Friday’s 5 min Challenge!
TGIF! Today’s 5 min Challenge is going to involve two exercises that are both aimed at strengthening your core and increasing the visibility of those abs. :) We are going to do 1 full minute of an exercise and instead of resting in between each exercise, we are going to substitute that rest with another exercise. Here is your
Friday Challenge:
1 min Crunches, 30 sec scissor kicks
1 min Crunches, 1 min scissor kicks
1:30 min Crunches
Thursday’s 5 Minute Workout
Tricep Dips (1 minute) – Count to 2 as you dip down and count to 8 as you push yourself up. Complete 6 Tricep Dips.
Bicep Curls (1 minute) - Count to 2 as you curl a weighted object in each hand towards you, then count to 8 as you slowly allow the weighted object to move back to the starting position. Complete 6 Bicep Curls ** As always, if you don’t have weights you can use house hold items such as canned goods, full water bottles, Laundry Detergent bottles, etc.
Weighted Lateral Arm Raises (1 minute) – Count to 2 as you raise your arms out to your side so that your body forms a “T”, then count to 8 as you slowly lower your arms back to your side. Complete 6 Weight Lateral Arm Raises **Again you can use house hold items to serve as weights to hold in each hand
Squat and Press (1 minute) – Count to 2 as you squat down, then count to 8 as you slowly stand up and press your weighted objects into the air. **This is another weighted exercise
Leg Raises (1 minute) – Laying on your back, count to 2 as you raise only your feet about 12 inches into the air, then count to 8 as you slowly lower them back to the floor.
Wednesday’s 5 Minute Workout -
Twisting Abs – (1 minute) – sitting down on the floor, and with your knees bent, bring your upper body slightly off the floor so that you are at a slight incline. Twist your upper body to the left and touch the floor with your hands, then twist your upper body to the right and touch the floor with your hands. Alternate between twisting your upper body to the left and to the right for one minute. If you would like to increase the intensity you can raise your knees in the air or hold weight objects in your hand while twisting.
Reverse Lunge to High Knee (left leg only) – (1 minute) – step back with your left leg while keeping your right foot planted on the floor. You should now be in a lunge position. From the lunge position, drive your right foot into the floor as support and stand up, bringing your left knee above your waist. Repeat this exercise for one minute.
Reverse Lunge to High Knee (right leg only) – (1 minute) – step back with your right leg while keeping your left foot planted on the floor. You should now be in a lunge position. From the lunge position, drive your left foot into the floor as support and stand up, bringing your right knee above your waist. Repeat this exercise for one minute.
Criss-Cross Legs – (1 minute) – laying on your back with your legs outstretched, raise your legs about 6 inches off the floor. Spread your legs, while holding them at 6 inches off the floor, then bring them back together, crossing your right leg over your left leg. Spread your legs again, then bring them back together, crossing the left leg over the right leg. Continue to repeat this exercise for one minute.
Pushups – (1 minute) – remember to keep your back as straight as possible, and try to get as close to the floor as possible.
Monday’s 5 Minute Workout
Single Leg Squats (2 minutes – 1 minute left leg and 1 minute right leg) – Standing on one leg count to 2 as you squat down, then count to 8 as you slowly stand up. **If you find it hard trying to keep you balance, use a chair, table or wall for support. Do one minute on each leg so you will have done 6 single leg squats on your left leg and 6 single leg squats on your right leg.
V-Up (1 minute) – Laying on your back, you are going to raise your legs and body off the floor simultaneously so that you form a “V” with your body. Then you will slowly lower your body and legs back to the floor. Count to 2 as you raise your legs and body off the floor then count to 8 as you lower your body and legs back to the floor.
Declined Pushups (1 minute) – Assume a pushup position with your feet slightly elevated above your body on a chair. Complete 6 pushups! Count to 8 as you lower your body to the floor (keeping your back and legs aligned), then count to 2 as you push your body up.
Alternating Side Lunge (1 minute) – While standing, step your left leg out to your left hand side and while keeping your right leg straight squat down into a lunge position then return back to the center. Your upper body should be facing forward at all time. Then do this same movement with your right leg, in which you will keep your left leg straight. Count to 2 as you lunge to the side, then count to 8 as you slowly return to the center starting position. You will alternate this exercise on your left and right hand side for 1 minute, therefore you will do 3 left leg side lunges and 3 right leg side lunges.
FRIDAY’S 5 Minute Time Trial
I am going to give you 5 – 1 minute challenges to see if you have what it takes to meet the challenge. You will be given an exercise and a goal to meet. Don’t look at all of the challenges as an entire workout because it will seem a bit overwhelming. Focus on each individual challenge. Give each 1 minute challenge your all. After the challenge, whether you hit the goal or not, put it behind you and move on to the next challenge with the same focus.
Challenge #1 – Pushups – Goal: 45 (1 minute)
Challenge #2 – Squat Jumps – Goal: 35 (1 minute)
Challenge #3 – Burpees – Goal: 25 (1 minute)
Challenge #4 – Alternating Forward Lunges – Goal: 40 (1 minute) **Count each leg as one
Challenge #5 – Alternating Bicycle Crunches – Goal: 50 (1 minute) **Count each knee touch as one
Thursday’s 5 Minute Workout!
Hydraulic Pushups – (1 Minute) – In a pushup position, lower your body half way down to the floor and hold for 30 seconds, then for the last 30 seconds quickly do as many pushup as you can. Do your best not to arch your back or stick your butt in the air.
Beach Chair – (1 Minute) – In a half sit up position, raise your feet off the floor so that your torso and legs form a 45 degree angle. Hold this position for 1 minute.
Left - Single Leg Squat Hold – (1 Minute) – balancing on your left leg, squat down and hold this position for 30 seconds, after 30 seconds quickly do as many single leg squats on your left leg that you can do in 30 seconds
Right – Single Leg Squat Hold – (1 Minute) - balancing on your right leg, squat down and hold this position for 30 seconds, after 30 seconds quickly do as many single leg squats on your right leg that you can do in 30 seconds.
Burpees – (1 Minute)
Wednesday’s 5 Minute Workout
Today’s 5 min workout is all about variation on our favorite core activity, the PLANK! Getting into a plank position you are going to perform the following variations for 1 min (30 secs each side). For example the first variation is Plank w/ a leg raise. While in the plank position you would raise your left leg and hold for 30 secs, then raise your right leg and hold for 30 secs.
Variation #1 - Plank w/ a leg raise
Variation #2 - Plank w/ one arm raise (stretch your arm out in front of you while keeping the other arm bent and in plank position)
Variation #3 - Plank w/ Jacks (while in your plank position doing jumping jacks with your feet - spreading them out then back in) You will do this one for 1 min.
Variation #4 - Plank w/ lateral knee raise (while supporting on one leg, swing your knee out and try to touch your elbow with your knee) **Yes this does require a little flexibility :)
Variation #5 - Plank (hold for 1 min)
Have a great Wednesday!
Tuesday’s 5 Minute Workout -
Plank hold w/ alternating right and left hand raise (1 minute) – while maintaining a plank-pushup position raise your left hand out in front of you, so that you are balancing a plank on your right hand and legs only, then slowly lower your left hand back to the floor. Repeat this same movement with your right hand. Alternate between your left and right hand for 1 minute. Do everything in your power to maintain this position without letting your knees touch the floor for an entire minute.
Plank hold w/ alternating knee to elbow (1 minute) – while maintaining a plank-pushup position try to bring your right knee to your left elbow, then try to bring your left knee to your right elbow. Repeat this exercise for 1 minute and do everything you can not to let your knees touch the floor for an entire minute.
Jacking Pushups (1 minute) – this is a cross between a jumping jack and a pushup! In a pushup position, as your go down to the floor you are going to spread your feet apart as though you were doing a jumping jack. When you push up you are going to bring your feet back together. The exercise should be one smooth movement so that it looks like you are doing jumping jacks while doing pushups. 1 minute of pushups is tough, so if you have to take short breaks during the exercise that is ok. Just make sure that you push yourself as much as possible to complete the exercise.
Squat hold w/ alternating knee touches (1 minute) – while holding a squat position, touch your left knee to the floor, then touch your right knee to the floor. Repeat these alternating knee touches while holding a squat for 1 minute. Try your best not to get out of the squat hold position for the entire minute.
Burpee (1 minute) – if you are exhausted from the “Jacking Pushups” you can eliminate the pushup from the burpee and just hold a pushup plank position briefly when you go down to the floor.
Have a great Tuesday!
Monday’s 5 Minute Workout -
We haven’t done a burpee in a while, so I think we are well overdue. :)
Count the number of Burpees that you are able to complete each round. Your goal should be to increase the number of burpees you are able to complete each round.
1 minute of Burpees, 30 sec break
1 minute of Burpees, 60 sec break
1:30 minutes of Burpees
Now this is how you start your week off! ;)
Have a great Monday everyone!
Friday’s 5 Minute Workout -
Here is one that you can do at work and get all of your co-workers involved in your 5 Minute Workout insanity. :)
Wall Squat (1 minute) – one of my favorites – squatting with your back against the wall and your knees bent at 90 degrees, hold this position for 1 minute without standing up. Mental Endurance….you are stronger than you think.
Wall Pushups (1 minute) – instead of doing a push up on the floor, place your hands on the wall and position your feet behind you so that your body is at a slant. Lower your upper body to the wall while keeping your back and legs aligned with your upper body, and then push your upper body back up continuing to keep your back and legs aligned. Repeat this movement for one minute.
Wall Marches (1 Minute) – another awesome core and balance exercise – while holding a wall squat position, you are going to raise your left knee so that your left foot slightly comes off the floor, then lower it back to the floor. Perform this same movement with your right knee and right foot. Alternate between your left foot and right foot for one full minute.
Incline – Knee to Elbow (1 minute) – assume a Wall Pushup position and bring your left knee across your body, while maintaining the wall pushup position, as though you are going to touch your right elbow with your left knee. Repeat this same movement with brining your right knee across your body to your left elbow. Alternate between your right and left knee for one minute.
Wall Squat Overhead Press (1 minute) – get into a wall squat position and while holding a weighted object in each hand (ie. water bottle, canned goods, light hand weights), you are going to raise these object above your head, while maintaining the wall squat position, and press them straight into the air. Lower the weighted object back down so that your forearm and elbow form a 90 degree angle, then raise the object above your head again and press them straight into the air. Repeat this movement for one minute.
Have a an awesome Friday and a great weekend!