A bit of non-yoga workout to get fit after Xmas

I guess we can all feel it. Most people got fat during Christmas, and if you are not one of them, lucky you, just skip this post :P If you come to my classes and want to add a bit of exercise into your weekly routine, here it is.... Let me know if you like it or not :P

Monday

Perform each set of two exercises back-to-back, with no rest between each exercise. Rest 30 to 60 seconds before repeating the set one more time. SET 1 Lift-off Lunge, Hundred on the BallSET 2 Scissors Jump, Pushup and Leg RaiseSET 3 Mermaid, Boat Curl and PressSET 4 Triangle Lat Raise, Dip and Knee Raise 

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling .(B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Scissors Jump

Tones: Butt and thighs; raises heart rate to burn extra calories

Stand with your right leg forward and your left leg extended behind you, toes on the floor. Bend your right knee and dip your left knee toward the floor, so you’re in a lunge position. Place your arms straight out in front of you or out to the sides.(A) Swiftly jump up and switch legs in midair, in a motion like a scissor. (B) When your back knee grazes (or nearly grazes) the ground, jump again. Keep jumping continuously, without resting, for a full set. To prevent injury, try to land as softly as possible. 10 to 20 jumps

Pushup and Leg Raise

Tones: Shoulders, triceps, chest, and core

Lie facedown on a fitness ball, with both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until it is under your shins. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, so it looks like you’re ready to do a pushup. Keeping your torso straight and your abs contracted, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. (A) Return to start, and immediately contract your glutes as you lift your right leg off the ball. (B) Lower your right leg to the ball, then lift the left leg. That’s one rep. 8 to 12 reps

Make the move harder by placing the ball under the tops of your feet. Make it easier by keeping the ball under your knees.

Hundred on the Ball

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and place your calves on a fitness ball. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, making sure to keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. (Put your head down at any time if you feel stress in the upper body.) (A) Take 5 short, consecutive inhales, followed by 5 short, consecutive exhales. Do this 10 times for 1 rep. At the same time, lift arms off mat and pulse them up and down palms facing down, in unison with the breath. (B) 10 reps, 100 breaths per rep

Mermaid

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and shoulders

Assume a side plank position, with your right elbow on the floor directly beneath your shoulder. Stagger your feet so your left foot is in front of your right foot. (A) Raise your left arm directly overhead—bicep next to your ear, arm extended, and with your palm facing the floor—so your arm is in line with your body. Arch your left arm towards the floor as you raise your hips up in the air. (B) Return to start. Repeat for a full set; then switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Boat Curl and Press

Tones: Core, biceps, and shoulders

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms extended at your sides and your palms facing forward. Sit on a bench and lean back slightly, pulling your knees to chest height, so you’re balancing on your tailbone. Curl the weights to your shoulders; (A) then immediately rotate your wrists so your palms face forward and press the weights straight overhead. (B) Return to start. Each dumbbell extension is one rep. Balance on the bench during the entire set if you can. 8 to 10 reps

Triangle Lat Raise

Tones: Butt, thighs, back, and shoulders

Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lunge forward with your right leg. Taking a cue from the triangle pose in yoga, turn your left foot out—so it's perpendicular to your leg—and rest your right forearm on your right thigh, palm up. Extend your left arm straight down, with your palm facing your right leg. (A) Keeping your left arm extended, squeeze your shoulder blades together and raise your left arm straight out to the side until it reaches shoulder height. (B) Return to start. Complete a full set, then switch sides.10 to 12 reps per side

Dip and Knee Raise

Tones: Triceps, shoulders, and upper back

Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees. Grasp the seat on either side of your butt; make sure your fingers are facing forward. Walk your feet out slightly and inch yourself off the seat. (A) Bend your arms, keeping your elbows pointed straight back as you dip your butt toward the ground. Simultaneously contract your abs and pull your right knee toward your chest. (B) Return to start. Concentrate on using your arms to raise your body, rather than pushing up with your legs. Complete a set, alternating legs. 10 to 12 reps

Make the move more challenging by performing it with your legs extended

Wednesday

For each exercise shown, do 1 set of the prescribed repetitions, rest 30 seconds, then do another set of that same exercise. 

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling .(B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Mermaid

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and shoulders

Assume a side plank position, with your right elbow on the floor directly beneath your shoulder. Stagger your feet so your left foot is in front of your right foot. (A) Raise your left arm directly overhead—bicep next to your ear, arm extended, and with your palm facing the floor—so your arm is in line with your body. Arch your left arm towards the floor as you raise your hips up in the air. (B) Return to start. Repeat for a full set; then switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Pushup and Leg Raise

Tones: Shoulders, triceps, chest, and core

Lie facedown on a fitness ball, with both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until it is under your shins. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, so it looks like you’re ready to do a pushup. Keeping your torso straight and your abs contracted, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. (A) Return to start, and immediately contract your glutes as you lift your right leg off the ball. (B) Lower your right leg to the ball, then lift the left leg. That’s one rep. 8 to 12 reps

Make the move harder by placing the ball under the tops of your feet. Make it easier by keeping the ball under your knees.

Hundred on the Ball

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and place your calves on a fitness ball. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, making sure to keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. (Put your head down at any time if you feel stress in the upper body.) (A) Take 5 short, consecutive inhales, followed by 5 short, consecutive exhales. Do this 10 times for 1 rep. At the same time, lift arms off mat and pulse them up and down palms facing down, in unison with the breath. (B) 10 reps, 100 breaths per rep

Tai Chi Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms extended straight out in front of you, with your palms facing down. Take a giant step to the right, bending your right knee until it’s bent 45 to 90 degrees (make sure to keep your knee from extending over your toes). (A) Pause in this side-lunge position and rotate your torso and outstretched arms to the left, rotating at the waist. (B) Rotate back to the center and return to the starting position. Repeat the move to the opposite side. Continue alternating for a full set. 10 to 12 reps per side

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Glute Bridge with Triceps Extension

Tones: Butt, core, and triceps

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie on your back, with your knees bent. Bend your elbows so the weights are positioned at either side of your head, palms facing your ears and elbows pointed up toward the ceiling. (A) Simultaneously contract your glutes and raise your hips—so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees—while you extend your arms, so the weights are lined up with your chest. (B) Return to start. 10 to 12 reps

Lateral Step-Ups

Tones: Butt and thighs, plus raises heart rate to burn extra calories

Stand to the right of a 12 to 18 inch step or bench. Plant your left foot on the step and place your hands on your hips.(A) Press into your left foot, extend right leg, and spring up and over the step, (B) planting the right foot on the step and extending the left leg out into a side lunge. Immediately reverse the move, springing up and over to the right. Think of this move as your feet exchanging places on the step. Continue alternating for a full set. 10 to 12 reps per side

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Side Plank with Moving Knee

Tones: Core (especially obliques) and butt

Lie facedown on the floor so your upper body is propped on your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. (A) Lift your body off the floor so your body is suspended in a straight line supported by your forearms and toes. Roll to the left, rotating your left arm, so your upper body is propped up on your leftt forearm, elbow directly beneath shoulder and forearm running perpendicular to your body. Stack your feet and place your left hand on your hip, elbow pointed up. (B) Raise your right leg and bring your rightt knee to your rightt elbow.(C) Return to start. Switch sides. 8 to 10 reps

Friday

Perform the moves circuit style: Do the prescribed number of repetitions for each exercise, with no rest between exercises. After you’ve done all of the exercises once, rest two minutes. Perform the entire circuit 3 times, resting two minutes between each circuit. 

Curtsy Lunge with Front Raise

Tones: Butt, thighs, and shoulders

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in your left hand and resting your right hand on your hip. Take a giant step back and to the right with your left leg, so if you were standing on a clock facing 12, your left toes would end up at the 5 o’clock position. (A) Bend your knees and lower your hips toward the floor until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, raise your left arm (the one with the dumbbell in it) straight out in front of you to shoulder height. (B) Return to start. Complete a full set; then switch sides. 10 to 12 reps per side

Swivel Squat

Tones: Butt, thighs, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and extend your arms straight out in front of you. Bend your knees and sit back until your legs are bent 45 to 90 degrees; make sure to keep your knees from extending over your toes. (A) Press back to a standing position as you rotate your torso and outstretched arms to the right. (B) Rotate back to the center and immediately perform another squat, this time rotating to the left as you stand. Both sides makes one rep. The sequence is this: Squat, stand—while simultaneously twisting to the side—then twist back to the center. 10 to 12 reps

To make the move more challenging, hold a medicine ball.

Tip and Row

Tones: Butt and back

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides holding weights. Lift your right leg straight up behind you as you bend from the hips to lower your upper body forward. Your torso and right leg should be parallel to the floor and your arms hanging straight down, palms facing each other. (A) Bend your elbows and pull the weights straight up to either side of your chest. (B) Lower the weights and return to a standing position. Repeat, this time lifting the left leg behind you as you tip forward. Alternate for a full set. 8 to 10 reps per side

Alternating Side Lunge

Tones: Thighs, butt, and core

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding dumbbells down at your sides.(A) Take a giant step to the right, dropping your butt back (keeping your knee from extending over your toes) and pretending to place the weights on either side of your foot. (B) Press back to start. Then immediately repeat the move to the left. 10 to 12 reps per side

Lift-off Lunge

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows bent and pointing out to the sides, palms facing forward. Take a giant step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press into your right foot, straighten your right leg, and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling your left knee forward in front of your hips (so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing the weights up toward the ceiling. (B) Return to start. Repeat with your left leg. 10 to 12 reps per leg

To make the move more challenging, place your front foot on a step.

Crossover Crunch

Tones: Core

Lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched so your body forms an X. (A) Contract your abs and raise your head, arms, and legs a few inches off the floor. Keeping them extended, simultaneously bring your left arm and right leg together over your abdomen. (B) Lower your limbs back to start. Repeat to the opposite side. That’s one rep. Alternate for a full set. 10 to 12 reps

To make the move more challenging, keep your head, arms, and legs raised throughout the exercise. To make it a little easier, bring only your arm and leg off the floor each time.

Stacked Pushup

Tones: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and core

Assume a pushup position (resting either your knees or your toes on the floor), with your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders, left hand placed on a thick book, yoga block, or aerobic step with no risers. (A) Bend your arms and lower your chest until your arms are bent 90 degrees. (B) Straighten your arms and press up. Do 4 to 6 reps, then switch sides, bringing your right hand up onto the book or step and your left hand down to the floor on the left side of the book. Repeat, this time crossing up and over to the right. Alternate throughout the set. 8 to 12 reps

Squat and Overhead Press

Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders, triceps, and core

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent in front of your torso, weights in front of your shoulders, palms facing in. Stand with your feet in a wide straddle stance, toes turned out. (A) Bend your knees and squat back, keeping your knees from extending over your toes. (B) Press back to the start position, turning your right palm forward and pressing the weight directly overhead. (C) Immediately lower into another squat, pulling your right arm back to the starting position. Stand again, this time pressing the left weight overhead. Alternate for a full set. 12 to 14 reps