Hi friends!!! Hope the holidays are treating you all well...I personally have been grubbing like a little piggie, but loving every minute of it! I feel like it gave me fuel for the awesome workouts I've recently been having. Like I said previously, I wanted to find creative alternatives to some of my normal exercises in order to make my workouts more fun and inspiring.
Surprisingly, leg day is my least favorite day. Very rarely will I dedicate an entire workout to strictly legs, which is why I try to incorporate leg exercises in between some of my other workouts. For this post I've put together a mixture of combinations that pretty much target your entire body. You could shove some of these combos into your routines or put them all together for a high energy total body workout. My main inspiration for these combinations was the intention to target my biceps, triceps, shoulders, and back. However there are also some leg and core work thrown into the mix. Hope this inspires you to jump start your workouts...after all the new year is right around the corner.
ALL-OVER ARM WARM UP
This first video demonstrates a total of 5 different arm exercises done consecutively for 10 reps each. The amount of sets can be determined, depending on what you're looking to achieve, but for this specific workout I did 3 sets.
Workout #1 - Targets shoulders...also great for tightening up that unwanted underarm flab.
Workout #2 - Targets shoulders, biceps, and triceps...gives the round boulder shoulder look.
Workout #3 - Targets triceps and back...definitely great for tightening up tough areas.
Workout #4 - Targets biceps...the standard bicep curl gives my shoulders a small break.
Workout #5 - Targets shoulders...this also helps strengthen the traps and neck muscles.
JUMP SQUAT WARM UP
During this workout I wanted something that would raise my heart rate and add some versatility to my arm routine. This workout combines resistance bands, a medicine ball, and a jump squat, but with a twist. I alternated my jumping to add further difficulty, challenging me to keep my core engaged and stable. I completed a total of 5 sets for this exercise...using it as a break move in between my other arm workouts. You could also raise the medicine ball above your head or do alternating lunges if you're looking to switch it up.
ARMS, LEGS, & BALANCE
I must warn and say this next exercise is a bit difficult...I encourage you to try, but know that it will be harder if you're not comfortable with normal push ups. Try placing your hands closer together during your push ups and see how challenging that is for you because it is very similar to the position you will be in and how your body would feel during this workout. Also, I added a little leg kick up to engage the hamstrings and glutes. I didn't count how many reps or sets I did for this workout as I just kept going until failure and squeezed in a set wherever I could.
SHOULDER COMBO
Now for this exercise I would recommend first trying it with weights you consider light. Here I am using 10 lb dumbbells and I was absolutely burnt out by the end of my set. It was once I got to the normal shoulder press where things started to get difficult, but keep pushing through!!! This is a great exercise for targeting back, shoulders, biceps, and even chest. You will be sore for sure after a few sets of these!
Make sure to keep your back from curving...to help prevent this tuck your butt under and absorb with your knees. This will help remove unwanted tension from your back (particularly the lower back region) as well as help support during lifting overhead.
TRICEP COMBO
Besides my biceps, triceps are my favorite area to workout. I love all tricep exercises and figured out a great combo that drives focus right to the back of the arm. This move also incorporates the back muscles during the row motion, but then turns attention back to the tri's once you begin with the extended arm movement. I normally do 10 reps of each exercise for a total of 5 sets. Want to talk about sore...sometimes after I haven't done this workout for a while, I will get so sore I can't even bend my arms to a 90-degree angle. Definitely worth a try.
BICEP COMBO
Sitting around too long in between sets? Turn your breaks into productiveness by combing a wall sit with a bicep curl!!! It's super easy and really helps build great definition and strength in the biceps. Plus you're giving your legs a great workout too! Again weight can vary depending on your comfort level...I'm using the 10 lbs. For this exercise you want to think about control and really try to feel the bicep muscle being engaged. I would probably do anywhere between 10 and 20 reps per arm for this workout, which would be determined by how much weight I planned on curling.
SHOULDER PRESS COMBO
A slight tweak to the normal shoulder press by adding a bit of an inward rotation when the arms are in the bent position. This tightens underarm areas as well as chest muscles, which will ultimately help with cleavage and even breast perkiness. You can do the exercise seated or standing. Sometimes seated helps with form as the bench provides support to keep the back straight where as standing involves the core because you have to work harder to keep the back from curving. For this workout I'm using 20 lb dumbbells.
TRICEP PUSH UPS
Looking for a way to burn out at the end of your workouts? Well this is the exercise for you...using fairly light dumbbells (weight should be heavy enough where you feel engaged during the row, but light enough to be able to perform continuous repetitions...I'm using 20 lb dumbbells) combine a standard triceps push up with a triceps row. I open my legs to shoulder width for added stability during the row motion and try to get down deep in my push up, taking full advantage of being slightly lifted from the dumbbells. Sometimes I will count my reps or sets for this exercise, but during this workout I didn't...I just went until I couldn't go anymore.
Keep finding inspiration in your daily surroundings and push yourself just a little further when you think you're body is going to give out....I guarantee you it is most likely your mind whispering "YOU CAN'T", while you're body is hungry for more. Listen to your body not your head. Focus on your breathing as well, this always helps center me and keeps me fighting.
"There are no shortcuts. Work hard, be patient, consistent, and NEVER give up!"
Enjoy the rest of your holidays!!! More fitness and holiday inspiration to come!!!!!!!!!!