Create a Revolution With This Years Resolution Workout

January 5, 2016January 5, 20161 Comment

The new year is a great time to reset and restart your workout routine. Maybe you want it give it a small makeover by adding few challenging moves, or maybe it requires a core shaking revival, either way these 5 moves will give you a total body workout in your own house, no equipment needed!

Pick one of the three programs from below, they all use the same 5 exercises, and sneak your workouts in whenever you can.

Don’t want to read below? Watch me take you through these moves during my segment from CH Morning Live aired January 5th here.

Programs:

Total Time: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without resting. Complete as many rounds as possible in 15minutes
Total Rounds: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without rest. Complete five rounds and note how long it takes you to finish. Aim to do the workout faster next time.
Total Reps: Perform as many reps as you can of each move in one minute each, moving from one exercise to the next without stopping. Rest one minute, then repeat the sequence two more times. Keep track of your total rep count and try to beat your grand total next time.

Exercises

1. Traveling Lunge: Standing with feet hip distance apart, step forward with your left leg into a standing split position and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees.

Pause and then with your left leg step backwards and slowly lower your body until your front right knee is bent to at least 90 degrees. Pause and then return to standing. Those two movements are one set. Repeat on the other side.

2. Marching Hip Raise: Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

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Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Lift one knee to your chest, lower back to the start, and lift your other knee to your chest. Continue to alternate back and forth.

3. Trunk Twist: Lie face-up on the floor with your arms straight out from your sides. Raise your legs off the floor so that your hips and knees are bent 90 degrees.

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Brace your abs and lower your legs to the right as far as you can without lifting your shoulders off the floor. Reverse the movement all the way to the left. Continue to alternate back and forth.

4. Alternating Superman: Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and your arms extending above the head, palms down.

FullSizeRender Contract your glutes and the muscles of your lower back, and raise your head, chest, right arm, and left leg off the floor. Hold for 15 seconds, lower and repeat using your left arm and right leg. Hold and repeat again on the alternating sides.

5. Shoulder Tap Plank: Starting on all fours place your hands on the floor slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders.

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Tap your right shoulder with your left hand, pause and then return to the starting position, with both hands under shoulders. Repeat with the right hand. Continue alternating shoulder taps for the duration of the set.

Modification: Instead of performing the exercise with your legs straight, bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your knees.

New Workout For A New Year

January 2, 2015January 2, 2015Leave a comment

The new year is a great time to reset and restart your workout, by either giving it a makeover or maybe a revival. These 5 moves will give you a total body workout in your own house, no equipment needed! Pick one of the three programs from below, they all use the same 5 exercises, and sneak your workouts in whenever you can.

Do two to three sessions a week. Pick a workout program that interests you; keep the pace fast and the effort hard. Feeling strong after a couple of weeks? then bump it up! (Don’t want to read? Click here to watch my segment on CH Morning Live)

Programs:

Total Time: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without resting. Complete as many rounds as possible in 15minutes
Total Rounds: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without rest. Complete five rounds and note how long it takes you to finish. Aim to do the workout faster next time.
Total Reps: Perform as many reps as you can of each move in one minute each, moving from one exercise to the next without stopping. Rest one minute, then repeat the sequence two more times. Keep track of your total rep count and try to beat your grand total next time.

Exercises

1. Clock Lunge: Standing with feet hip distance apart, step forward in to a standing split position and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees. Pause and then return to standing. Using the same leg, step wide into a side lunge and slowly lower until your right knee is bent is bent to at least 90 degrees. Pause and then return to standing.

Finally step backwards with the right leg and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees. Pause and then return to standing. Those three movements are one set. Repeat on the other side.

2. Marching Hip Raise: Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

3. Trunk Twist: Lie face-up on the floor with your arms straight out from your sides. Raise your legs off the floor so that your hips and knees are bent 90 degrees.

Brace your abs and lower your legs to the right as far as you can without lifting your shoulders off the floor. Reverse the movement all the way to the left. Continue to alternate back and forth.

4. Alternating Superman: Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and your arms extending above the head, palms down.

Contract your glutes and the muscles of your lower back, and raise your head, chest, right arm, and left leg off the floor. Hold for 15 seconds, lower and repeat using your left arm and right leg. Hold and repeat again on the alternating sides.

5. Reach Out Push-Up: Starting on all fours place your hands on the floor slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders.

Reach your right hand away from your body on the right side and slowly lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back to the starting position, with hands under shoulders, as quickly as possible.

Modification: Instead of performing the exercise with your legs straight, bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your knees.

Click here to watch this segment from January 2nds CH Morning Live.

Pumpkin Pump-up

October 27, 2014October 28, 2014Leave a comment

Before you grab that handful of gummy treats move more with these five pumpkin themed exercises to get you pumped up! Tune into CH Morning Live Tuesday October 28th at 9:45am to catch these moves during my regular sweat session segment. (UPDATE: Watch it here). And sorry, but I won’t be wearing my Purple People Eater costume on air. That was for a special free 3km children’s run that Tribe and I were extremely excited to support with our friends from Ivivva Yorkdale.

These five moves require a pumpkin that you can safely lift which is also sturdy enough to hold your body weight. If it’s not Halloween, consider giving these five moves a try using a medicine ball, or without any equipment at all.

Program:
Total Reps: Perform as many reps as you can of each move in one minute, moving from one exercise to the next without stopping. Rest one minute, then repeat the sequence two more times through. Consider keeping track of your total rep count and try to beat your total next time. Be sure to keep safety in mind even when focusing on time.

1. Mountain Climber

Starting on all fours in a table top position, place both hands on top of the pumpkin. Engage your core and lift your knees off the floor. Alternating one leg at a time, bring your knees in towards your wrists. Repeat for one minute.

2. Pumpkin Push Up

Starting in a table top position, place both hands on top of the pumpkin. Engage your core and lift your knees off the floor. Slowly lower your chest towards the pumpkin and extending the elbow pushing yourself away, returning to the starting position. Repeat as many reps as possible in one minute.

Modification: a. Consider remaining on your knees for the duration of the push-ups. b. Place one hand on the pumpkin and one hand on the floor, with legs on either the knees or toes. Be sure to repeat each set using each arm on the pumpkin.

3. Lunge with Twist

Hold the pumpkin in front of the body with two hands while standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward in to a standing split position and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Pause and then engaging your core twist the pumpkin towards your bent leg. Untwist returning the pumpkin to center and press back up into a standing position. Repeat, alternating front legs and twists with each repetition.

4. Squat With Shoulder Press

Hold the pumpkin in front of the body with two hands while standing with feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Extend arms below the body and use bend your legs moving into a squat position. Be sure to keep your knees behind your toes and press you seat back far. Bend your elbows curling the pumpkin up towards your shoulders as you return to stand, and finally press the pumpkin above your head as you return into a full standing position. Repeat.

5. Training Camp

Sit on the ground with your knees bent to 90 degrees, holding the pumpkin with two hands. Lock your elbows into your ribs and lower your torso back until you sit at 45 degrees. Engage your core, and hold and twist your torso, and the pumpkin, to the right and then the left. Repeat.

Looking for ways to keep your kids healthy and active this Halloween? Check out last weeks post here.

How do you stay active and healthy when it’s holiday season? Share your tricks or healthy treats in the comments!