Full Body Countdown Workout

After reviewing my first ever countdown workout a few weeks ago, I have completely fallen in love with them. No pun intended, but I have, literally, been counting down to a time when I could create my own.  

Countdown workouts are great for those in a hurry who want to get in an extra sweat session but may not have much time. This workout takes some of my favorite moves and adds them together for a full body workout- countdown style. These moves will work alternating muscle groups, creating an intense workout that leaves no muscle untouched.

This workout has ten circuits. Begin with a two minute warm-up, alternating between 30 seconds of knee-ups and 30 seconds of kick-backs. Then, start doing each exercise ten times and reduce the number of reps by one in every circuit after. By the tenth circuit, you should only be doing one rep of each exercise. The goal with a countdown workout is to put out as much energy for circuit ten as you did for circuit one, getting the movement perfect by the last circuit.
 

Lumber Jack Lunges

These are best with a five pound weight. If that is not available, complete without any weights at all. Start standing straight up with feet hip width apart and arms raised above the left ear. Lunge back with the right leg while twisting your arms down towards the right knee. Keep the torso straight up while twisting. Rise back up to starting or, for advanced lunges, bring the right knee up to your chest without letting it touch the ground. Complete ten Lumber Jack Lunges per side for circuit one, counting down to one per side at circuit ten.

Knee Tucks

These will work your upper and lower abs along with your inner thighs. Start laying on the ground with your feet and shoulders about two inches off the floor. Arms should be extended above your head. Bend your legs and contract your abs so your chest and upper thighs come into your center; completing a full body crunch. Hold, then extend back out. Complete ten on your first circuit.

Push-Ups

Goodness, these are the original arm workout. Get into plank position, making sure your hands are directly under the shoulders. Slowly lower down, keeping the back straight and shoulders down. Stop right before touching the ground, hold, then return to starting. Complete ten on your first circuit.  

Knee Lunge, Leg Kick

This move was created by Tracey Anderson for getting some massive tush toning. Start kneeling on the left knee with the right leg extended straight out at a 45 degree angle and hand on your hips. Lean the body forward and bend the right knee into a lunge, then come back to starting, placing your hands on the ground directly under your shoulders. Simultaneously, kick the left leg into the air, keeping toes pointed and a slight bend in the knee until the last moment. Kick straight up, then return to starting.

Towel Jumps

These will get the heart pumping and work the lower abs and legs. Place a small towel on the floor beside your right foot. Jump over the towel as far as possible while keeping the feet together. Then, immediately jump back to the right side, trying to get as far away from the towel as possible. That is one rep, complete ten reps on your first circuit.

Take a ten second break between each circuit.

Lumber Jack Lunges Part I

Lumber Jack Lunges Part II

Knee Tucks Part I

Knee Tucks Part II

Push-Ups

Knee Lunge, Leg Kick Part I

Knee Lunge, Leg Kick Part II

Knee Lunge, Leg Kick Part III

Towel Jumps

Women's Health Workout Review: Drop Two Sizes

The May issue of Women's Health Magazine has a few reads that almost every woman would enjoy. ​Not only does this issue have a kick-butt workout via Keri Russell (star of the FX show The Americans and previously Felicity), but it also has an article by the new author of Drop Two Sizes, Rachel Crosgrove. Crosgrove's new book claims that we can loose more weight with shorter, higher intensity exercises.

This workout comes with an entire in-depth article talking about something many of us have been reading and implementing already- circuits, intervals, and thirty minute workouts. According to The Journal of Obesity, regular aerobic exercise has much greater limits for fat loss than we initially thought. If you are working out at the gym for hours on end and seeing little to no dips in the scale, Rachel recommends switching to some high intensity ​exercises that have been shown to increase fitness, lower insulin resistance, and increase fat loss.

Rachel Crosgrove recommends trying this "countdown" workout once to twice a week, replacing your usual cardio workout. Countdowns are a form of circuits where, instead of doing certain exercises for a determined amount of time, you do a determined number of reps, then, reduce the number of reps by one in each set. The last set of exercises should have one rep per set. Whoa, that was a lot of rep and set talk!

This countdown workout has five exercises and starts doing each exercise five times. Crosgrove says that the countdown method encourages proper form and a higher output of energy with every set. By doing the countdown, we are able to put more energy into every exercise to see better results. 

The Review

When I first saw this workout I thought it was too good to be true... Loose two dress sizes just seems to be a media ploy. I am still not convinced of the title, but am completely intrigued. The workout starts with a quick warm-up and is followed by five reps of each set and a 20-40 second cardio break between each set. All of the exercises are quite simple and almost all of them have been on the blog. There is nothing that seems too difficult about the workout, but I was dripping with sweat by the end, all the same. ​

The entire workout took me about fifteen minutes and burnt about 130 calories. That is pretty fantastic, especially for something with so little cardio! I was especially happy when I woke this morning to some sore inner thighs and other tiny leg muscles I did not know existed... This was much better than the burn I felt in my quads during the entire workout.

Overall, the workout is fantastic. Rachel Crosgrove has put together a great sequence that tricks you into working harder than you think. I am very excited to implement more "countdown" workouts into my fitness routine after this introduction. Hopefully, next week I will be able to review the super intense Keri Russell workout as well; it's what she did to get in shape for her role as a Russian spy! ​