TRX Yoga Kickbox Fusion
I’ve been patiently waiting for my TRX
I mix things up constantly, and am ALWAYS looking for tools that are multi-fuctional, offer TONS of options and variety and are easy to store/take with me. TRX fits the bill! Loved some of the core training exercises in the video above (Steady Sorceress is my fav).
Do you have a TRX
Gliding Run
Works: Legs, Inner Thighs, Core
Equipment: 2 Small Towels
How To Kill It
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a towel under each foot, and arms by sides, elbows bent 90 degrees.
- Keeping abs contracted, slide left foot forward, bending knee 90 degrees, and right foot back, while driving right elbow up and left elbow back (as if running).
- Switch legs and arms in one flowing motion.
- Continue “running” for 1 minute.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2009.
Long, Strong, Lean & Mean: Easy At Home Circuit
Complete all 8 moves for the prescribed reps OR for 30-60 seconds each. That’s one circuit. Rest 1 minute & repeat 2-3 times.
No equipment necessary. A pillow & a mat are recommended.
This is a great workout to do while you’re watching TV, or just kicking it at home. Go your own pace.
Circuit
Note: Complete a 5 minute warmup before beginning the circuit, and stretch afterwards.
My Playlist: A little slower than usual, but I was browsing through some old favorites and couldn’t help myself. :)
Glute Bridge With Squeeze
12 Reps
Lie face up with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a rolled-up towel between your knees and hold it there as you perform the movement (A). Raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Don’t allow the towel to slip (B). Pause, then lower your hips towards the floor. That’s one rep.
Uneven Pushups
6 Reps Per Side
Get into a push-up position with your left hand on top of a rolled-up towel and your right hand on the floor (A). Lower into a push-up until your chest is as close to the floor as possible (B). Press back up. Do five or six reps, then repeat with your right hand on the towel and your left hand on the floor.
Quick tip: If this move is too difficult, start in a modified push-up position, with your knees on the ground.
Inverted Hamstring
10 Reps Per Leg
Stand with your arms at your sides, knees slightly bent (A). Lift your right leg behind you, bend to lower your torso until it’s parallel to the ground, and raise your arms out to the sides until they’re in line with your shoulders, palms facing down (B). Return to start. That’s one rep.
Alternating Superwoman’s
10 Reps
Lie face down with your arms extended forward, palms facing down, legs straight back and together. Raise your arms and legs a few centimetres off the floor, then simultaneously lift your left arm and right leg 15 to 20cm (A). Keeping your head and chest lifted, switch arms and legs, lifting your right arm and left leg (B). That’s one rep.
Star Ups
12 Reps
Lie on your back with your arms and legs outstretched so that your body forms an X. Brace your core and raise your head, arms and legs a few centimetres off the floor (A). From that position, simultaneously bring your right arm and left leg to meet over your abdomen (B). Lower back to start. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.
Quick tip: Slowly raise and lower your arms and legs in a fluid, controlled movement.
Scorpion
10 Reps Per Side, Alternating
Lie face down, arms out to the sides at shoulder height (A). Lift your right leg off the floor, bend your knee 90 degrees and, twisting your torso, reach your leg across your body and touch your foot to the floor near your left arm (B). Hold for two seconds, then return to start. That’s one rep.
Starting in a push-up position, lift your hips and move into the downward-facing dog pose, keeping your legs straight and heels just off the floor (A). From that position, drop your hips towards the floor as you simultaneously raise your chest and shift your weight forward into upward-facing dog (B). Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.
Assume a side plank position, left elbow on the floor directly beneath your left shoulder, right arm along the side of your body. Stagger your feet so the right is in front of the left (A). In one motion, drop your hips slightly, then lift them as high as possible while sweeping your right arm overhead (B). Return to start. That’s one rep.
Ball Pike & Knee Tuck
Targets: Core & shoulders.
How to do it:
- Start in a push-up position with your shins resting on a stability ball.
- Brace your abs and keep your legs straight as you raise your hips toward the ceiling, drawing the ball toward your arms. Hold for 2-3 seconds and roll back to start. Keep your head in line with your spine throughout the movement (eyes between your hands).
Modifier: Do a knee tuck instead (see pic). Draw your knees into your chest and back out. Advanced peeps can try the knee tuck with a twist to hit their obliques.
Keep your core tight throughout the movement, and keeping your quads contracted will help with balance.
See full workout: Whip Your Balls Out!
Total Body Toners from Jessica Smith TV
Give some of these a try for a total body, fat blasting routine! Repeat the circuit twice for an intense workout.
Click here for a 10 minute follow along Kickboxing Abs routine by Jessica.
Just a reminder! Those calories don’t burn themselves, and resolutions to live healthier don’t just “happen”.
Go ahead. Get sweaty. You’ll feel so bad ass after, it’ll make your head spin. :) 20 minutes is enough to get a little sweaty, get those endorphins running, and following it up with an UBER healthy dinner is a great way to finish the day feeling like a rock star.
Need some ideas? These workouts can be done ANYWHERE. All you need is about a snow angel of space (lie on the ground and fan your arms out). Modify the jumps if you need to, land softly, and cut them in half if you’re short on time.
Workouts To Fit Into Your Schedule TODAY.
Power Pyramid - 30 minutes.
The Dirty Dozen - 30 minutes
Nike Training Club At Home - NEW Patrick Goudeau Circuit (A La Kix) - 25-30 minutes
Body Rock TV - Booty Challenge! - 10-15 minutes
Total Body Murder - 600 Rep Challenge (can you handle it?) - 15+/-minutes
20 Minute Full Length Yoga For Fat Loss - 20 minutes
700 rep Tag Team workout! Do it with a friend! - 20-40 minutes
Ahhh, bootcamp. The highlight of my week. :)
I love teaching bootcamp: it gives me the freedom to run my class MY way, and try out a variety of exercises and combos with students of all levels. It’s amazing what people can do when they just have a little push, and I’m over-the-moon excited to see them grow and get better!
A few days ago, I posted my bootcamp playlist and some bootcamp tips (Crazy Bitch Bootcamp Songs & Tips To Make Your Workout Playlist WORK.). The post started a chit chat with Gwen from Fit Friends about our all time favorite bootcamp moves (she’s an instructor too) and we talked about sharing our top 5. I’ll admit: coming up with only 5 was a challenge. I like to mix things up a TON, and every class is different. But it’s almost a guarantee that one of these five (or more) will make their way into my Crazy Bitch Bootcamp.
I like combining different exercises to make them more challenging (also to help them “fit” my music). Working more than one muscle group at a time also torches more calories, and allows my students to build strength in different areas, without thinking about it too much. Most of my students don’t realize how tough the workout was… until the next day!
May need to do a part 2 sometime soon, but for now, here are 5 moves & combos that I just freaking LOVE.
CHICHI KIX’S TOP 5 BOOTCAMP MOVES
1. Quick Feet to Plank.
This one’s great for beginners & advanced students alike. It’s not complicated, SHOOTS the heart rate WAY up & is easy to adjust with tempo, speed and rhythm to suit your class. Core & Cardio! I like to keep my students guessing as to when I’ll call ‘plank’, but the shorter the time between the intervals, the higher the heart rate. Encourage students to move quickly between moves (transitions are a fun place to dawdle, but dawdling’s not for bootcamp).
A. From a standing position, take the feet wider than hips width apart bend slightly at the knee. Shift the weight from one foot to another quickly (like a fast tip toe run). Keep your core tight and minimize wobbling from side to side - try to keep the weight balanced between your feet as you move. Pump your arms with your legs for a bigger boost, and think speed.
B. Quick feet it out for 5-10 seconds, then drop down to a plank position. Hold it in plank for a few beats, then pop back up again for quick feet.
2. Modified Burpee With Pushup & Plank Crunches.
This move works really well on two 8 counts, and although I’ll challenge advanced students to do the full version (hopping back instead of stepping back), I usually keep the BPM low enough that even beginners can catch the beat. The pushup part can be modified or skipped (or you can swap it for 2 extra plank crunches, or plank rows).
A. From standing, drop your hands to the ground (beats 1 & 2), and step back one foot at a time (beats 3 & 4). Lower down to a pushup, (beats 5 & 6), then back up again (beats 7 & 8).
B. Bringing your right knee to your right elbow, do a side crunch (beats 1 & 2), then the other side (beats 3 & 4). Then step your feet forward (beats 5 & 6) and stand up for the last 2 counts (jump optional).
Altogether: Down, Step To Plank, Pushup, 2 Knee Crunches, Stand.
3. Lunge Matrix With Squats.
Booty WORK that goes so well with hip hop it’s scary! We do one side at a time, with or without weights.
Starting with the RIGHT side: lunge forward with the right leg (beats 1 & 2), then come back to a squat (beats 3 & 4). Lunge to the side, then back to a squat. Lunge to the back (reverse lunge), then yup, a squat. Then do a curtsy lunge (step back and to the left with the right foot), then squat. 4 lunges, 4 squats on the same side. I usually repeat 4-6 times, then switch to the left. (The song Booty Werk by T-Pain is GREAT with this combo).
4. High Knees To Mountain Climbers.
HIGH Intensity cardio KILLER, so we don’t do it for long. Sometimes I’ll have them repeat the combo for a minute, switch to something lower intensity, then bring it back up again. Like Quick Feet To Plank, I can play with the tempo & speed, and I like to keep them guessing: high BPM’s are a must.
From standing, run in place bringing your knees up as high as you can. Pump your arms as you run: this should be a sprint. After 5-10 seconds, drop down to plank position for mountain climbers. Go as fast as you can, same time interval, then pop back up for high knees. Usually doing the combo 3 times is enough to get heart rates sky high, but you can gauge as you go!
5. Bear Crawl Run Backs.
This combo is better if you have a ton of space, or are working outside (it’s great as a race/game too if you want to split your class up into teams).
Starting from one end of the room/field, have participants drop down to a crawl position, keeping knees off the floor. They bear crawl for 5-20 feet, as fast as they can, then pop up and sprint back to the start. This can be done relay style if you put them in teams, and you can have them do squats/jacks ANYTHING while they wait for their next crawl. Bear crawls are tough, so you should shorten the distance if your students are still getting used to it. 3-5 crawls per person is ideal, more if they can handle it.
There are lots of ways to do the bear crawl, but some ways are safer than others. Check out a demo here.
My favorite stretch after all this bootcampery? Happy baby. Literally, not a frown to be found when everyone’s in this position after a tough workout. 
Follow Fit Friends on Facebook and show some lovin’! They post great tips daily, and are a fab, FRIENDLY resource if you need a boost! (and don’t forget me! The Fit Villains page is rockin’ too and it’s easier to connect with my Tumblr friends there as well).
Have you ever been to a bootcamp class? What were your favorite moves?
Talk about a BOOTY BLASTER.
My bottom hurts just thinking about it.
If you need to get your ass in gear, there are lots of exercises that can help you round out your assets. Combined with a little cardio, you can re-shape your buns & thighs with resistance moves that firm & burn calories.
How to Do It
A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and bend over from hips, keeping your back as flat as possible (core tight). Place hands on a weighted ball (or dumbbell that’s resting upright) on the ground in front of your feet. If you need to, you can elevate this starting point with a step, bench yoga block). Your hands should be aligned under your chin, but keep your chest and shoulders relaxed.
These are awesome lower body moves, and a few I’ve never seen before! Thanks Shape Magazine!
While they suggest an uber expensive bar to get the most out of your workout, you can also use a broomstick for balance.
Add a few sets of these into your workout this week!
Wow Bow
Stand with feet staggered, left foot in front, arms extended behind you. Bring hands to a catcher’s position as you bend knees and crouch, touching right thigh to outside of left calf and resting chest on left thigh, back slightly arched (as shown). Return to start. Do reps. Switch sides; repeat.
Break Out
Crouch with feet hip-width apart, chest lifted, to start. Reach right hand to outside of right foot and mimic picking up an imaginary stick, then push off right heel and explode up, “breaking” the stick over bent right knee (as shown). Return to start; repeat on opposite side for 1 rep.
Did you try my agility plank combo yet? It’s tough, but if you’ve mastered the plank you can do it!
Modify the pushups if you need to!
The dog in background of the video was hilarious, lol. He likes being on camera. :)
Directions: Anywhere Agility Plank Pyramid Combo
A. Pushup (1, 2, 3, 4, 5… up to 10 in a row)
B. Agility plank walk about 10ft to the left.
C. Mountain Climbers (5-10 seconds)
D. Agility plank walk back to start about 10ft to the right.
Start with one pushup, then complete B, C & D. Then move to 2 pushups & repeat B, C, D. Then 3 pushups… then 4 pushups. Work your way up to 10 pushups.
Got a great question earlier today about how to make the ‘plank’ more difficult (refreshing!). Was asked to post it again so you can re-blog.
If you’ve mastered the plank, but aren’t sure if you’re ready for these, keep this in mind: Even if you only attempt a harder version for 20-30 seconds, you’ll make doing regular planks easier & get faster results.
Try these modifications! You’ll hate me (then LOVE me) for it. :)
See bottom of post for my Anywhere Agility Plank Pyramid Combo!
xo
- If you HAVE a plate weight (like at the gym), you can have someone else apply this to your upper back, between the shoulder blades (if not, sometimes a backpack with weights in it will work… as long as it’s evenly distributed. You’ll know if it’s not). Hold plank in this position.
- No weights? Use a resistance band. Grab a handle in each hand, and loop it around your back. Pull tighter on the band so it’s tough; it will make you ‘fight’ to stay in plank because the band should be pulling you towards the floor.
- Try 3 point or 2 point planks. The more unstable you make these, the harder it will be on ya. (3 point - lift one arm or leg. Two point - Lift an arm & a leg, opposite sides). I’d say one point, but that’s super human. Try it. Take video if you manage it and I’ll post it here. :)
- Whip your balls out - Soccer/Basketballs or Medicine balls - anything that’s unsteady (tennis balls too, though they might hurt bigger hands & wrists). Try balancing one arm, one leg, both arms, both legs, or ALL fours on the balls to make plank tougher. Start with one, work up to getting on the balls on all fours).
- Agility planks - Have you ever taken a ‘walk’ in plank position (trying as HARD as you can not to move your core?). It’s tough. Try it. Side to side, stepping your arms & feet out at the same time and moving. Try 10ft right, 10 ft left and repeat as many times as you need.
- Walking planks: Get to plank on your elbows. Starting with your right hand, come up to plank on your hands. Core tight. Come back to elbow plank & repeat, switching leads (right, left, right, left). It’s tougher than plank alone.
Plank-y combo!
I did this workout in the park a few months back and filmed it (the dog is hilarious in the background). Try this combo for an added total core challenge. See video below to watch me do it (the ground was REALLY wet, so I slipped a few times)!
Anywhere Agility Plank Pyramid Combo
A. Pushup (1, 2, 3, 4, 5… up to 10 in a row)
B. Agility plank walk about 10ft to the left.
C. Mountain Climbers (5-10 seconds)
D. Agility plank walk back to start about 10ft to the right.
Start with one pushup, then complete B, C & D. Then move to 2 pushups & repeat B, C, D. Then 3 pushups… then 4 pushups. Work your way up to 10 pushups.
You often hear me say the words ‘Kill It’. I always mean it, but I mean it EXTRA hard this time.
KILL THIS WORKOUT!
‘Killing It’: Pushing yourself 1-2 reps more than you thought you could. Taking tiny breaks instead of big ones when you need it. Getting back on track ASAP & staying focused. Feeling the burn… Got it?
This workout can be done within 16-25 minutes, but will be longer if you dawdle so KILL it! It’s shorter for beginners, but if you’re advanced you can opt to KILL it for the beginner time, OR opt to go for a longer workout. It’s all in the intensity.
If you’re a beginner and you’d rather kill it for a little while longer on some of the exercises, go right ahead! You can adjust this workout, using the times for guidelines. I also added reps in, in case you wanna ‘screw’ the times all together. Do the cardio parts for ‘time’ or for as long as you can, and 12-20 reps of the strength/lower body exercises instead.
Because everyone’s pace is different, you might not complete the whole circuit within the time-frame of the playlist, or they might run longer. Chill… just put the playlist on repeat and you’ll be fine either way. You might want to anyways. :)
How To Do It…
1. Download the MP3’s FREE or stream them below. (Under ‘Buy Now’ you can type 0$ to get them free, but it would be sick/awesome if you wanna donate a little something to the band. They’d be giddy either way). If you choose ‘free’, maybe a Facebook like, or a tweet to say thanks either way! Tell them I sent you, they love me!
2. Warm up for 5 minutes & stretch if you need to.
3. Press Play.
4. Complete the 3 circuits twice, taking the right amount of time to rest for your level. Do circuit 1 twice, then circuit 2 twice etc…
5. Cool down and stretch it out with a little ‘Dome Money’. Restart the playlist if you haven’t finished up before it’s over (playlist runs roughly 20 minutes)
Do you guys know how to warm up before exercising? Did you know that stretching a cold muscle is an awful, horrible idea? Muscles perform so much better once they’re warm, and they only get warm by working!
Try some dynamic stretching. These ones are kind of low intensity without movement but you could try some of them while walking back and forth across a short distance.
My favorite isn’t on here but it’s THE FRANKENSTEIN, you walk with your hands out in front of you Mummy-style and as you walk you try to kick your hands. I do my hands at eye/forehead level. Hand walks are also a really great way to get the blood flowing.
(via be-there-for-yourself)
Mastered the plank? Time to Take It Up A Notch and try this version instead!
Holding this position takes great core strength & balance and moving in it is even more intense. If you’ve mastered the plank, and other plank modifications, this is a way to keep the results coming. Along with your core, you’ll engage your glutes, shoulders & back. It will also improve your strength & balance.
Note: If you’re not able to do the move in plank position, drop to your knees and try the quadruped instead.
Tip: Form is especially important with this move. Make sure to engage your abs, press your hips up and keep your back straight. At first, you can try balancing a broomstick along your back.
Two Point Plank
- Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet in line with your hips.
- Cheat your right leg toward your center line (the straight line that splits you down the middle from head to toe) & lift your left leg off the ground so your heel is even with your pelvis.
- Keeping your torso steady, reach your right arm forward. Really brace through your abs by pulling your navel to your spine. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
- Keeping your torso stable, bring your right elbow to your left knee under your body. Do not round your back or twist your spine, and keep your pelvis down. Hold for a few seconds & then reach the arms and leg out and away from each other. This is one rep.
- Do five to seven reps on each side. Do at least 2 sets but aim for 3.
Modifications for joints/beginners
Depending on your joints, it might be easier for you to be on your elbows instead of your hands. If moving your arms and leg toward one another just seems impossible, work on holding the plank and work up to the in/out motion.
Are you ready for the big day? No, I’m not talking about YOUR big day.
The Royal Wedding is upon us, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. I mean, when else am I going to wear that tiara I spent way too much money on a few years back. (See Ma? I CAN wear it more than once. HA!)
Brides are under more pressure than most to look great on their big day, and Kate Middleton has been no exception. I’m sure she’ll look great with all the time she’s been putting in with her trainer (although from the picture above, she CLEARLY didn’t need much work!). But you don’t need a royal trainer to get wedding worthy results!
This is a total body workout that you can do just about anywhere. It’ll tone you from head to toe, in only 25 minutes! Say I do to a banging new bod!
Do this circuit 2-3 times/week for maximum results.
