Tag: bodyweight

Wednesday Workout: Bodyweight Workout Finisher

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Hello! Hope you guys are all hanging in there with these super cold temps this week! I’m popping in quickly today to share a little bodyweight workout finisher that I did the other day after I finished my treadmill run. On days I run, I typically just do some stretching and light bodyweight/core exercises. I save my weight lifting for the other days where I am not spending 30+ minutes doing cardio. If I combined running and weights I would be at the gym for an hour+, and as they say: ain’t nobody got time for that!

Last week I shared this quickie finisher and today I have another one for you. What I love about “finisher” circuits/workouts is that they are great as just that- a finisher, but they are also great if you make them as your whole workout by adding in more rounds. I did 3 rounds of this after a 4-miler on Monday, but if I was looking for a quickie workout while I was traveling or short on time, I could totally just add a few more rounds or make it an AMRAP style workout.

Bodyweight Workout Finisher

  • Squat & Knee lift X10 (5 each leg)-  With your hands behind your head and your elbows wide,  perform a squat. When you come back up to standing, engage your core and lift your right knee and cross it over your body to meet your left elbow. Perform another squat and then lift your left knee over to your right elbow. Each knee should come up 5 times (you’re doing a total of 10 squats).
  • Hand release push-ups- Start in a high plank position, either your knees or on your toes. Slowly lower yourself to the ground, keeping your body flat like a board and making sure to not drop your knees or hips before your chest. In the same plane/board-like motion, press into your hands and push yourself up in one motion, again making sure your chest isn’t coming up before your hips- everything should go up and come down together.
  • Hip lifts/bridge- On your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, engage your core and press your heels into the ground as you lift your hips, making sure to squeeze your glutes! Lower back down and repeat.
  • Full sit-ups- Staying in that same supine position, place your arms along your side and exhale as you perform a full sit-up, reaching your hands to your feet.
  • Plank hold- Flip back over and hold a plank for 15 seconds the first round, 30 seconds the second round, 45 seconds the third round, etc… adding 15 second to the plank hold each round. You can either do the plank with straight arms or on your forearms and you can do them on your knees or toes.

As always, let me know if you try adding this to the end of your workout!

Questions for you: Do you keep your cardio and weights on separate days if you aren’t doing a metabolic combination workout?

Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Bodyweight AMRAP {Cardio/Full Body}

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Good morning! It’s been ages since I’ve posted a workout for you, right?! I’m changing that today, though! I love the holidays for an excuse to get off of my regular schedule (eating, drinking, working out, working, etc.), but I have to say that getting back ON schedule is a pretty awesome feeling, too. So, if you’re feeling anything like me and craving a bit of normalcy, then I hope you give this workout a shot- it’s so very normal and classic Monique-like 😉

I did this when I was at home at my parents house a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure I wanted to workout, so I came up with something that included some of my favorite exercises and told myself that if I didn’t get into it after the first round, I could call it quits. Well, 20 minutes later, I was sweaty and so happy I got in a quickie workout. I’m sure you’ll feel the same way!

20 minute bodyweight AMRAP workout

A few explanations/videos in case you need a little clarification on anything…

  • Narrow & wide squat jumps– you’re taking a standard squat jump, but adding a little intensity. Check out this video for a demo.
  • Inch worm push-up w/knee tuck– I posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago- check it out here
  • Cursty lunges- alternate right to left, making sure you keep your hips facing the front direction and that your knees don’t go over your toes.
  • T-raise side planks- I posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago, too! I used a band, but you could easily do it without.  Check it out here
  • Burpee Jacks- Perform a standard burpee (with or without the push-up) and then when you come back up instead of jumping, do a full jumping jack.
  • Supine Extension- Lying on your back with your core engaged, lift your legs and shoulder blades off the ground and then crunch up and then extend back out.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I hope you give this a shot- it’s perfect for those days/weeks where you don’t have a lot of time to workout.

Questions for you: Did your schedule change at all throughout the holidays? How do you deal with schedule changes?

 

Wednesday Workout: Bodyweight Total Body Workout (30 mins or less!)

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Good morning! As I mentioned yesterday, I did a great bodyweight workout when I was home at my parents last weekend. I haven’t been lifting many weights these days, but when I woke up on Saturday I just didn’t want to get packed up and head to the gym so another bodyweight workout it was! Even though I wasn’t going to be lifting weights, I still wanted a tough workout so I decided to load up on reps.

This workout isn’t anything fancy, but it did leave me with a nice burn during the workout and a little bit of the “I worked out yesterday” feeling, so I’ll chalk it up as a solid workout! The way it works is you do the first combo move for 12 reps (each side, if there’s an option) and then the second exercise for 10 reps. Complete a total of 3 rounds before doing the cardio tabata round, which will be 2 different cardio exercises (complete each 4 times), usually complementing the strength exercises.

Bodyweight Total Body Workout

A few explanations to help you out…

  • Lunge/squat combo: lunge back with the right leg and return to center and complete a squat, then lunge back with the left leg and back to center. For the tabata round, you’ll do the same format of the exercises, you’ll just add in the jumping factor 😉
  • Triceps dips & toe taps: Perform a triceps dip (hands and feet on the ground) and then reach opposite hand to opposite foot, while engaging the core. Dip and then repeat on the other side.
  • Superman pulls- While laying on your stomach with your arms extended out in front of you. Engage the core and lift your chest off the ground. Once in this position, pull your elbows back to your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades together and going through the motion like you have weights in your hand.
  • Curtsy lunge & knee crunch- Start by standing on the left leg. Bring the right leg back and instead of placing it straight back, bring it back to an angle so that it crosses behind your left leg- great move for the outer glutes! After your lunge back, ensure you have your balance and bring your right knee up to your right elbow, engaging your obliques. After 12 reps on one side, repeat on the other.
  • Downdog push-ups- In downward facing dog position, drop your head downwards to the ground & press back up.

As an extra finisher, I completed the following:

  • 45 seconds jump rope, 10 hand release push-ups
  • 45 seconds jump rope, 8 hand release push-ups
  • 45 seconds jump rope, 6 hand release push-ups
  • 45 seconds jump rope, 4 hand release push-ups
  • 45 seconds jump rope, 2 hand release push-ups

This was killer at the end!

If you’re looking for a quick, but efficient workout to do at your house or at a hotel, this is one to try!

Questions for you: Do you like to lift heavy weights or do more bodyweight style workouts?

Wednesday Workout: 5 Minute Progression Bodyweight AMRAP Circuits

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Good morning! Thank you for all of your kind works on our engagement post yesterday! We are so excited about this next step in our relationship, but since this isn’t just a wedding blog, I wanted to pop in to share a quickie bodyweight workout that I did with my bootcampers last week. It was a workout that was able to be completed in about 30 minutes, which is always a good thing in my eyes!

The idea of increasing reps on one exercise in each circuit is loosely based off of the Metabolic Chain workouts a lot of my favorite fitness experts talk about often: Jen Sinkler, Neghar Fonooni, Jill Coleman and Jade Teta.

You’ll be increasing reps for the first exercise in each circuit (in a progression sort of way)- for instance, set the timer for 5 minutes and complete 2 push-ups, 5 pulsing squat/regular squat combos, 5 burpees & 5 sit-ups… then do the circuit with 4 push-ups, etc. Go as many rounds as you can in 5 minutes and if you work hard and fast (but always focusing on FORM over speed), you’ll be sweating and breathing heavy in no time!

5 minute progression AMRAP circuit
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Wednesday Workout: 24 Minute Bodyweight Tabata Workout

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Hello! I’m popping in quickly to share a workout I did in a one-on-one training session with one of my bootcampers last week (Hi, Kerri!). She specifically told me to post it because it sufficiently kicked her butt in less than a half hour- and with our busy schedules these days, who doesn’t want that?! I am all about short, but effective workouts and this one satisfies both of those things. Even better? It can be done anywhere since it requires no equipment- no excuses 😉

The way it works is I picked 2 strength moves in each set and tried to compliment those with the tabata cardio rounds. You’ll do the strength moves for 30 seconds each and 2 rounds then you’ll do the tabata cardio (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest X8 rounds= total of 4 minutes).

24 minute bodyweight tabata workout
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