A Quick Full Body Workout

We are finally getting to the end of our week long winter storm! Unfortunately, I chose not to brave the weather and go to the gym until yesterday. Although I tried to be active indoors by running up and down the stairs with the laundry, or dancing around the kitchen when I was cooking (yes,i really do this), taking 4 days off of my regular exercise routine made my 20 minute jog a little harder than it should have been. But you gotta start somewhere! Today I wanted to get in a quick and efficient workout and thought I might share it with you! So here it is:

Warm-up: elliptical for 5 minutes. I ALWAYS perform a warm-up of some sort for 5 to 10 minutes. Never skip your warm-up!

Circuit 1 (10 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest between exercises and circuits)

TRX pull up. TRX is a form of suspension training. YouTube it!

Single-leg step with unilateral overhead press. Sorry for the exercise lingo. Basically its fancy for using your opposite arm and leg. For this exercise I used a kettle bell, but you can use just about anything that's 5-10 lbs. And I mean anything (gallon jug, laundry detergent container, or even a small animal, haha) To perform this exercise, put your left foot on a 12inch step and hold the weight in your right hand, resting the weight on your shoulder. As you step up with your left foot, press your right hand overhead, then return to start. Do 10 repetitions then switch legs/arms.

TRX ATOMIC PUSHUP. If you have not yet tried this exercise, I highly recommend you do! If you don't have TRX bands, you can also use a stability ball. Check it out. http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/77/trx-reg-atomic-push-up 

Cardio: 5 minutes on the step mill. 1 minute going forward, 1 minute going sideways, 1 minute backward, 1 minute other side, and the last minute going forward. Make the speed challenging! No step mill? Go up and down regular stairs or try jogging for a minute, then sprinting for a minute.

Circuit 2 (10-15 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest)

Barbell dead lifts

Barbell row

Bench tricep dips

5 minute cool down.

And there you have it! This workout took me about 30 minutes including the warm-up and cool down. It hits every major muscle group and by doing the exercises with as little rest as possible, you are keeping your heart rate up and the calories torching! For more of a challenge, try performing 3 or 4 sets of both circuits and add in 1-3 more rounds of cardio. Happy sweating!