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.  

Top Three Magazine Workouts of 2013

by Jenni in

2013 has had some pretty great magazine workouts. Some of my favorites from this year so far are those that 1) do not need massive equipment 2) do not take more than 30 minutes, and 3) are super effective. These workouts have completely surprised me and are the ones that I still do almost a year later.  

June 2012 Jump Rope Workout

This workout is over a year old, but that does not mean it has worn out it's use. the entire workout lasts about 30-minutes and will burn upwards of 250 calories! The best part is it will work your whole body and keeps things entertaining at the same time. Funny how jump rope routines are gaining in popularity right now... Seems this workout was a year ahead of it's time :) 

Jennifer Love Hewitt's Workout

March 2013 had a silent killer in my review. This Jennifer Love Hewitt workout completely took me by surprise. It is simple, fun, and did some major damage to the fats around my thighs. Although I loved the workout while completing it, I did not realize how effective it was until the next day. This workout will definitely sneak-up on you in the muscle soreness category. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a great leg workout, wants a simple and low impact exercise routine, or just wants to mix things up. Jennifer Love Hewitt's workout seems to do all three!

Beach Body Part I

Out of all the Jillian Michaels workouts that I have done, this one is still at the top of my list. Sure, Yoga Meltdown, Six Pack in Six Weeks, and Beach Body Part II and III are incredible, but this one takes the cake. The calorie burn for this workout is not too high, but the muscle strengthening is incredible. This workout will give your arms, legs, bum, and abs a full, sleep the pain away, workout! Enjoy the post-workout pride that goes along with completing this insane Jillian Michaels sweat session!

Six Exercises for Toned Legs

by Jenni in

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Bikini season is here. The the welcoming of warmer air and those itsy bitsy bikini's have changed my workouts up a bit. Whether is is purposeful or not, I have found a great many exercises focusing on my legs... Training for a run could be helping this as well. 
Since legs are becoming my fav body part to work, I have become quite attune to what exercises work my legs and which do not. These six exercises are some of my top leg workers for getting the heart rate going and my muscles building.

The best types of exercises are those that work two parts of the body at once, or increase your heart rate. These exercises are a mix of cardio, plyometrics, and resistance training, no wonder they get the job done! You can add a few of these to an existing workout, or complete them all for a major leg make-over! ​​For a total leg workout, complete two minutes of alternating between 30 seconds of knee-ups and 30 seconds of kick-backs. Then, complete each exercise for two minutes followed by 30 seconds of knee-ups and 30 seconds of kick-backs. The entire exercise should take fifteen minutes.

Lizard Plank

Get into plank position with arms straight out and hands directly under the elbows. Your body should be straight, be sure your bum does not sink down or rise up during the exercise. Lift the right leg off the ground and bend it in so your right leg is touching your right side. Hold, then return to starting. Complete one minute per side. ​Lizard planks are great for the lower and oblique abs along with inner thighs, outer thighs, and bum.

Extended Leg ​Bridge Pose

​Lay on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Tuck the shoulders under and lift the torso off the ground so only your feet, shoulder, neck, and head are touching the floor. While keeping the hips even, lift the right leg straight into the air and flex the right foot. Begin lowering and raising your pelvis so you are almost touching the ground. Continue this for one minute, then switch to the left leg.

For an intermediate workout, try holding this position instead of lowering the pelvis and ​raising it back up.

Three Way Squats

Squats are great for the bum, inner thighs, and outer thighs. These squats bring the burn to the next level. Complete each squat for one minute. ​

Original Squat: Stand straight up with legs shoulder width apart, feet out straight in front of you, and arms bent in front of you. Slowly bend the legs until your knees are at a 90 degree angle, making sure they do not move forward at all. Hold, then return to starting. Complete as many as possible in one minute. ​

Plie Squat: Stand straight up with feet shoulder width apart and turned to the side so you are in second position. Bend arms out in front of you (intermediate) or hold straight out to the side (advanced). Slowly bend knees until they are at a 90 degree angle, then rise back up. Be sure that your shoulders do not raise and your bum does not stick out. Complete as many as possible in one minute.

Resistance Band Squat:​ The goal of this squat is to give as much resistance when lifting up as possible. Use an eight pound or higher resistance band. Stand in regular squat position and place the band evenly under the feet. Hold the ends of the resistance band in each hand and bring hands in to your chest, interlocking them as much as possible. Complete a regular squat, making sure to take extra time rising back up.

Chair Kicks

Oh how I love these. Chair kicks are great for working the upper, outer thigh and the gluteus medius and minimus muscles. ​Stand with the back (advanced) or seat (intermediate) of a chair facing you. Kick the right, then the left leg over the chair, making sure that the torso and legs stay as straight as possible and hands remain bent at your sides. Continue kicking legs back and forth over the chair for two minutes straight. You will so feel this in the morning!

Fire Hydrant Kick

This exercise gets it's name because you will look a bit like a dog at a fire hydrant... Get on all fours with knees directly under hips and hands under the shoulders. Make sure to keep a straight back during this entire exercise, no sagging here! While keeping the knee bent, lift the right leg off the ground so your thigh is parallel to the floor and the bottom of your foot is looking up towards the ceiling. Rotate the leg outward and bring it up towards your shoulder. Hold, then bring the leg back to the first elevated position so your thigh is parallel to the floor. Continue for one minute without bringing the leg back down to the floor, then complete for the alternate side. ​Try to keep your torso as still as possible and arms straight during this whole exercise.