Summer Shape Up 2012: Week 2 Workout
Thank you so much to everyone for your awesome feedback last week and for checking in each day with your Shape Up workouts! I love that this year is more interactive and that we’re like a team cheering each other on. Keep up the amazing work!
If you’re just now joining the party, check out the intro post and June calendar of workouts here.
As always, check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes.
Here’s what’s in store this week:
Another workout, meant to be completed circuit-style with little to no rest in between exercises. This is going to keep your heart rate pumping!
Some form cues and tips:
-Warm up for 5-7 minutes (cardio of choice, moderate intensity) before beginning
-Choose a challenging weight
1) Jump rope for 1 minute. No jump rope? Try high knees, faux jump roping or jump squats.
2) For the squat combo, make sure the weight is in your heels and you sit your booty back. Hammer curl on the way up. After 10 reps, pulse the squat for 10 reps and the complete 21s. For the 21s, you do the first half of a bicep curl movement 7 times. Then, the second half of the movement 7 times. Then, 7 full bicep curls.
3) For the split squat, make sure your front knee doesn’t extend past your toes. To do this, make sure you take a HUGE step forward before placing your back foot on the bench (or a chair if you’re at home). Keep your abs engaged and focus on sinking straight down instead of forward. Too much? Try a regular stationary lunge. Challenge: hold a weight or kettlebell. Next, jumping lunges for 30 seconds, the split squats on the opposite leg (10 to 12 on each side). Enjoy the burning biscuits! Heh heh.
4) For the plank combo, it helps to watch the video, but you’re going to come into a side plank with a light weight in the raised hand. Make the letter “T,” so your lifted arm extends straight out from your shoulder. Raise your top leg and bring the leg up towards the side and the weight down to touch your leg. Back to the letter “T,” starting position, and then bring the arm forward and leg forward (like a kick, so your legs are perpendicular) and back to start. 10 on each side.
5) Make a diamond with your hands to do the triceps pushups and be sure to exhale on the way up (10-12 reps). If you have awesome arm strength (my arms are pretty weak), try them on your toes, but you should be able to feel these on your knees. Remember that booty stays in line with the rest of your body (straight line from ears to knees). For an extra challenge, you could use a Bosu balance trainer. Jump side-to-side for 30 seconds (modifications in the video). For weak wrists, avoid doing these and stick with a regular triceps extension with dumbbells.
6) Stability hamstring curl and ball raise. For the curl, lift your hips up and bend your knees to bring the ball in towards your booty. If it’s too easy, try one leg at a time. After 10 of these, raise the ball, using your core (exhale on the way up) and lower 10-12 times. Challenge and arm position options are included in the video.
7) Pilates swim, 30 seconds.
Go through the circuit 1-2 more times for a total of 2-3 times, followed with cardio indicated in the June Calendar.
A little video:
Please be sure to check in everyday on the am post to let me know how it went! I love seeing sweaty workout pics and your healthy eats, too 🙂 (@fitnessista)
Who’s joining in the fun this week? Let’s make it an amazing one!
Happy training,
Gina
Thank you again SO much to Katy for her incredible design work- I hope you enjoy printing out the new and improved meal plans and calendar! Hit her up if you need help with any graphic design (katymalatesta at gmail dot com)
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Ah I love this workout! Can’t wait to do it at the gym tomorrow morning. Thank you! 🙂
thank you!! it looks great!
I’m looking forward to your post on saving workout hair!! (unless I missed it) I could really use it during this sweaty summer challenge haha!
Oh my goodness, I’m sweating already by just reading this! Wow. This week is gonna hurt. A LOT. Haha, thanks!! 🙂
Wow, looks tough! Any tips for a stand-in for the last exercise with the ball? I don’t have one yet 🙁
I am so excited to do this tomorrow! Thank you 🙂
I am an early morning work out girl, and I just completed today’s HIIT cardio and this week two circuit! I did the circuit three times through and while it kicked my booty it was awesome. 🙂 The jumping lunges and side to side jumps get your heart rate going so quickly. Thanks for this great shape up.
One quick question – how long do you recommend for the HIiT cardio?
What did you do for the hiit?
Biking with hills and/or high resistance for the higher intensity.
Whew! Just did 2.5 rounds of this for my Monday strength work and have beads of sweat on my forehead, legs and arms. Thanks, Gina!
whoo hoo!!
Love that song! This is great, especially with the challenges! I’m working on my eats this week, trying to really clean some things up. I meant to mention this with the last workout, but I’ve been playing “Surrender” by Angels & Airwaves during these workouts- awesome! Questions: why is the HITT at the end (rather than at the start) and what is more “important”- being on your toes during the plank stars or being on a knee with weight? Just wondering. THANK YOU!
i’ll have to download that song!
there are different opinions on this, but i think you get more benefits from cardio after weights
either way it great- on your toes is more challenging
I think you’ll love the song… maybe it will be the soundtrack for workout #3? 😉 Ok, I could only do about half on my toe with the weight and then had to go to a knee, so all 10 will be my goal!
SAWEEEETTT!! Super excited! Off to the gym!!
let me know how it goes! 🙂
I’m super excited to do this tonight, but it’s going to kick my booty, I can tell already!
I have a 10week old and have to do my strength training at home (can get in cardio with the running stroller). I’m tired of the same ole workout DVDs already, so this is perfect! Love the weekly variation. Just finished this weeks and did last week, too. Thanks! P.S. The side plank toe touch things are HARD! Love! 🙂
Just got home from this workout. All I can say is I have never sweat so much in one workout, but I LOVED it! I agree with Hilary, the star plank things were super challenging, but I love a challenge!
I’m glad that I’m not the only one struggling with the star planks! I had to do them with one knee on my mat. Still a good workout move!
I know! I had to completely modify this move… it was so tough!
Oh I definitely modified them too….but boy was I sore!
Thanks for posting the how-to videos! They are super helpful when I’m in the gym saying “What was that again?” I can’t wait to pick up some heavy weights and do this in the a.m.
I love how you have the image/chart with all the pictures of each move. At the gym, I just pull the site up on my phone and refer back to that image to take me through the workout move by move. So convenient! 🙂 Off to the gym to start week 2!…
So I believe that I’m in decent shape… until this workout. I don’t think my husband heard so many swear words coming out of my mouth before! I AM DRIPPING SWEAT. Completed 2 rounds of Workout 2 and HIIT!!
BOOM! way to go, rock star!
I love the workout! I did it with my 12-year-old daughter, who said to tell you there should be more rope jumping. 🙂 I guess that is because she beat me by not getting tangled (or out of breath) at all. I tell myself I am doing good because I am the only middle aged mom in this neighborhood who goes to the playground to jump rope with her kid. (The rest of the workout was done comfortably at home.) Since I don’t have a stability ball I did some ball raises with a basketball between my feet. Plank combo was too tough for me, I had to ditch the dumbbell and continue without it. (In case you are concerned: I am aware that the workouts aren’t targeted to kids. I let her work out with me because I think it involves her in active lifestyle. Maybe you could write a post about involving kids in working out? Or about suitable exercising or modifying workouts for different age kids?)
I’m also wondering if there is any suggestions for a no-ball modification to #6. I don’t yet have a stability ball!
Thanks so much for posting the summer shape up Gina! Love your workouts- did this one this morning and it was awesomely challenging (I also really liked the mods you added, had to use the knee in the star planks). Really warmed me up on a cold rainy winter morning down here in New Zealand 😉 thanks!
Thanks for the workout! I may not be in the best shape, but I did it with the variations, and generally enjoyed it! Thanks 🙂
Gina! That was intense! I’ve got a love/hate relationship with those star planks.
Thanks again for the wonderful workouts!
WOW! I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning because my biscuits were on FIRE! After yesterday’s workout, I went riding with my mom who is an avid cyclist which maybe wasn’t the best idea after all the lunges. Great workout, thanks so much for posting!
I did 3 rounds of #2 last night… YIKES!!! I’m definitely feeling it today. I have to agree with everyone else who said the star planks were tough. You made them look so easy in the tutorial! Hopefully I can work up to your level! Loved the workout though. I was sweating like crazy!!!!
do you have any modifications for the stability ball hamstring curl and ball raise (i don’t have a stability ball!)? thanks!
yup just do hip raises with your feet on the floor, or elevated on a chair.
I TRIED to take a picture of my sweaty self yesterday after workout two… and I couldn’t hold my phone steady because my arms were so wasted.
Thank you.
heh heh. i love it
OMG! That star plank is KILLER! SO glad others are feeling the same way! You’ve done it again though! What a great workout! Thanks so much!
glad you enjoyed it 😉 and yes, the star planks kill!
This workout is kicking my post partum booty! My upper body is still a little weak but I am really enjoying the challenge!
Quick question – my back is quite sore after yesterday’s workout, is this normal? Not sure if I might be doing some of the moves wrong. Thanks!!
I like to reserve judgement on a workout until the day after just to see how my body feels. I woke up this morning feeling sore in places that I didn’t think I had worked that hard! The diamond pushups were the biggest surprise – my triceps are tender today 🙂 Can’t wait to do it again!
Gina-face!!!! This was tough stuff! I had to do the modified version(s) for a lot of them…so I decided that I should try it again (:
Workout 2 is insane. I am dripping! Also, the jump rope is so tough for me, but I push myself, especially because of the kegels I am forced to do… (motherhood tmi??). haha!
Holy cow, just did your workout 2 yesterday with easy cardio and I am FEELIN it today! Your workouts are so awesome, I have been recommending them to other people that are looking for something fun to try out and do. Thanks so much for the constant encouragement and more than anything the GREAT workouts! You rock!
Late to the workout 2 party, but wanted to let you know this is a great workout for me! I did it today while my 9 month old and 2 year old were having a snack in their highchairs and they thought it hilarious when I tried to do the plank combo.
How do you print? I don’t see a print button. Just found your site and am excited to try. I have been so bored lately with my regular workouts so I am looking forward to trying something new. Thanks!
Just recently found your blog and I love it! I did Week 1 Workout last week and did my first day of Week 2 this morning. Great workouts! I left a comment last week asking how to print but I figured it out. I am a little late to the party but I am enjoying it.
yay, i’m so glad!
I’ve been going back and redoing these workouts — I love the variety and the total body FIT-ness you get from it! Thanks for making them free and keeping them archived, it’s appreciated for people who don’t have access to gym classes! ps–agreed with the other commenters, star plank kicked my behind.
I also am late to the party on doing these, but I completed two rounds of workout 2 + the HIIT and abs on Monday and two days later I am STILL freakin’ sore, glutes especially! Killer workouts.
awesome 🙂