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Paleo Banana Bread
After starting the paleo diet, I started craving the exact foods I wasn’t allowed to eat. This is my first...
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Apologies for the terrible image quality - I’m lacking scanner access at the minute so I had to take these photos on my phone
I was...
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Extended Standing Leg Stretch Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
One of the biggest myths about...
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This is my favorite part of racing - all the supporters. And I always high five all the kids :)
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If you think that the nice guy ranting only happens on the internet, you’ve never had to deal with your thoroughly drunken friend shouting about how...
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%20 "Pin It")
Boosts heartrate, works glutes & obliques. Fab dorm room friendly cardio too - get low & pop up with power to boost your intensity! :)
Advanced: add dumbbells in your hands to make this more challenging. Hold them by your shoulders OR keep them raised overhead to really hit your core.
Booty magic, with a little chest action. Click on the link for modifications & details!
Four Quick Ways To “Fix” Your Squat
Ask any trainer what their biggest form pet peeve is? Almost always, it’s squats. It drives us crazy, lol. Men & women alike. Beginners & advanced alike. Squats are always high on the list for biggest fitness offenders.
Squats are all about the booty, but many people feel it in their quads more. While your quads are doing some of the work, overcompensation for improper form may put too much strain on the front of the thigh (and knees) instead of the back of the thigh (booty, hamstrings). A few quick fixes can help put the work back where it belongs. :)
YOUR FEET ROLL IN
If your feet “roll in” (knees tend to lean in for a kiss as you squat), you’re probably putting too much strain on them (hence why many people worry about their knees when they squat). If this happens, try to spread the floor apart with your feet: imagine trying to smooth out a wrinkled towel that you’re standing on. This usually rights the issue, but it will feel uncomfortable at first. It gets easier with practice.
Lawn Mower Pull & Press
Find a weight that’s challenging, but where you can keep up a decent pace. You can also do this with no additional weight.
*I’m using ONE 15lb dumbbell, but if you’d like, you can use a dumbbell in each hand (two). This is a better option if all you have is light weights at home.
How To Do It
A. Stand with feet wide, toes pointed out, with one dumbbell up by your shoulder.
B. Rotate into a deep lunge on your opposite side, bringing your hands towards (but not touching) the floor. Press your bodyweight into the heel of your lunging leg, and keep hips neutral.
C. Push through your heel to return to the starting position, pulling the dumbbell up by your shoulder: do this with intention, like you’re pulling on a lawnmower cord.
D. Twist and rotate your body to the opposite side, pressing the dumbbell overhead. Use your core to stabilize yourself, and come up on your toe to help you twist your hips towards the opposite wall.
E. Repeat 10-15 times, then switch sides.
Tips
Stay light on your feet to make this motion fluid: once you get the rhythm, try to think of it as one movement instead of broken into parts. Staying on the balls of your feet will help you pivot without straining your knees or hips.
Pay attention to your hips & core: hips should move with your body and core tight throughout.
Prisoner Squat Jumps
Cardio, booty
How To Do It
A. Stand tall, with hands behind your head. Work to keep your chest open, and elbows out to the side as you squat down Don’t pull on your neck: keep everything relaxed.
B. Sink down and back into a squat. Make sure your weight is in the heels of your feet (you should be able to wiggle your toes). Point your toes out to the side and sit wide to sink down deeper.
C. Explode up into a jump. Land softly, back in the squat, then lower and repeat. Think of each squat as pulling back an arrow and each jump as releasing it.
Dorm Room Modification
Take the jump out but do a power squat instead (either coming up on your toes or lifting up explosively, but with no jump). Work on getting low in the squat, and power up quickly, squeezing your glutes as you stand and powering through your hips.
Side To Side Pike Hops
Cardio, shoulders, core, quads and hamstrings.
How To Do It
A. Start with hands on the floor, wider than your shoulders, and eyes forward. Feet are together, knees bent and toes connected to the floor.
B. Tighten your core & quads as you jump from side to side. Work to keep your chest over your hands, and contract your hamstrings as you pull your heels towards your butt with each jump. Land softly each rep, and work to keep your butt down as you land. Use your core to keep you in the right position and to take some of the impact off your knees.
C. Repeat switching sides.
Modification: step side to side instead of hopping OR try this with hands on a sofa/bench instead of the floor (hop side to side with feet together, while keeping your weight over your shoulders and arms planted on the surface).
Pendulums
FAB exercise to strengthen the outer hips & glutes (which will help your squats, lunges and deadlifts too). This is a move I often do as active “recovery” during H.I.I.T: it keeps my body moving while my heart rate comes down, before I bring it back up again.
You can do these with your hands on dumbbell, couch, chair OR on the floor (think a downward dog position).
Tips
- Keep your back flat, core tight, and hips neutral (try not to sway from side to side).
- Think slow and controlled, not fast.
- Lift as high as you can (which may not be very high to begin with - that’s cool), aiming to eventually bring the inner thigh parallel to the floor.
- You’re lifting to the SIDE and not back, so engage your core to help you along. :)
Intermediate: slow things down to add difficulty (try holding each lift for a beat before lowering) or add pulses.
Advanced: loop a resistance band around your feet to make this harder OR add those leg weights you might have at home, collecting dust. :)
A decent rep goal is to do this until it starts to get very hard… then add 10 more. If 20-30 seems easy, try adding difficulty with the suggestions above.
Crescent Lunge To Tricep Pressup
Booty. Core. Triceps. All in one. :)
This is a wicked little combo that’ll boost your heart rate, work your entire bod AND improve your flexibility. I like adding a set or two near the beginning of a circuit: really loosens up the hips.
How To Do It
A. Start in plank: hands are directly under your shoulders, butt is down and core is tight. Flex your quads and work to keep your hips from sinking (keep your eye line just between your hands and try to look forward a few feet).
B. Keep your butt down as you step one foot forward into a runners lunge. Some people MAY need to help their foot forward with their hands: totally okay. As you get more flexible, it will become easier to do it in one step.
C. Plant your foot firmly into the ground as you lift your hands into the sky. Keep hips facing forward. BEGINNERS: no need to hands up if it’s too difficult. Place them by your hips; just get them off the floor into a high lunge.
D. Replace hands to the ground and step the front foot back to plank.
E. From the feet OR the knees, perform one TRICEP pushup: scrape your arms along your torso, keeping them close to the body. Mindset: focus on using your triceps to lift & lower. Eyes foreward,
F. Step back into plank and repeat switching sides.
***Note: omit the pushup and do alternating crescent lunges if you like. FABOOSH warmup remix. ADVANCED: Go a little faster, pulse in the high lunge, or add dumbbells to this move (one in each hand). Instead of raising your hands to the sky, perform a bicep curl and shoulder press. :)
Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Works: hamstrings, glutes inner thigh, core
Beginner Modifications: Instead of lifting the back leg, tap the foot down behind you for balance. Keep a slight bend in the front leg as you lean forward, and tap the back foot in as you stand. Use the glutes of the front leg to lift you up and down.
**This move can be done with or without weights, and you can use a chair/wall to help with balance. **
How To Do It
A. Find your balance by finding a spot on the floor 6 feet in front of you, and contracting your core.
B. Lift one other leg up and to the front of you, driving the knee up to hip level and transferring your weight to one foot. Keep a slight bend in the knee of the standing leg.
C. Push your lifted leg to the back of you, as you hinge forward from the hips. Keep your back flat and hips facing the floor, with your chest open. Tap down for balance at any time.
D. Using your glutes, keep your back flat as you lift back to starting position. Drive the knee forward again and repeat on the same side.
Tip: engage your hips to drive you down and up, and focus on using the glutes - NOT YOUR BACK - to do the lifting. If you feel this in your low back, it is doing too much of the work. Switch to an easier modification to work up to proper form.
See more: Like A Boss Booty
Deadman Crab Toe Touches
Works: core, booty, upper back & triceps.
Beginner modification: Omit the lie down, and simply alternate sides with the crab touches/kicks. If that’s too difficult, drop your butt to touch the floor during the kicks, then lift it to table top in between.
How To Do It
A. Lie down on the ground, arms and feet outreached (like you’re “dead”) and belly facing the ceiling.
B. Draw your hands and feet in as you lift into a tall seated position (one motion). Hands are by your sides, feet planted firmly on the floor with knees over toes.
C. Distribute your weight evenly, as you lift your hips up towards the ceiling, coming to a table top position. Torso is parallel to the floor. Squeeze your glutes and engage your core to protect your back.
D. Transfer your weight to one foot as you kick the other leg up towards the ceiling. Try to keep your hips lifted as you kick. With the opposite hand, reach up towards your toes.
E. Touch once, then replace your hand and heel to the ground. Repeat on the other side. This requires a lot of balance: move slowly to protect your joints, then add speed once you’ve mastered it.
F. Return to tabletop, then lower the hips. Lie back down, bringing your arms and legs out to the sides. Repeat.
This move is part of Burn, Baby Burn! a core, cardio challenge.
%2C%20here%E2%80%99s%20a%20booty%20bonus!%0A%0AAll%20you%20need%20is%204%20minutes%20(or%20use%20the%20suggested%20reps%20below).%20Move%20from%20one%20move%20to%20the%20next%20with%20no%20rest%20and%20work%20hard%20to%20power%20it%20out.%20Do%20your%20best%2C%20even%20if%20you%20need%20to%20take%20breaks! "Pin It")
Just in CASE your 16 minute booty workout wasn’t enough (haha), here’s a booty bonus!
All you need is 4 minutes (or use the suggested reps below). Move from one move to the next with no rest and work hard to power it out. Do your best, even if you need to take breaks!
How To Do It…
Best done after your ‘Like A Boss’ Booty! 16 Minute Lower Body Sculpt
Complete each exercise for 30 seconds each, and repeat the circuit twice to add a CRAZY bonus burn to your booty workout.
- Runners Lunge Tap Ins (Right)
- Plank Leg Lifts
- Runners Lunge Tap Ins (Left)
- Plank Leg Lifts
You can also use reps instead. Try to move quickly.
- 20-30 Runners Lunge Tap Ins (Right)
- 20-30 Plank Leg Lifts
- 20-30 Runners Lunge Tap Ins (Left)
- 20-30 Plank Leg Lifts
Extra credit booty! After three rounds you’ll feel like you deserve an A+!
There are 3 sections to this workout, each with booty burning exercises that’ll boost your heart rate and fire up your glutes. 3 rounds is best, but you can opt simply to do as many rounds as possible in 16 minutes.
This workout is as intense as you make it. Go HARD and deep to get the most out of your sweat.
This workout can be done in THREE different ways…
1. As a timed circuit - Intermediate (3 rounds). Complete all sections once, in order, for one round. Rest, and repeat 2 more times in your best possible time (don’t stop the clock, breaks included).
2. As a timed circuit - Advanced (3 rounds of each section before moving on to the next). Complete all sections THREE times each, and you’re done! Section one x 3, section two x 3, section three x 3 = 1 round. Best possible time.
3. As a 16 minute AMRAP. Complete the full circuit, as in option 1, and repeat as many times as you can in 16 minutes. Move quickly and try to get at least 2-3 rounds under your belt.
No equipment is required, but you can add equipment if you have it: add dumbbells, books or a school bag to the Squat Jacks, Deadlifts and Fire Donkeys to get a bigger overall burn.
DORM ROOM MODIFICATIONS: No jumping is necessary to get a SICK burn with this workout! Read through the descriptions to modify this workout to your level & needs.
Bonus Burn! Add this 4 minute sculpt to your workout if you dare! ‘Like A Boss’ Booty: 4 Minute Booty Burn Bonus
How To Do It
Drop Squat Chops (cardio booty)
Works: Glutes, inner thighs, and core.
Modifiers: Static Squat & Chop (no jump). Stand with hands overhead and interlaced. Squat down and back, while rotating hands over to one side (arms straight)
How To Do It
- Stand tall and bring your arms overhead. Interlace hands together into a fist (or with fingers pointed).
- Jump your feet into a deep wide squat, while rotating your hands to one side. Keep back flat and twist through the shoulders, not the arms, to rotate. Concentrate on engaging your core & keep your chest up.
- Swing your hands back overhead as you jump your feet into standing position. Repeat switching sides.
Tips: Keep arms as straight as you can throughout the move, bending only slightly at the elbow for comfort. Bring elbows in close to the body as you chop down to the side, and crunch through the obliques on the chopping side. Land softly in the jumps, and move as quickly as you can with good form.
Unleash The Beast 3: Sweat Revenge! Intense 1000 Rep Total Body Challenge
Single Leg Good Mornings!
This is a great move to take to the gym (use a barbell instead of a sandbag). You can also do these with just body weight: place your hands behind your head, prisoner style OR use a broomstick. (At home tip: I used to add instability to my broomstick by placing two small weights in plastic bags and attaching them to the ends of it. They would swing a little, which made the stick MUCH harder to control, even with small weights.
How To Do It
A. Stand with your legs slightly apart and hold a broomstick or sandbag across your upper back and shoulders. Palms should face forward (overhand grip) if possible.
B. Transfer your weight to one foot and lift your back foot off the floor. Bend the standing leg slightly at the knee for balance.
C. Maintain your balance on your standing foot and, keeping your back straight, bend your torso forward. HINGE AT THE HIPS.
D. Contract your hamstrings and booty to return to the standing position, then swing your knee forward keeping yourself standing tall. Hold the knee up at hip level for 1-2 beats, then repeat from the beginning.
Runners Lunge Tap Ins: Body Weight Booty Bustin!
Don’t let my smile fool you! These are TOUGH!
I’m wee (5ft 2in) & fairly flexible, so it’s easier for me to place my hands on the floor (I don’t have far to go!). If you’re taller or less flexible, you can place your hands on yoga blocks, dumbbells or even a small step or bench.
The KEY to this move is keeping your booty down and chest UP. Keep your eyes forward and work to avoid popping your butt above chest level. Back is flat and you’ll need to use your core to shoot your leg back behind you.
How To Do It
A. Place hands on the floor and step back into a deep runners lunge. Chest is open, back flat and weight driving through the front heel. Shoulders, hips and knees should form a straight line with your back foot. (It’s okay if you need to adjust your footing for comfort).
B. Staying low, and keeping weight ALL in the front heel, tap your back foot in next to your front foot. This is a TAP, not a step: keep weight in the front heel. Chest is up and hands stay in position. Keep your butt from popping into the air.
C. Shoot the same leg back into runners lunge. Get as deep into the lunge as you can comfortably. Repeat on the same side.
Aim for 15-20 reps on each side! Try 3 rounds. Form is more important than speed, but once you’ve ‘got it’, try to move a little quicker.
Beginners: try it alternating sides if needed. Butt’s down please! :)
Tabata style: try 20 seconds per side, alternating sides for 4 minutes. (8 intervals of 10s rest & 20s work).
