Yes, we are doing burpees this week. They never get easier if we never do them. Three rounds.
woodchoppers | 30 |
good mornings/deadlifts | 20 |
burpees | 10 |
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db kicks | 30 |
Bulgarian split squat | 20 |
hip rotations | 10 |
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1 arm clean & press | 30 |
rows | 20 |
plank to pike | 10 |
This is one of those workouts that we can customize based on how much we want to push ourselves. If we want to go easier, we can (obviously) use lighter weights and we can do regular/modified jacks in place of the plank jacks. If we want to go hard, we choose the heavier kettle bell, heavier weights generally, and maybe we add weights and/or reverse lunges to our step ups. Three rounds.
kb alt arm swings | 30 |
kb hammer curls | 20 |
kb halo | 10 |
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plank jacks | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
Arnold press | 10 |
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step up | 30 |
flies | 20 |
side banana |
We’ve got a good mix of stuff for the end of the month. Try for four rounds.
1 min cardio | |
plank jacks | 30 |
gorilla row | 20 |
pushups | 10 |
skater jump/curtsy | 30 |
flies | 20 |
windscreen wipers | 10 |
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Another way we can love our bodies is to love our muscles strong. Yes, I realize that this means weight work, but again, love isn’t always nice even while it is being kind.
A digression that is sort of relevant: when I was in high school or thereabouts, my dad was sure I would not survive on my own because I couldn’t open jars myself. My days as a 90-pound weakling are behind me now. I can even open jars for other people. Strength training for the win! Also tasty jam!
We all know that strength is practical. Not only do we have to open jars, we also have to carry groceries, lift kids, move the furniture around, schlepp the laundry, and so on. Doing those same tasks will build skill and ability, but we get their faster with strength training.
As I mentioned last week, strength training is good for our bones. It also helps us maintain a healthy body mass distribution: more lean tissue is good for us!
Need more reasons? It’s good for posture, it makes us look better, and it increases our sense of personal power.
Sometimes love looks like barbells.
We start slow on this one and then we get a bit more intense and complicated with our compound exercises. Three rounds.
opposite knees | 30 |
good morning/deadlift | 20 |
1 leg db pass | 10 |
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squat raise | 30 |
(lunge to) curl to overhead press | 20 |
truck driver | 10 |
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db circles | 30 |
kickbacks | 20 |
toe reaches | 10 |
Jumping is great for both cardio fitness and bone strength. Here are six things to try:
1. jacks (regular, plyojacks, plank jacks)
2. burpees
3. box jumps or depth jumps (jumping on or off a fitness box)
4. jump squats
5. jump lunges
6. lateral hops (extra fun with a BOSU
Most of us probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our skeletons, but another way we can love ourselves is to keep those bones strong. There are a couple of good ways to do this.
One is to eat right, including plenty of calcium. Y’all know what to do there, right?
Another is to work with weights. Those dumbbells do more than make our muscles strong! Bones increase strength in response to stresses like lifting weights.
Choosing the right cardio can also help. Bones get stronger in response to impact with the ground. That means that swimming, while great for cardio, has less of an effect on strengthening bones than walking. Exercises that include jumping (jacks, jump lunges, jump squats, box jumps, burpees, etc.) help with this, too.
Go play.
I am in the mood for arm and core strength, so we have exercises that work all the way around the arms, some upper body weight-bearing, and various core challenges. Three rounds.
squat to leg lift/ticktock | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
bench dips | 10 |
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woodchoppers | 30 |
flies | 20 |
renegade rows | 10 |
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1 arm clean and press | 30 |
curls | 20 |
butterfly crunch | 10 |
We’re working on impact and balance today. If jumping is not your thing, sub regular squats and side lunges for the jumping kind. Three rounds.
(jump) squats | 30 |
rows | 20 |
round lunges | 10 |
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kb swings | 30 |
kb twist | 20 |
kb 8s | 10 |
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lateral bound | 30 |
kickbacks | 20 |
plank up down | 10 |
We’ve got a lot going on in a short circuit today. Choose the step up to reverse lunge for more challenge. Four rounds.
1 min cardio | |
| |
step ups or step up to reverse lunge | 30 |
pushups | 10 |
flies | 20 |
squat raise | 30 |
renegade row | 20 |
V sit press | 10 |
We’re working compound exercises and balance this week. Three rounds.
push press | 30 |
curls | 20 |
bench dips | 10 |
| |
woodchoppers | 30 |
skullcrushers | 20 |
truck driver | 10 |
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1 leg deadlift row | 30 |
db thrust | 20 |
Russian twist | 10 |
We’ve got all the classics this week. Vary the difficulty by varying the weight or speed or complexity (as in substituting plyojacks or modified jacks for jacks). Three rounds.
jacks | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
YTA | 10 |
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kb alt arm swing | 30 |
kb hammer curl | 20 |
kb halo | 10 |
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mountain climbers | 30 |
flies | 20 |
brains | 10 |
Welcome to the new year! We’ve got challenges galore in this workout. If your holidays were spent lifting nothing but forks, please pace yourself. Three rounds.
ball kicks | 30 |
deadlifts/good mornings | 20 |
goblet pour | 10 |
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step touch | 30 |
Bulgarian split squat | 20 |
Arnold press | 10 |
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1 arm clean and press | 30 |
rows | 20 |
pretty princesses | 10 |
