don’t wiggle a lot side to side as you crawl forward. Then step forward with your right foot and left hand. Keep crawling forward, moving the opposite arm and opposite leg together. Take small steps forward so that you don’t get too spread out. You don’t want your hips to start to wiggle and your butt to go up in the air. Also, keep your knees as close to the ground as possible. You can also do the Table Top Crawl backward. Backward may be a bit more challenging and harder on the shoulders. Make sure to keep your steps small, especially when starting out, so that you don’t overload your shoulders and can keep up the contralateral movement. To do the Table Top Crawl backward, step back with the opposite arm and leg. Make sure you don’t get too spread out as you crawl backward. If you reach too far back with your feet and get too stretched out, your going to put a lot of pressure on your shoulders and then you wont’ be able to move fluidly. Keep you steps nice and short and compact to start with and your knees close to the ground. Make sure to brace your core and keep your butt down.

Side Lunge with Hop – To do Side Lunges with Hop, stand tall with your feet together. Step one foot out to the side nice and wide. Bend the knee of the leg you stepped out to the side with, keeping the other leg straight. Sit your butt back and lean over as you sink into the side lunge. Keep your back flat as you sit back. Then drive back up off your outside foot to come back to standing. When you come back to standing, jump up toward the ceiling, reaching up overhead. Then lunge out to the other side before coming back center and jumping toward the ceiling. Keep alternating lunges until all reps are complete. Make sure your heels stay down as you lunge out to the side. You want to make sure to sit your butt back.

Mountain Climbers – To do the Basic Mountain Climber, set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together and legs out straight behind you. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Brace your abs before you start so that you don’t feel this in your low back or let your hips sag as you run your knees in. Then, maintaining the nice plank position, begin to run your knees in toward your chest. Bring your right knee in toward your chest with your left leg still out straight. Keep your butt down as you run the knee in. Then straighten your right leg back out as you bring your left knee in toward your chest. “Run” your knees in as quickly as possible until all reps are complete. The faster you go, the harder the move will be. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag as you run your knees in.

Circle Shuffle with Sit Thru – To do the Circle Shuffle, Sprawl, Sit Thru, it is good to have a reference point or object to circle around. To start shuffling, bend your knees with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Move laterally, shuffling around the cone/object. Make full circles, half circles and even quarter circles, moving both ways. Mix it up. Circle around the cone/object both ways. While circling mix in a sprawl and sit thru occasionally. To do the Sprawl and Sit Thru at points while shuffling, drop down to the ground on your hands and the balls of your feet. Your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Then rotate open toward the right, lifting your right hand and kicking your left leg under and through toward where your right hand was. 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 on your hands and the balls of your feet. 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. Again change direction quickly and don’t just simply shuffle in a full circle. Mix in the Sprawl to Sit Thru every so often to force yourself to work on getting down and up off the ground quickly.

Plank Skiers – To do Plank Skiers, start in the plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your legs together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Then, with your legs together, jump your feet in toward your right elbow, rotating so that your knees come outside your elbow. Jump back into the plank position with your feet back center and your body in a nice straight line. Then jump your feet back in, but this time toward your opposite elbow. Rotate to bring your knees toward the outside of your elbow. Jump your feet back out center. Do not let your body shift backward as you perform the hops and jump back out. Try to keep your chest over your hands instead of letting your hands get way up by your head. Keep alternating hops toward each elbow.

Squat Jacks – To do the Squat Jack, start standing with your feet together. Reach your hands up overhead. Then sit your butt back and squat down with your feet together, like you are doing chair pose. Get as low as you can, sitting back in your heels. Reach your arms straight up overhead. Then staying low in the squat, jump your feet out wide, about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. As you jump out, also bring your hands down and in between your legs to reach for the ground. Do not stand up out of the squat as you jump your feet out wide. Try to touch your hands to the ground as you keep your butt down in the squat. Even try to squat lower as you jump your feet out wide. Then jump your feet back together and bring your hands back overhead. Stay low in the squat the entire time and move quickly. Try to squat lower as you jump your feet out wide. Beginners may need to stand up as they bring their feet together and only squat as they jump their feet out.

Push Up Shuffle – To do the Push Up Shuffle, place a kettlebell on its side with the handle facing away from you or you can also use a med ball or any object that won’t move on you. Give yourself a little platform up from the ground that you can “shuffle” over. Set up at the top of a Push Up from your knees or toes with one hand on the kettlebell and the other hand on the ground. Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and outside your chest. Don’t let your hands get way up by your head. Perform a push up, dropping your chest as close to the ground as you can. Make sure your body moves as one unit as you lower down and press back up to the top. Then step your hand off the kettlebell and on to the ground on the opposite side of the kettlebell. Step the hand from the ground up onto the kettebell so that you have “shuffled” over the kettlebell. Perform another push up and then shuffle back. Beginners will need to move slowly and do this from their knees while more advanced exercisers can make the shuffle more explosive and “jump” to shuffle their hands over instead of stepping one hand on as they step the other hand off.

The Squat/Press 5 Minute Circuits

by Cori Lefkowith | Sep 18, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of the first superset, taking your time while trying to focus on adding weight. Rest as needed. Then rest 1-2 minutes before starting the circuits. For the circuits, set a timer for 5 minutes. Do not rest during the 5 minutes but keep moving as quickly as possible. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits. Record the rounds, reps and weights used to try to increase next time.

SUPERSET:
8-12 reps per side Balance Lunges
5-15 reps Eccentric Push Ups

CIRCUIT #1:
4-6 reps per side Alternating Front Lunges
4-6 reps per side Single-Arm Landmine Press or Alternating Arm Dumbbell Press
4-6 reps Body Saw

CIRCUIT #2:
5-10 reps Toe Squats
5-10 reps Close Grip Push Ups
3-5 reps per side Sit Thrus

CIRCUIT #3:
5-10 reps Narrow Stance Squats
5-8 reps Knee Tucks
5-8 reps Lean Backs

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

When choosing a rep range, choose to do as many reps as you can without resting or without going to failure so that you can’t move quickly from one exercise to another. It is better to do 5 reps and move quickly then to do 10 reps and have to pause between reps or rest after the exercise.

The quicker you move while challenging yourself, the more you will get out of this workout. You want to add weight but quickly move right from one move to the next!

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Balance Lunges – Place your back foot up on a box. Hop your front foot out so you are in a nice wide stance with your back foot up on the box. Then sink down into a lunge, dropping your back knee toward the ground as you bend your front knee to 90 degrees. Really sit back into the lunge. Make sure you aren’t going forward onto your front toe and that your front knee is not going past your toe. You want to sit back to make your glute work. You should also feel a nice stretch in the front of the leg that is back when doing this move. Beginners may want to use a super low box or do the move from the ground as a split squat. More advanced exercisers, or if you don’t have weights, you may want to do it with your back foot in a suspension trainer. You can also add weight to make the move more challenging.

Eccentric Push Ups – To do the Eccentric Focused Push Up, 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 and flex your quads as you flex your feet and drive back through your heels. Then press up to the top of the push up with your arms locked out and your body in a nice straight line. Everything should move together as you press up to the top of the push up. 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, going as slowly as you can or following an outlined slower tempo like a 3 or 5 count. Make sure your body moves as one unit. Touch your chest to the ground and then lift quickly 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. If you only do the worm when you press back while doing this Push Up from your toes, simply reset at the top instead of pushing back up so that you can then lower slowly back down (aka the Eccentric Only variation). Even if you can’t push up with good form, lowering slowly down with good form from the full Push Up position will help you improve your Push Ups.

Alternating Front Lunges – Start standing nice and tall with your feet together. Then step forward with one foot and bend your knees, dropping your back knee down to the ground as you keep your chest up nice and tall. Drop the back knee down as if moving to half kneel on the ground. Bend the front knee to 90 degrees if you can. Make sure to sink straight down and keep your front heel firmly on the ground. Then drive back off the front foot to drive up to standing. Come back to standing nice and tall then lunge forward with the other foot. Hold dumbbells down by your sides or a kettlebell up at your chest to make the move harder.
Single-Arm Landmine Press – To do the Single-Arm Landmine Press, grab the barbell in one hand with the Landmine right in front of you. Bring your hand and the barbell to your shoulder. Place the opposite foot of the hand holding the barbell forward and stagger the other one back (you can also stand with your feet together if you want your core to work even harder). Then, keeping your core tight, drive the barbell up and out from your shoulder, pressing the barbell overhead as you extend your arm. Because of the Landmine the barbell and your hand won’t go straight up. You will actually press a bit up and forward. Then return the barbell to your shoulder and repeat, pressing the barbell up until your arm is extended. Make sure that when you press, you do not let your core rotate toward the hand with the barbell. Keep your body square to the Landmine. Complete all reps on one side and then switch. As you fatigue you may use your legs to help press the bar overhead or you can keep it as a strict press. Just make sure you do not rotate as you press. This move is meant to work your core because you are fighting the urge to rotate toward the side pressing. If you don’t have a Landmine, just do Alternating Arm Dumbbell Presses.

Body Saw – To do the Basic Body Saw, set up in a Plank position from your forearms and toes with your feet close together. Your forearms should be right under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Then begin to walk your feet backward, taking small steps. Keep your body in a nice straight line and don’t let your hips sag toward the ground. Lengthen through your triceps and lats as you walk back. Walk back as far as you can while keeping your core engaged. Then walk your feet back forward until you are back in the Forearm Front Plank. Do not let your butt go up in the air as you walk your feet back in. Repeat, walking your feet back out. Only walk out as far as you can without your low back engaging. If your low back feels this move, don’t walk out as far. Start with only a few steps. To advance the Body Saw, you can place towels or sliders (Valslides) under your feet. This reduces the traction and makes the move harder.

Toe Squats – To do the Toe Squat, set up with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes slightly turned out. Then press up as high as you can onto your toes. Keeping your chest up and heels up off the ground, squat down as low as you can. Sit your butt down and back while staying balanced and then come back up to standing. Try not to touch your heels down between reps. Sink as low as you can and move in a slow and controlled fashion.

Close Grip Push Ups – To do Close Grip Push Ups, place your hands no wider than right outside your chest as you set up in the high plank position with your feet together and your body in a nice straight line. The closer your hands are together (aka the closer to a Diamond Push Up you get), the harder the move will be and the more your triceps will be forced to work. Then keeping your body in a nice straight line, lower your chest down to the ground. Your body should move as one unit to lower down without your butt going up in the air or your hips sagging. Also, make sure to keep your elbows and arms in by your side as you lower. Do not let them flare out at all or you will not force your triceps to work as hard. Lower your chest as close to the ground as possible then press back up. Make sure your body moves as one unit and your arms don’t flare out. Often with Close-Grip Push Ups, people will start to press back up and end up arching their backs because their hips stay down and their triceps aren’t strong enough. If you can’t press back up with your core staying engaged and your body in a nice straight line, you may need to regress the movement to an Incline Close-Grip Push Up or a Knee Close-Grip Push Up. Once you’ve pressed back up, repeat, lowering down with your arms in by your sides. To make the move more challenging, perform a Diamond Push Up.

Sit Thrus – To do the Sit Thru, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes. Rotate open toward the right and kick 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 want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. You want to “sit through.” 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. Move as quickly as you can back and forth. Beginners may need to move slowly or even start in a more spread out position with their legs out straight instead of their knees under their hips.

Narrow Stance Squats – To do the Narrow Stance Squat, place your feet hip-width apart or closer. Squat down, sitting your butt back and down. Then drive back up to standing and squeeze your glutes. Do not round forward or come forward onto your toes. Repeat, squatting as low as you can.

Knee Tucks – To do the Knee Tucks, place your toes in the foot straps and set up in a plank from your hands with your hands under your shoulders. Engage your abs so that your hips don’t sag or your butt doesn’t go up in the air. Then pull your knees in toward your chest. Tuck them in as far as you can and then straighten your legs back out. Your back may round as you tuck, but try not to let your butt go way up in the air. And when you straighten back out, don’t let your hips sag. Keep your legs and abs engaged to keep a nice straight line from your head to your toes while you are in that plank position. Repeat, tucking your knees back in toward your chest. You can also do these on sliders if you don’t have a Suspension Trainer.

Lean Backs – To do Lean Backs, start kneeling on the ground with your knees about hip-width apart. Flex your feet and kneel nice and tall. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. You can then cross your hands over your chest or reach them out in front of you. Engaging your core and driving down through the balls of your flexed feet, lean back. Do not arch your back as you lean back but simply move from your knees. Go back as far as you can with your body in a nice straight line. Then come back forward. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs the entire time. Feel your quads really working to control your lean back. Do not sit back on your heels as you go back. Come back up to kneeling nice and tall and repeat. You can make this move more challenging by holding a weight in at your chest or even in your straight arms out in front of you. Do not rush the Lean Back, but instead move in a slow and controlled fashion.