Workout #4

Here’s Workout #4 for Winter Shape Up 2015: a super sweaty and effective strength and HIIT combo. By blasting your heart rate in between strength sets through plyometric jumps and cardio blasts, you’ll burn a ton of calories, as well as encourage speed and power gains, in a short amount of time. Remember you can always modify and keep the moves low impact. If you are moving, you are working, so don’t be afraid to do what your body needs you to do.

(Modification for the side to side hops: just walk your feet out to one side, back to center, and to the other side as quickly as possible.)

Here’s what we have to look forward to:

(special thanks to Danny for the beautiful photos!)

1. Rotating lunges: make sure to watch your front knee and keep it stacked over your front toes. Keep your torso tall and core engaged as you rotate to the center (plie squat) and to the over side. Move as slowly as you need to.

2. Frog hops: Come into a wide plie squat with your toes pointing out 45 degrees and your knees extending towards (but not past) your toes. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Keeping your chest lifted, sink down and touch the floor. Exhale to spring up, reaching towards the sky. Land with a soft knee and repeat as many times as you can during the set. Low impact: eliminate the jumping. Touch the floor, then come onto your toes and reach towards the sky. 

3. Squat to 1-leg upright row: for your squat, sit your hips down and back, keeping a tight core and lifted chest. As you come into your upright row, be sure to lead with the elbows first, pressing down through your shoulders.

4. Squat jumps: sit back and down into a squat, and using the power in your legs, spring up and reach up! Land with a soft knee and repeat. Low impact: quick, bodyweight squats as quickly and efficiently as you can. 

5. Reverse tabletop and toe tap. Point your fingertips towards your toes and ground into your hands and feet to lift your hips. Engage your core, lift one leg up, and reach to tap it with the opposite hand. Lower down and repeat on the other side. If this is bothersome for your hands or wrists, you can reach for opposite toes in a supine position, lying on your back. 

6. Dips: make sure to keep your elbows pointing back, shoulders down and chest lifted. For an extra challenge, place a flat weight on your thighs. To modify, bend your knees to a 90-degree angle.

7. Side to side hops: ground into your hands and jump your feet side to side, engaging your obliques and making sure to take deep breaths. To modify, walk your feet to one side, back to plank, and to the other side. 

8. Pushups: be sure to keep your hips in line with the rest of your body and lift up your chin slightly so the neck doesn’t droop. You can also do these against a wall. 

9. Plank with knee to elbow: this can also be done on your knees. Engage your obliques to bring your knee in towards the elbow on the same side. Low down and repeat.

10. Plank jacks: walk or hop your feet out and in. Keep a nice straight spine the entire time. 

11. Banana crunches: legs will come to a 45 degree angle. Exhale, and reach your arms up, lifting your head and shoulders off the floor. Try to keep your abs tucked in the entire time. 

For the full workout plan + meals and grocery lists, check out the schedule on the intro page!

Don’t forget to check in each time you complete this workout 🙂