Monday Workout: Circuit!

This week, we’re getting back to some resistance work using body weight.  (No, resistance in this context is NOT the part where we don’t want to do it; it’s the part where we fight gravity.)  Because we also need to get our heart rates up to keep our hearts and lungs happy and to improve our moods, we’re going to do it in a circuit. 

I haven’t explained this in a while, so here’s how circuits work.  We do all the exercises in the circuit transitioning from one to the next as quickly as possible.  When we get to the end of the circuit, we rest and let our heart rate recover a bit.  Then we do it again (and again, and again, until we run out of time or energy).  Obviously, we need to use our common sense and rest in the middle if we need to, but we want to try to make it through the whole circuit if we can.

This workout includes step ups.  If you don’t have a place to work out with stairs or a sturdy bench or step stool or chair, substitute any other cardio exercise (e.g., mountain climbers, burpees, high knees, etc.).  I chose step ups because they add just a little balance challenge, but the primary goal is to get the heart rate up, up, up!

Do about four rounds of the first six exercises and then do the two ab exercises at the end.

step ups	30
squats	30
pushups	10
jacks	30
1 leg squats	10
lunge punches	20
pretty princesses	10
brains	10