Motivation!

Workout - Swimsuit!

Ready for week 2 of swimsuit in 6?  You'll be doing the same strengthening exercises listed below with the addition of a 5 minute cardio burst at the end.  You can do the cardio burst once or twice depending on what you are up for!!

Warm - Up
1 - 2 min march or jog
1 min drop step squats
30 sec plank walk
30 sec x-men jumping jacks
1 min standing oblique twists

*Swimsuit in 6 Workout 
1 min Pushup with 1/2 burpee
1 min Diagonal lunges
1 min Rolling plank

Rest 1-2 minutes

1 min Backward lunge with jump (switch legs at 30 secs)
1 min Side plank dips (switch sides at 30 secs)
1 min Mountain climbers

Rest 1 - 2 minutes
Repeat the circuit again at least one more time (if ready for it, do a total of 3 sets)

CARDIO BLAST (NEW THIS WEEK)
30 sec Speed Skaters / 30 sec Alternating Side Squats  - repeat these 2 exercises for 5 rounds (with no breaks)

When finished with the circuit, finish your abs off by seeing how long you can front plank.  By the end of 6 weeks, we expect it to be minutes!!! 

Friday Funny!!

Wednesday Wisdom - What do you Plank?

One of the best core exercises you can do is the plank (click for video demo).  Take a few 

minutes to read this and see if you are planking properly! 

Primary Muscles Worked:  abdominals (rectus and transverse abdominals), back (erector 

spinae).

Secondary Muscles Worked:  Shoulders, Glutes, Quads, Calves 

Starting Position:  

Lie face down resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.  

Resting on the elbows, push off the floor and raise up onto toes.

Relax your shoulders, keep your back flat and in a straight line from head to heels. 

Pull your abdominals in toward the spine (should look like a tabletop) to prevent your rear

end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle (you know you are sagging too much 

if your low back starts hurting. 

  

Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat 2-3 times.  Work your way up to minutes

at time or see advanced options below! 

Modification – set knees on the ground to make easier

Progression – lift an arm or leg off the ground to make it harder or try one of these advanced

planks!  side planks, lateral plank walk, plank hip dips, superman plank, reverse plank 

knee-in planks, 

2013 Swimsuit in 6 Workout - 6 Exercises, 6 Weeks

It's that time of year again...swimsuit season is rapidly approaching. (YIKES!)  We've put together 6 exercises to help you look great by the unofficial start of Summer.  We ask that you do these exercises 3 days a week on non-consecutive days (working the same muscles 2 days in a row gets you no where fast).

Commit to 3 days a week for 6 weeks with these exercises and you will see changes!!  We will add options in for you to do in addition to the main exercises in future weeks.  We will keep it simple as people adhere better to an exercise program when it is not overwhelming.

Don't be afraid of the pool this year...start working now!!  This workout is all body weight exercise so you can do it anywhere.

Warm - Up
1 - 2 min march or jog
1 min drop step squats
30 sec plank walk
30 sec x-men jumping jacks
1 min standing oblique twists

*Swimsuit in 6 Workout 
1 min Pushup with 1/2 burpee
1 min Diagonal lunges
1 min Rolling plank

Rest 1-2 minutes

1 min Backward lunge with jump (switch legs at 30 secs)
1 min Side plank dips (switch sides at 30 secs)
1 min Mountain climbers

Rest 1 - 2 minutes
Repeat the circuit again at least one more time (if ready for it,  do a total of 3 sets)

When finished with the circuit, finish your abs off by seeing how long you can front plank.  By the end of 6 weeks, we expect it to be minutes!!!


*Reminder, if you are just beginning an exercise program you may need to take the modifications in the videos and/or reduce interval duration to 30 secs and work your way up to 1 minute.

Workout 163 - Heart Breaker!

Here is a quick, heart rate raising workout to get your week started.  Tomorrow, we will publish our annual swimsuit in 6 workout (6 exercises, 6 weeks).  Yes, there are only 6 weeks until the unofficial start of summer?!!  Some of you are still wishing the snow away...training for swimsuit season will melt that snow!

Warm Up (5 minutes)
March or jog - 1 minute
Easy squats - 1 minute
Butt kickers - 1 minute
Inchworms - 1 minute
Standing Oblique Twists - 1 minute

Complete in intervals of 30 sec all the way through.  Rest for 1-2 minutes, then repeat at 45 sec intervals, rest, then 1 min intervals, rest, then 45 sec intervals, rest and finish with 30 sec intervals of the following exercises (click on the exercise for demos):

Speed Skaters
High knee run
Burpee's 
Shuffle with medball (or any weighted object)
Jumping Jacks

Note - The longer the interval the more you may need to rest.  

Complete 1-2 times.

Friday Funny!

Wednesday Wisdom - Do You Know Squat?

Squats are a great way to work the entire lower body including giving yourself a little 
"lift" on your back side.  Let's find out if your form is up to par or if you could clean up a 
few things to enhance your squats. 

Starting Position:  feet slightly wider then hip-width apart with your toes slightly turned 
out (similar to 10 and 2 on a clock).

Action:  Slowly bend your knees and lower down as far as you can, preferably until butt is just above 
knee height and heels stay on the floor.  Make sure your knees stay inline with your toes (and do not 
move inward our outward) significantly.  Slowly return back to start position.  To ensure you work 
the gluteal (butt) muscles to the fullest, keep your weight in the heels as you sink down and push 
heels through the floor on the way up.  Keep your core muscles engaged at the bottom of the squat 
to protect the back.

Modifications:  If squats bother your knees, try not to go so low and see if that alleviates the 
discomfort.

Progressions:  hold onto weights, jump squats, one-legged squats (advanced), or go lower on a 
regular squat