Winter Shape Up 2014 Week 2 Workout + Sabra giveaway

Hi everyone! Welcome to Week 2 of this year’s Winter Shape Up! I hope that after you’re first week, you’re already feeling stronger, more energized and ready to conquer Week 2.

Just getting started? Be sure to check out the intro post for all of the Winter Shape Up details, including the Week 1 workout and meal plans. You can join in the fun any time you’d like, and shuffle the calendar around as you see *fit* 🙂

Here’s what the Week 2 schedule looks like:

A little similar to last week with off days on Monday and Friday, but this week also includes some burners, extra credit HIIT and 10 minutes onto your steady state day. You can do it! Of course, feel free to adjust the schedule as you’d like. A friendly reminder: you should not work the same muscle groups or perform HIIT on consecutive days. Give your muscles a chance to rest, recover and rebuild. Alternate cardio intensities to prevent burnout and increased risk of injury. As always, check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes.

Week 2 links:

Barre Burner

Steady state cardio: An easy jog, run, power walk, dance or cardio DVD. Your choice!

Plank Burner

10 minutes steady or HIIT: Your choice. You can do 10 minutes steady state on your favorite cardio mode or blast some HIIT intervals. If you’re looking for ideas, check out this Frost HIIT workout

Here is your official Week 2 Workout video:

 

 

(Special thanks to my friends Meredith and Megan for their amazing hard work and energy, to Grant Hunker for his filming and editing skills, to Black Belt 4 Life for the beautiful space, and to Reebok for providing the ombre tank, crops and sneaks that I’m wearing in the video <3)

Printable/Pinnable:

and form cues/tips.

Tips:

-This week’s workout is another short and sweaty one! It’s a combination of Tabata drills and strength supersets. All you need is your own body weight and a set of dumbbells.

-Just like last time, be sure to warm up adequately before completing the workout. You can watch Meredith for more intense variations and Megan for low-impact modifications. Be sure to honor your body and any injuries or considerations you may have. 

-Tabatas are INTENSE and not recommended for beginners. If you are a beginner, substitute the 4-minute Tabata rounds with steady state cardio of choice. By performing cardio in between the strength blitzes, you’ll still increase your heart rate and experience a higher calorie burn throughout the entire workout.

Form cues:

Tabata 1: Alternating squats and squat jumps. If you want to keep it low impact, you can reach for the floor (in a deep plie squat) and reach up towards the ceiling. For the squat jumps, if you want to make things more exciting, feel free to change it up with some tuck jumps 😉

Pushup and bent-over row: pushups on the knees is perfectly fine, or incline pushups. For the row, make sure to have a flat back with your core engaged.

Bicep curl and tricep extensions: experiment with bicep curl or tricep extension variations each time you do this workout. Remember to keep your elbows close to your body, abs tight, and visualize the muscle groups you’re working. Mind to muscle!

V-up and back extension: you can substitute any core exercise for the V-up. For the back extension, make sure to tighten your abs and endeavor to reach out just as much as up. Create some length with the movement and protect your low back.

Tabata 2: Alternate burpees and high knees. An option for high knees is to run in place, or to make things more challenging, lift your arms up close to your head.

Renegade row to side plank with lateral raise: this one is HARD to keep good form with heavier weights. Try lighter weights first to see how it feels. You can always modify by doing it on your knees, too. As you lift the weight for your lateral raise, make sure it does not go above shoulder height.

Hands and knees leg lift and half circle: keep your core tight, spine straight and hips parallel to the floor. Try to keep everything stable as you contract your glutes to lift your leg.

Tabata 3: alternation jumping lunges and lunge kick. Use your core to kick your leg (belly button height). 

*If you find yourself wanting a longer workout, you have a couple of options. You could do three sets of each strength portion (which makes an awesome well-rounded workout). Doing this will increase the workout time from 20 to about 35 minutes. You could also repeat the workout in its entirety, but I wouldn’t recommend that option because of the amount of Tabata intervals. I would do MAX four Tabata rounds. Anything more than that and you may see diminishing returns. (Plus, if you’re really pushing it, you’d never want to do more than four Tabatas!) You could also combine this workout with an additional booty, core, barre burner or steady state. 

Huge thanks to this year’s Winter Shape Up sponsors:

 

(White Plum, Sabra, Reebok, Cabot, Stonyfield, Sizzlefish and Fitfluential)

and congratulations to last week’s White Plum giveaway winners:

Tunics:

Amber S.  

Sara

Jessica C. 

Lissy 

Michelle 

Leggings:

Kara

Cassie V.

Missy

Carrie

Lindsey

Scarves:

Carsen R.

Leigh G.

Melodie

Brittany

Jody

If you see your name above, look for an email from me 🙂

The Week 2 workout giveaway is courtesy of our main sponsor, Sabra. I’m a huge fan of their hummus -the jalapeño rocks my universe- and am so excited they offered such a delicious prize 🙂 Two lucky winners will each receive a full assortment of their 20+ products. Amazing, right?!

Every day this week, leave a comment below (this post you’re reading– not the intro post!) to check in with your workout. By doing so, you’re automatically entered for the Sabra giveaway. (That’s right! 7 chances to enter. Check in each day! You can also check in on Anne’s page with your clean eats to enter our Cabot giveaway.) You don’t have to be participating in Winter Shape Up to enter. I’ll announce the lucky winners in the Week 3 workout post, next Monday.

We love to see you clean eats and workout pics on Twitter, too! (They don’t count as giveaway entries, but they’re so much fun.) Use the hashtag #wintershapeup @fitnessista @fannetasticfood

Ready, set… Week 2, here we go!

xo

G