resources for teachers who move
All you need for today’s workout is a hill (or a field, parking lot, trail, etc.) and some medium weight dumbbells. I recommend between 8 and 15 pounds. Good luck!
Everything above in white is done up and down the hill (or across the gym, etc.). All the blue exercises use your dumbbells. Except the burpees. There is no need to ever do burpees with weight! 🙂 Do the whole set 2x through!
This week’s workout is nice and simple. Do the listed exercises as many times as you can in 40 minutes! You are shooting for at least 3x through. If you are exceptionally quick, or use lighter weights, you may get through it 4 or 5 times! Play some good music, set the timer, and get to it! I never regret getting up and working out! (Okay, except for when I injure myself…but those are my own fault).
30 Goblet Squats: Perform a squat while holding a weight in two hands in front of your chest, as if the weight was a goblet you were about to drink from (video here).
20 Exercise Ball Push-ups: Start in plank position with your shins resting on top of an exercise ball. (If you don’t have a ball, try putting your feet up on a stair, bench, couch, etc). Complete 20 push-ups without allowing your legs to fall off of the ball. It’s a nice balance challenge!
10 Bicep Curls: Holding light to medium weights in each hand, let the arms hang down to each side. With palms facing forward, bending at the elbow, curl the weights up to your shoulders, then lower back down (video here).
30 Medicine Ball Crunch: Laying down on the floor, hold a medicine ball or weight high above your chest with straight arms. Maintaining your high, straight arms, lift the shoulder blades off of the ground, then lower back down (video here).
20 Squat Jumps: Perform a squat, then when you straighten your legs, jump into the air. As you land, bend your knees fully into your squat (video here).
10 pull-ups or Triceps Push-ups: Hanging from a bar, pull yourself up until your chin is level with the bar, then lower back down. You can modify by jumping to give yourself a head start. Or, use a bench or an exercise band for leverage. OR, if you don’t have a bar, do a narrow, triceps push-up by putting your hands directly under your shoulders and keeping your elbows next to you waistline as you push-up.
30 Wide Rows: With a straight back, lean slightly forward, hinging from the hips. Keep the knees slightly bent. Holding a weight in each hand, with palms facing back, bring the arms out to the side, leading with bent elbows (video here, but be careful not to jerk your movements).
20 Exercise Ball Hamstring Curls: Laying on your back, put your heels on top of an exercise ball. Lift your glutes and bend your knees while rolling the ball closer to you. Then, roll the ball (with your feet) back to the starting position (video here).
10 V Push-ups: Start in downward facing dog position (bend at hips to put hands on the ground with the legs staying straight). Then, bend the arms and do a push-up keeping the hips high. (video here – it’s a super low quality video, but shows the move well).
30 Plyo Lunges: Stand in a lunge with one foot front and other foot behind. Jump up and switch legs in the air to land in a lunge with the opposite foot front (video here).
I hope you have some fun with this one!!!
This week’s workout is a timed workout! I love timed workouts because you know exactly when it’s going to end, and you get out of it what you put in it. Each box below has four exercises in it. Do 12 repetitions of each exercise, then keep cycling through each of the 4 exercises as many times as you can in 8 minutes. Then, take a 2-minute break, and start over with the next box. The workout will take you 40 minutes (including your 2-minute breaks)!
First 8-minute Circuit:
12 Elevated Push-ups: This is a regular push-up, but with your feet off of the ground. Your feet could be on a bench top, stair, pressing against a wall, etc., just somewhere higher than your hands!
12 Cross Reach Crunches: Laying on your back, lift your legs off the ground so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Knees are bent 90 degrees. Reach your right arm forward to tap the outside of your left knee. Lower your shoulders back down. Repeat with your left arm reaching forward and across to tap the outside of your right knee.
12 Narrow Rows: Standing on your feet and hinging slightly forward from the hips, hold one weight in each hand with arms hanging down, hands near your knees. Draw the elbows straight back bringing the weights next to your waistline. Extend the arms back to starting position. Repeat 12 times.
12 Goblet Squats: Perform a squat while holding a weight in two hands in front of your chest, as if the weight was a goblet you were about to drink from (video here).
Second 8-minute Circuit:
This week’s workout is pretty flexible! Pick your three areas to work on, and go for it! It was really hard for me to pick an area not to do… 🙂 I finally decided to skip legs, but it was a tough decision!
So, again, only do three of the following sections: Legs, Core, Arms, and Full Body. For each section, you will complete 20 reps of each exercise, then 15 reps of each, then 10 reps of each. Then, move to your next section! Here are some descriptions of the movements:
LEGS!
Elevated Lunge: Place your left foot up on a bench, stair, couch, etc. Jump your right foot out in front so you are in a comfortable lunge position. Bend your legs until your right leg is making a 90 degree angle at the knee, then straighten the legs. Do 20 lunges, then repeat with the other leg. You can do these with or without weight!
Kettle Bell Deep Squat: Perform a squat while holding a kettle bell (or weight) in two hands in front of your chest, as if the weight was a goblet you were about to drink from (video here). Try to squat so deeply that your elbows touch your knees.
Exercise Ball Pistol Squats: Stand with an exercise ball between your lower back and a wall. Standing on your left leg and holding your right leg out in front of you, squat as far down as you can on your left leg, then stand back up, holding the right leg up the whole time. Keep the exercise ball between you and the wall. Do 10 repetitions on each side. This is a very difficult move! If you don’t have an exercise ball, one of my favorite variations is to squat over a bench and let my bottom touch the bench at the bottom of my squat. That way I can squat lower than usual without falling down! (video here)
Glute Bridge: Lay on your back and put your feet up on a stair, bench, couch, etc. Press your hips up high, then lay them back down. You can add a weight (held on your lower abdomen) to make it harder. Increase intensity by holding one leg up in the air while performing the exercise. Here’s a video!
ARMS!
Renegade Rows: Starting in push-up position with a dumbbell for each hand, hold one dumbbell in your right hand and pull the weight up to your shoulder, shooting your elbow straight up toward the ceiling. Put the weight down and repeat with your left hand (video here). [Read more…]
I was asked for a legs day…so here you go! Do the whole set 2x through. It should take you roughly 45-55 minutes. Whenever you see the word “squats”, you can choose your own squat variation (listed in the right hand column). Enjoy!
Walking Lunges: With or without weight (held in your hands or a bar across your shoulders), step your right foot far forward into a lunge. Left knee should be close to touching the ground and right shin should be vertical (perpendicular to the ground). Repeat with the left foot (video here).
Spiderman Push-ups: Starting in high plank, or the top of a push-up, bend your arms to do a push-up. While your arms are bending, bring your right knee out to the side and close to your right elbow. Push your arms back straight and bring the foot back to starting position. Repeat on the left (video here).
Man Makers: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, do one push-up, then a renegade row with your right arm, then your left arm. Jump your feet in toward your hands and lift the dumbbells right above your shoulders. From that squat, straight the legs to standing and overhead press the weights above your head (video here).
Lawn Mowers: You can do these with a resistance band, kettle bell, or dumbbell. (video here)
Flutter Kicks: Laying on your back, lift the legs slightly off the floor (6-8 inches). Kick one leg and then the other, but keep the kicks very small. Legs stay off of the ground the whole time (video here).
Squat Variations:
Goblet Squats: Perform a squat while holding a weight in two hands in front of your chest, as if the weight was a goblet you were about to drink from (video here).
Front Loaded Squats: Perform a squat with a barbell held in front of your chest, in line with your collar bone.
Back Loaded Squats: Perform a squat with a barbell along the back of your shoulders.
Squat Jumps: Perform a squat, then when you straighten your legs, jump into the air. As you land, bend your knees fully into your squat (video here).
Over the Bench Squat: With right foot on a bench top and left foot on the floor, perform one squat. Then step or jump the left foot onto the bench and place your right foot on the floor. Do one squat. Switch sides every squat (video here).
Pistol Squats: Standing on your left leg and holding your right leg out in front of you, squat as far down as you can on your left leg, then stand back up, holding the right leg up the whole time. Do 10 repetitions on each side. This is a very difficult move! One of my favorite variations is to squat over a bench and let my bottom touch the bench at the bottom of my squat. That way I can squat lower than usual without falling down! (video here)
Squat with a High Pull:Holding your weight in front of you between two hands and allow your arms to hang. Perform one squat, then pull the weight up along your body to your chest. Lower and repeat (video here).
Have fun!