Create a Revolution With This Years Resolution Workout

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:

  1. Total Time: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without resting. Complete as many rounds as possible in 15minutes
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

FullSizeRenderContract 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

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:

  1. Total Time: Do 12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without resting. Complete as many rounds as possible in 15minutes
  2. 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.
  3. 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. photo 5(6)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. photo 4(8)

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.photo 3(9)

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

photo 2(9)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.

photo 1(11)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.photo 5(7)

4. Alternating Superman: Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and your arms extending above the head, palms down.photo 1(12)

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.photo 4(9)

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.photo 3(10)

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.

photo 3Click here to watch this segment from January 2nds CH Morning Live.

Thank You for Sharing the Love!

July was an absolutely amazing month for feeling the social media love and support. I am constantly taken back by your following, sharing, and blog/twitter love. Thank you everyone who has read my blog and checked out my nomination in the Genuine Health Inner Champion Contest. My blog has just been nominated as Best Health Magazine’s Fitness Blog of 2013, so my ask for your support continues.

Best Health Magazine Blog of the Year!
I am now further honoured to have learned today that my blog has been nominated by Best Health Magazine in their Best Blogs of 2013 contest. There are some amazing blogs on this list and it is very heart warming to see my name. I have loved sharing my passion for healthy, active living with you and have learned so much from what you have taken the time to share back. If you have a second please continue to share the love by clicking here and giving my blog your vote! http://www.besthealthmag.ca/special-features/bh-blog-award

Taken March 2012, this goal will become my reality!

Genuine Health Inner Champion Contest
You made over 3000 votes during July in the Genuine Health $10K Inner Champion contest and I was beyond honoured to sit in first place because of you for the past 3 weeks. The contest continues through to the end of this month, so I am asking for this love and support to continue. You can vote daily here in order to help me make my fitness dream of opening an indoor cycling & yoga studio a reality. Sweating for social good is my intention behind Tribe, as we not only build community through fitness but we support the community. For more details & to vote click here: http://www.genuinehealth.com/innerchampion/heather-gardner/

Thank you everyone for your support and generous giving of your time to voting. Both contests take mere seconds to complete (nothing to fill in) and your actions are deeply appreciated.

You are my Tribe, my community, my network, and my fitness family.
Thank you for your continued support.