It's that time of year for barbecues, beach days and bikinis! With the holiday weekend just around the corner, we look for last-minute ways to shape up. This full-proof plan will whittle the waist, strengthen the muscles and boost your metabolism. Each day you will get a new workout with a different focus. Your week will look like this:
Day 1: Upper Body
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3: Lower Body
Day 4: Cardio
Day 5: Core
Day 6: Yoga
Day 7: Fun Activity
Repeat
Day 2: Cardio
Today you will be performing high-intensity intervals. This type of training has been shown to burn fat and build lean muscle. For more info, check out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/14/hiit-workout_n_4426903.html.
How It Works: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds as fast as possible followed by a 15-second rest. Do the entire routine eight times.
Equipment Required: None
High Knees:
1. Use your wrists to quickly spin the rope as fast as possible while taking small hops off the ground.
2. Jump off the ball of your big toe.
3. Keep chest up and shoulders draw together.
Squats:
1. Stand with feet hip width apart.
2. Bend knees, shift hips back and lower entire body down toward the floor until thighs come to parallel.
3. Press through the floor to come back to standing.
Mountain Climbers:
1. Come into a straight-arm plank position with hands under shoulders and legs extended straight back.
2. Drive your knee up to chest, while keeping hips level. Quickly alternate and drive the other knee up.
3. Keep switching as fast as possible while remaining in a plank.
Bridges:
1. Lie on your back with knees bent and arms by your side. Lift hips off the floor pressing them straight up toward the ceiling.
2. Lower back down to the floor and repeat movement. Keep glutes engaged the entire time.
3. To work deeper into your hamstrings you can flex both feet as you lift.
For additional workouts, recipes and more, please follow me @NoraTobin and www.noratobin.com!