Welcome to - Movement Mondays!

TOTAL BODY TONE-UP (20-30 MINUTE WORK-OUT)

About this series:

From this week forward, Sam and I will endeavor to bring you a new workout every single week.

The purpose of this is to show you how easy it is to incorporate physical activity into your daily life.

If you're new to exercise, you could try this workout two or three times a week.

If you are already involved in some form of training, you can use this as a supplementary workout in your current schedule.

We will be incorporating the use of some easily accessible equipment, such as light dumbbells (which can be substituted for wine bottles - just make sure they are full!) and a bench or chair.

For this first workout, all you will need is your own body weight, a mat or soft surface & an interval timer (you can download these on your smart phone). Helpful puppies are optional, but advised. 

We will not always post videos for each workout, but will create a library of exercises you can use as a reference within this blog.
 

TOTAL BODY TONE-UP (20-30 MINUTES)

There are ten exercises in this workout & Sam and I repeated them 3 times through. If you are just starting out, feel free to repeat twice. 
Set your timer to intervals of 45 seconds on/15 seconds off. You will be performing each exercise for only 45 seconds, so work as hard as you possibly can and then you can have 15 seconds of rest!
The exercises in this workout will tone up your entire body - from your legs, butt, shoulders, abs and arms; and mix high & low intensity so that you can push your body to it's limits.

Exercises:
1. Dead Bugs
2. Jumping Jacks
3. Walk out to Press Up
4. Side Crunches Left Side
5. Side Crunches Right Side 
6. Burpees

7. V-Ups
8. Lunges Pulses (x3) & Jump Switch

9. Mountain Climbers (x4) to Press Up

10. Tricep Dip Toe Touch

Enjoy your workout & let us know how it goes! Where did you feel the burn?
If you need more detail on correct form for the above exercises, we have supplied individual videos below.

Workout Breakdown:

1. Dead Bugs:

Lie on your back, ensuring it is imprinted into the mat.

Raise your arms above your head, and your legs to tabletop.

Alternate extending your opposite leg and arm, ensuring you keep your core tight the entire time & do not let your back arch.

2. Jump Jacks

This one is pretty self-explanatory! Just make sure you are engaging your core & your butt throughout the movement.
If you focus on keeping your knees tracking over your toes, you will find it easier to engage your butt.
Raise your arms up high, and keep your movements controlled - no flailing about!!

3. Walk-out to Press Up
Begin in a standing position and slowly fold from your hips, keeping your core engaged and back flat.

Once your hands touch the ground, walk out into a plank position, but be careful not to rock or twist your hips.

Perform a press-up, then reverse the movement, walking your hands back to your feet and to a full standing position. 

4 & 5. Side Crunches
Begin in a side-lying position, but sitting slightly back, so you are not lying on your hip bone.
Use your bottom arm as a support & your top arm behind your head.

Raise your legs up, keeping them stacked on top of one another.

Using your obliques, crunch up - touching your knee to elbow.

Make sure this movement is coming from your obliques, and focus on connecting the bottom of your rib cage to your hip bone. Repeat on opposite side. 

6. Burpees
Everyone's favourite exercise!!
Begin standing

Drop to a squat position with your hands on the ground

Kick your feet out, so you are in plank position

If you want to, perform a press up (advanced).
Otherwise, jump your feet back in, then jump up. Landing soft (softer than me!), before beginning the movement all over again.

7. V-Ups
Another great ab burner!
Begin on your back, but with your legs straight in front of you off the ground, and your shoulders off the ground. Hold your arms in front of you for balance.

Using your core, lift your body into a V position - bringing your knees in as your raise your body up.

As with the side crunches, make sure you focus on keeping your core strong, and trying to get your ribcage as close to your hip bones as possible!

8. Lunge Pulses to Jump Switch
Keeping a neutral spine, chest up, shoulders down - step one legs forward into a lunge (ensuring your back leg drops to 90 degrees).
Pulse from this position 3 times, then jump up & switch so that your back leg ends up in front. 
Engage your glutes & try not to let your hips twist!

 9. Mountain Climbers to Press-up
Begin in a plank position, keeping your back straight and core engaged

Complete 4 mountain climbers, then one press-up.

If you need to - drop to your knees to perform the press-up

 10. Tricep Dip Toe Touch

Start in a reverse plank position with your fingers facing your feet.

Core engaged, lower your arms, keeping your elbows facing straight back behind you, to 90 degrees. You should feel a burn in your triceps. Raise back up, then touch your hand across to your opposite foot, trying as hard as you can to keep your trunk steady.