Bikini Workout

by Jenni in

This bikini workout has become one of my favorites for preparing for summer! The entire workout, with a warm-up and cool-down, should take about thirty minutes. This is a circuit workout, but none of the circuits are the same, making it always changing and never boring.  

Do not kid, this twenty minute sweat session can be intense. If you are running short on time or are new to working out, opt for completing each exercise for thirty seconds instead of one minute. For everyone else, Complete a 3-5 minute warm-up followed by each exercise done for a total of one  minute. Each circuit should take you five minutes. Complete each circuit without breaking in between. 

Circuit One

Complete each in order for 1 minute

Crunches

Lay your back on the ground with legs bent, hands behind the neck, and shoulders off the floor. Contract the abs so the force of their contraction is what lifts you off the ground and brings your chest in towards your legs. Slowly lower back to starting, making sure to keep the shoulders off the ground the entire time. Continue this for one minute.

Mountain Climbers

Oh so good! Get into plank position with arms straight under shoulders. Begin by bringing the right foot, then the left foot in towards the chest as quickly as possible. Be sure to keep you bum down and arms straight throughout. Continue for 1-minute.

Plank Dips

Get into regular plank (advanced) or lowered plank (intermediate) position. Make sure hips are even, then lower the right hip down towards the floor in the center of the body. Slowly return to starting, then alternate, dipping the right hip to the ground. Continue for one minute. 

Lunge to Arabesque

This is my new favorite exercise! It will work your entire leg and bum, plus all those hard to get at muscle between the two. Start by completing one lunge with your right leg, then lift up and swing the leg back to arabesque. Be sure to keep the leg straight, back up, shoulders down, and toes pointed. Hold, then swing the leg forward again to lunge. There should be no pause between the lunge and arabesque. Complete 12 per side.

Circuit Two

Lunges

Stand straight with feet hip width apart and hands on hips. Step the right leg in front of you about three feet and bend the right and left legs 90 degrees. Hold, then return to starting. Alternate legs for one minute, making sure to keep the torso straight and not extending the front knee past the front toes.  

Plank Leg Lifts

These are so great for a total body workout! They will increase balance and work every muscle from the back, arms, shoulders, intercostals, abs, and legs. Get into plank position with arms extended straight for advanced or bent with forerms on the ground for intermediate. Begin by lifting the right leg up about 45 degrees, making sure to keep the knee facing the floor and the foot flexed. Hold, then return to starting. Alternate from the right to the left leg for one minute.

Squats

Stand straight up with arms bent up at your side and legs shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and lower as far down as possible, hold, then slowly return to starting. Continue for one minute.  

Leg Lifts

Stand straight up with arms bent upward at your side and feet hip width apart. Slowly lift the right leg 45-90 degrees into the air, making sure that hips stay even the entire time. It is more important to keep hips even, the foot flexed, the legs straight, and knees facing the ground than it is to have a high leg. Hold this position, then slowly return to starting and alternate to the left side. Continue alternating leg lifts for one minute.  

Plie Squats

These are very similar to regular squats, but the feet are rotated outward and you keep your bum tucked in. Complete as many plie squats as you can in one minute. 

Circuit Three

Toe Touches

These are a great warm-up activity and a great workout. Stand straight up with feet hip width apart and your back straight. Begin lifting the right leg up while extending the left arm out in front of you. The goal is to be able to touch your left hand to your right toes without bending your back your simply kicking your leg up. Slowly return to starting and alternate between the right and left legs. 

Speed Skaters

These will get your heart rate lifted and your fat melting away! Stand with feet together and the right leg slightly out in front and toes pointed. Bend both legs, making sure that most your weight is on your left foot, the right foot should be aiding in balance only. Tuck arms into your sides and lower your back so you are in a running, crouched position. The back should be straight the entire time. Begin alternating lifting the right then the left arm up as quickly as possible in a fast running motion. Continue for one minute then alternate to the left side.   

Windshield Wipers

Goodness are these good for your abs! Lay on the floor, making sure that your entire back is touching the ground. Lift your legs straight into the air at a ninety degree angle. Your legs should be stuck together like glue during this entire exercise. Begin by lowering leg to the right while keeping both hips on the floor, hold, then rise back up. Continue this motion from the right side to the left for one minute.  

Bridge Pose

These will get some major results in the glutes department! Lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tuck shoulders underneath and raise your back off the ground. The only part of your torso on the floor should be your shoulder blade region. Hold this position for 30 seconds, making sure to lift hips as high as possible.  

After thirty seconds, lift the right leg straight into the air. Hold this position for 15 seconds then alternate to the left foot being in the air. Be sure hips stay even and you continue lifting up as high as possible for the whole minute.  

Circuit Four

Complete each exercise in order for 30 seconds.

Sun Salutation

Complete three Sun Salutations. Then, bring the right leg between your hands after the third downward facing dog.  

Warrior Two

Rise up from your downward facing dog and go directly into a warrior two pose. Hold this pose for thirty seconds, making sure your body is in alignment, your arms are up, and your shoulders are down. Keep the front leg bent as low as possible without letting the knee bent extend past the right foot.

Triangle Pose

After 30 seconds in warrior two, straighten the left leg and extend to torso forward, still keeping your body straight like you are between two sheets of glass.

Once you are as forward as possible, bend the torso downward and extend the left arm to the ground, the knee, or the ankle. The goal is to keep the torso in alignment more than low to the ground. Keep the right arm straight up towards the ceiling and look over the right hand. Hold for thirty seconds.

Reverse Warrior

After 30 sconds in triangle, Lift the body back up tow warrior two and bend the right leg. Bend the torso back and place the left arm on the back of the left leg. The right arm should be extended towards the back wall right above your head. Look up towards the ceiling and hold for thirty seconds.

After 30 seconds, complete one more sun salutation and continue every pose on the left side.  

Reading Round-Up

by Jenni in

There have been a few articles, videos and such that I have come across along my perusal of the Internets... In the name of research, of course. Most of these have helped me immensely with their little tid-bits of knowledge, and most have been on a list of things I have been holding my breath to share. Finally, that day has come. Get ready and hunker down, there are quite a few things on this list, all of which I am super happy to have found!

Running

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I found this article back when I was doing my massive running shoes research (like that has ended, ha!) . This guy has so much information, I had to bookmark it and save it for future sharing. It really has nothing to do with running shoes, so I could not reasonably link it in any of those articles, but it does talk quite a bit about running your first marathon. If you, like me, are realizing that you will be running a half or whole marathon sometime in the near future, you will benefit from this article. It has inspiration and tips for all aspects of the race.

The article is over on the Running Shoes Guru website and was a little golden internet nugget when I found it. I still refer back to it at times when a little extra running comfort is needed.

Grain Wisely

I should first say that I love NutritionElla's blog. She is super sweet and has lots of great info on nutrition, not to mention all of her super-cute pictures... She even shows design updates of her new San Francisco apartment. Score-sees! This article is a bit more numbers driven than most others, and I love it. It is all about healthy wheat and how to get them in good quantities. The article is short and sweet with simple math that is easy to remember. I cannot count the number of times this bit of knowledge has been helpful, especially when grocery shopping.

Ella also refers back to the scientific study this post is based on. If you really want an interesting, hunker down and read article, this is it. I would suggest reading the study's abstract alone, if for no other reason than to better understand whole grains. It is interesting, promise.

If you look at the date this article was published, you will realize that I am an internet hoarder. There, it has been admitted.  

Body Weight Exercise

If you follow me on Pinterest, then you may have already seen this earlier in the week. Otherwise, it is new! I was looking at some of the online workouts of at Women's Health Magazine and found something that is straight up this fitness enthusiast's ally- a body weight workout. We travel a ton and when I am at home I like my closet space to be for cute shoes and to-die-for tops more than random fitness equipment. That makes body weight workouts a must for me.  

A body weight workout is a workout that uses your body weight instead of exercise weights, bands, or anything else. This workout has different exercises that will work different parts of the body. Everything is also broken down into reps, sets, and breaks. Just the way I like it! 

Safe Cycling  

This is another post from a blog I love. Twenty-Six and Then Some is a blog created by Page, an incredible triathlete. Her blog is great for inspiration and little fitness tips along the way. I also love, love, love hearing about her training days and the little updates on how training for triathlons effects her life.

When we were in San Francisco, we got a crash course in cycling rules. Since then, we have rented bicycles during a few of our vacations. The rules we learned in San Francisco have made such a difference in any cycling outing. I would highly recommend checking out this post if you are a) renting a bike on a summer vacation or, b) looking into or are a beginner cyclist. Page has tons of great tips and goes beyond the usual rules on proper right and left hand turns.  

This post is pretty recent. See, my hoarding is getting better! Also, this pic has nothing to do with cycling other than the bicycle, I just though it was pretty. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Yoga

Let's end with a workout video. Although I have quite a few more internet finds to share, I think ending before heads explode is wise. Maybe we will have a part II readin round-up next week for a few others in my archive.

If you have read more than five posts on this blog, you have probably figured out that I am obsessed with most any Jillian Michaels' workout. All her workouts are great and this Yoga Meltdown is no exception. These moves are pretty common yoga poses, but they have a little extra in the cardio field. The extra cardio makes this 30 minute workout great for toning and for fat burning. I was dripping sweat by minute 15, dripping sweat. 

Try this guy out for a great home-based power yoga workout. It is heaven for abs, backs, and arms. Plus, Jillian has three different levels of experience so everyone from the newbie yogi's to the experts can get something from this workout.