Winter Shape Up 2017: Workout 2

Looking for the main Winter Shape Up page? Get the details here plus your weekly workout calendars + links to the meal plans.

This workout is a combination of muscle-building strength work and calorie-scorching intervals. By combining these two strategies, it helps to fully fatigue your muscles. During recovery, you’ll work to become stronger, leaner, more fit, and more powerful!

Here’s what the workout looks like:

and here’s a follow-along video. (Lots of modifications here!)

Form cues and tips:

Weighted lunge:

Holding a pair of dumbbells, take a big step back to come into a lunge position. Watch your alignment and make sure your front knee is stacked over your front ankle, and your chest is lifted with a tight core. Focus on sinking DOWN, instead of forward.

Jumping lunge:

Instead of switching legs, you’ll jump lunge on one side for 30 seconds. Make sure to land with a soft knee and sink into your lunge before springing up. If the impact is too much, try quick and efficient lunges on one side for 30 seconds before switching to the other side.

Bodyweight or weighted squats:

Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower, exhale to rise. Make sure that your knees go towards your toes, but not far past your toes. Sink your hips as low as your flexibility allows, whether it’s a small squat, or to hips just above knee level. You can squat lower than knee level if it works for you, but generally it’s not something that I recommend.

Squat jumps:

Get into a squat position (booty LOW and back), and touch the floor. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. Powering through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Repeat.

Biceps curl to overhead press:

Holding a dumbbell, squeeze your biceps and exhale as you curl), inhale to bring the weights up to 90 degrees, and exhale to press up overhead.

Jack presses:

Perform a traditional jumping jack, pressing one dumbbell (hold with both hands) overhead as you jump your feet to the out position. Option to modify your jacks by stepping in and out instead of jumping. Ditch the weight if it’s too much on your shoulders.

Front to lateral raises:

Stand with your feet directly under your hip bones, abs contracted and chest proud. Exhale as you lift the weights forward to shoulder height and then outto the sides. Do not allow the weights to travel higher than your shoulders.

Plank jumps with shoulder taps:

Start in a plank position, with hands wide and knuckles pressing into the floor. Walk or jump your feet out for your jack, and then walk or jump back to plank. Tap each shoulder with your opposite hand, and try to keep the rest of your body (especially you hips) as still as possible. Repeat.

Overhead triceps extension:

Make sure your arms frame your face as you bend your elbows (90* angles, so your elbows aren’t sticking too far out) and squeeze your triceps as you extend up.

Leave a comment on the respective Winter Shape Up page each time you complete a workout during this challenge! This is how you’ll be entered for the amazing giveaway.

Hope you enjoy!

Gina