Quickie Workout #8

You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial.

Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.

Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Breath on the excursion (ie, exhale when pushing yourself up on the push up, inhale as you return to the ground). Keep your abs in as if there is a string from your belly button pulling through to your spine.

Warm up- Side squats facing the same way. 30 steps left and then 30 steps to the right. Repeat 3x. Stay low with bum sticking out.

1 min-Stationary squat with a leg lift (alternating legs). Only raise your leg as high up that is in a comfortable range of motion for you. Keep your posture tall and torso upright. You can hold on to the back of a chair for balance if you need to.

30 sec- Calf raise (preferably on low step).

1 min- Holding medium weights (or a soup can or filled water bottle) keep elbows next to your side (but don’t dig elbows in). Keep palms facing away from body. Keep wrists locked. Exhale as you bring your hands up towards your body. Inhale as you straighten your arms. Use only your muscle to flex and extend the elbow. Keep upper body still to avoid using momentum to assist you with the lift.

1 min- Keeping the weights in your hands, perform a lateral raise. Holding weights by your sides with the palms facing the body. Raise arms out to side to make your body shaped like a letter ‘T.’ Be sure to only lift arms to shoulder height. Raising your arms higher puts you at risk for damaging your shoulders.

30 sec- Calf raise (preferably on low step). Hold weights for extra resistance.

1 min- Overhead press. Squat with feet shoulder-width apart. Sit back with weight in heels. Have weights held at shoulder height with palms facing away from you. As you stand up from the squat, exhale and straighten your arms above your head.

30 sec- Run in place with high knees.

30 sec- Speed skater jump. You do not need to hold a weight.

1 min- Prisoner squats (similar to overhead press without weights). Squat down and explode out of the squat into a jump straight up in the air. For extra difficulty raise hands up in the air as you jump.

1 min- Leg lifts.  Only lower legs as low as you can without your lower back coming off the ground.

1 min- Crab walk. 

1 min- Bear walk.  If  you are more advanced, you can walk without lowering knees to ground.  Good form is very important so make sure you have the basics down first.  Video progressing to more challenging versions.

Repeat the workout if you can or mix and match with the others. Good luck!