Know Thyself Workout
This is an aptly named workout because the key is in knowing your body cues and making this workout unique to you, resulting in increasing your enjoyment factor, willingness to “stick with it” and maximizing the physical benefits to your unique body. The key is know thyself, meaning ANY time during the workout and as MANY times as necessary, stop and take “active rest.” Then when you are ready, begin again exactly where you were in the beginning. This is a great workout to perform three days a week.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells recommended
Note: for the squat to press, lunges to row, and step up with curl, use the dumbbells starting with a weight that is easy and manageable for you.
Steps:
You will go through the following 5 exercises, 15 repetitions each, until the 30 minutes has expired.
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Set a timer for 30 minutes.
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Squats to Press: With your feet about hip width apart with your heels firmly pressing in the ground and the dumbells in your hands by your sides, move into a squat keeping your knees behind your toes and moving down as if sitting in a chair. As you stand back up from the squat, raise the weight over your head with palms facing each other. That is one repetition.
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Jumping Jacks: The standard exercise. Allow your arms full extension touching at the top above your head.
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Lunges to Row: Standing with your feet together, with the dumbbells in your hands by your sides take a big step forward with your right leg and drop your back left knee straight down toward the ground. Your front knee should be in line with your ankle and forming a 90-degree angle. Lean slightly forward and pull the weights up, squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending your arms. That is one repetition.
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Step Up With Curl: Use a step or a curb; be sure that it is stable and safe. Facing the step with weights in your hands and arms hanging by your side, step up with right foot in a purposeful movement with core and glutes engaged, followed by the left foot and perform a curl with the weights, bringing them up in front of you toward your shoulders with palms facing you. Return arms to your side as you stand back up.
Helpful hints to make this workout more unique to you: In addition to the rest periods, modify the weight of the dumbbell up or down (or you can get a great workout without weights). If you work without weights, still perform the same movement and really tense (“squeeze”) the muscles in the arms and shoulders as you perform the movement. If jumping is not a good fit for you, then do the jumping jacks by stepping out laterally to the left and right as you raise your arms, without jumping.