Variation, the Amazing Stickie knows, is good for the soul. She is doing Reverse Burpees today to experience this.
She begins lying on her back on the floor with her arms over her head. From there, she rocks herself forward to a squatting position and then jumps up in the air. She reverses the process, going back through the squat to lying down.
Ten is a great number of reps.
It’s that time again! (Yes, we’re doing it a little on the early side. I am taking a couple weeks off and want to get it in with the clients before I go.) (Don’t worry: I’ll still post workouts while I’m off.)
The 12 Days of Christmas workout works like this. On the first “day,” we do one push press. Then we go on to day two, with two goblet squats and one push press. Most of us can keep going without a break until after day five. Then we want a rest to gear up for day six: six burpees, five deadlifts, four single leg squats on each leg, three overhead presses, two goblet squats, and one push press. After that, rest as needed until all the days are done! At the end, you will have done 42 burpees and you will be absolutely convinced that I am not, in fact, your true love.
1 push press |
2 goblet squats |
3 Overhead press |
4 1 leg squats each leg |
5 deadlifts |
6 burpees |
7 pushups |
8 renegade rows |
9 mountain climbers |
10 jump lunges |
11 kb swings |
12 plyojacks |
The Amazing Stickie knows how important it is to have good hip function. She does hip rotations to help ensure that her hips keep working well.
To begin, she sits on the floor with her knees bent and her feet flat on the floor. She puts her hands behind her and leans back slightly. Then she tilts both knees to one side before returning to the start position. She can alternate sides or do a set on one side and then the other.
This is an adaptable workout. Feeling like the weight bearing on the arms is too much? Sub regular jacks. Knees hurt? Just do twists without the lunges. As always, this needs to work for where we are today. Three rounds.
woodchoppers | 30 |
good mornings | 20 |
skullcrushers | 10 |
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squat to leg lift | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
lateral raise | 10 |
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plank jacks | 30 |
(lunge) twist | 20 |
brains | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie is working her abdominals today with Side Banana (which also reminds her to eat her fruits and vegetables).
She begins lying on her side. From there, she lifts her head and her legs up toward the ceiling. Then she lowers them back down. A set of ten on one side and then the other is good.
This week we’ve got a little of everything. We’re working in multiple planes. We have some whole body stuff and some stuff that will help us refine our movements. Three rounds.
step ups | 30 |
gorilla row | 20 |
bench dips | 10 |
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clean and press | 30 |
flies | 20 |
hip rotations | 10 |
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side hops/side lunges | 30 |
deadlifts | 20 |
pretty princesses | 10 |
Today the Amazing Stickie is working her amazing abdominals by doing Captain’s Chair.
She begins sitting on the edge of a box, leaning back slightly, hands behind her. From there, she lifts her knees toward her chest and then lowers them back to the starting position.
Ten reps is a good set.
Another month is coming to an end, so we get a shorter circuit. Four rounds.
1 min cardio | |
| |
kb swings | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
hamstring curls | 10 |
tap backs | 30 |
flies | 20 |
plank up down | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie loves using a pullup bar. Today she’s using it with an exercise band to do dead hangs.
She uses a looped exercise band, pulling one end through the loop to secure it to the pullup bar. Then she puts her feet in the band, holding on to the bar with her arms bent and her chin over the bar. She slowly lowers herself until her arms are fully extended and then pulls herself back up.
A set of ten is great.
This week we have options. Choose the squat pop up if you want extra bonus points. Three rounds.
jacks | 30 |
Arnold press | 20 |
squat pop up or pushups | 10 |
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1 arm clean and press | 30 |
flies | 20 |
YTA | 10 |
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overhead curtsy | 30 |
deadlifts | 20 |
toe reaches | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie loves step ups, but sometimes she wants a bit more challenge. Today she’s doing power step ups.
She begins with one foot up on a strong box, step, or bench. She pushes herself up onto that foot and lifts her other knee high, hopping up above the box. After landing back on the box, she returns her foot to the floor. Her arms swing as she moves for extra bonus calorie-burning points. She usually does a set of 15 or so on one leg and then switches to the other side.
November is a month of gratitude.
I am thankful, today, for weights. Not just heavy things, but specifically weights. Of course, we can get strong by lifting couches or groceries or growing children. We can use our muscles to lift our own body weight in various ways.
But the person who decided that having a set of measured weights in graduated sizes is a genius. With measurement comes the ability to track and plan and plot progress. We can benchmark where we are and we can add incrementally to our challenges so we can develop in a healthy way.
Also: weights are much easier to grip than couches or children.
What is your favorite piece of fitness equipment?
We’ve got lots going on today with compound exercises. Ramp up that metabolism, baby! Three rounds.
tap backs | 30 |
farmer carry | 20 |
renegade row | 10 |
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woodchoppers | 30 |
good mornings | 20 |
lateral raise | 10 |
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suitcase swing | 30 |
side lunges | 20 |
side banana | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie knows that a great way to power up her workouts is to add plyometrics. Today she’s doing plyometric pushups from her knees. (It is also ok to do these from regular pushup position, but it’s harder!)
She begins in modified pushup position, a straight line from her knees to the top of her head. She bends her elbows as she would for a regular pushup, but then explodes upward so that her hands leave the floor at the top of the pushup. That’s one rep. Sets of ten are good.
This week, burpees are back. Sorry/not sorry. Three rounds.
mountain climbers | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
burpees | 10 |
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kb alt arm swing | 30 |
kb hammer curl | 20 |
kb halo | 10 |
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squat raise | 30 |
flies | 20 |
Russian twist | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie knows how important it is to work in all planes, even though she herself is two-dimensional. Today she is doing a medicine ball rotational toss.
To begin, she kneels in the proposal position, holding a medicine ball next to her back hip with both hands (i.e., twisting toward the back leg). From there, she tosses the ball across her body. (It is helpful if she has a partner to fetch the ball back for her between reps.) When she has done a set on one side, she repeats on the other side.
The end of the month means a different workout style, which seems appropriate for Halloween week. Costumes optional. Three or four rounds, depending on time and energy.
H - high knees | 30 |
A - Arnold press | 10 |
L - lunge | 20 |
L - lateral raise | 10 |
O - oblique crunch | 10 |
W - woodchopper | 30 |
E - extend triceps | 20 |
E - elbow plank | |
N - narrow squat | 20 |
The Amazing Stickie is working her amazing abdominals today with the plank saw. She begins in elbow plank position, her body resting on her elbows (forearms straight in front of her, hands not touching) and the balls of her feet, a nice straight line from her heels to the top of her head. From there, she rocks her body back toward her feet and then forward again.
A set of ten is good.
This week we have exercises that challenge our core in various ways. Three rounds.
jacks | 30 |
bench press | 20 |
lateral raise | 10 |
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sumo squat to high pull | 30 |
flies | 20 |
renegade row | 10 |
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1 arm clean and press | 30 |
curls | 20 |
plank up down | 10 |
The Amazing Stickie loves different ways to work her body. Today she is doing the frog reverse hyperextension on the bench.
To begin, she puts her torso on a bench, holding on with her hands, knees bent and feet together hanging off the end. Then she extends her legs straight back behind her until she is a straight line from head to heels. She lowers back to the starting postion to complete the repetition. Sets of five are good.
