FitYaf's Fitness Friday Workout - Winter Blues

Depending on where you live, you might be experiencing the "winter blues" with me.  I haven't had many outdoor runs this winter, but I have my group fitness classes to thank for keeping me out of a serious workout funk!  On Monday nights at the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, I teach a class called Body Blitz.  It's a 1 hour class that alternates between cardio and resistance training.  What types of exercises do we do in this class?  It's more like what exercises aren't we doing?  I love introducing new (and sometimes a bit awkward) exercises to keep things interesting and fresh, while continuing to work the same muscles in new ways.

Here are some other Body Blitz style workouts:

• No equipment necessary
• BOSU
• Dumbbell
• Body Blitz style

Notes about this workout:

• Some of the moves in this workout are high-impact.  Please feel free to modify the workout to make them low-impact if necessary.
• If you're unsure about any of the movements, check out the videos linked to the name of the exercise or google them before you start the workout.  You don't want to lose momentum, stopping after every exercise to look up how to do them.
• The warmup and cardio sections of this workout are designed to do in a set amount of time.  This means that you'll work at your maximum level (as hard and as fast as you can) during this part of the workout.  Sometimes this might mean that you'll slow down, but as long as you're still feeling challenged, you'll benefit from the workout!
• The resistance training sections of this workout are designed to complete a set amount of reps.  Be sure not to rush these movements and perform them in a controlled manner.  Choose your weights so that you can complete the workout, but it is still challenging for you!
• Rest in between sets if needed, but no more than 1 minute!
• Be sure to stretch at the end of the workout.  Check out some post-workout stretches from Health.com.

Warmup

Do each for for one minute, as fast as you can:

• Jumping jacks
  
• Squat jumps (jump out into a squat, about halfway down, then jump back up to standing)
  
• High knees
  
• Jump rope side to side (use an imaginary rope, moving both feet together, jumping side to side about 1-2 feet)
  
• Out & in (jump both feet out, then back in, knees slightly bent)

Resistance Training, SET 1

• Sliding squats (20 each side) - use a paper plate on carpeted surfaces or a paper towel on tile/hardwood
• Dumbbell around the world (20 each direction)
• Lunge pulse (10 sets of 8 on each side) - step out into a lunge position and pulse up and down 8 times before switching to the other leg (challenge yourself by jumping to the opposite lunge position)
• Alternating bicep curls/reverse curls (20 of each)

Cardio, SET 1

Do each for for one minute, as fast as you can:

• Sprint in place
• Side to side floor hops
• Squat jacks
• Plank half circles - from a plank position, walk your feet to one side, creating a half circle, then come back the other side (you'll have to adjust your hand placement, but keep them in the same general location)
• Speed skaters

Resistance Training, SET 2

• Narrow squats  (40 total)
• Tricep side push ups (20 on each side)
• Moving lunges (4 sets of 8 alternating lunges) - with or without dumbbells
• Alternating crab reach (20 on each side)

Cardio, SET 2

Do each for for one minute, as fast as you can:

• Heisman 1-2-3
• Mountain climbers
• 180 jump squats
• Suicide jumps
• High knees

Challenge

Burpee pushup challenge - 8 push-up burpees, increasing the number of push-ups with every rep

Core

• Hip lifts (20) - try to lift your hips up vertically, and not back towards your head
• Moving plank (8 sets of 4 'steps')
• Snow angels (2 sets of 30 seconds)
• Alternating leg drop (15 each side)

Stretch