BeWOW: Total-Body Cardio and Conditioning Workout
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This week, your workout is going hit your entire body, with strength-training exercises and cardio to boot.
You’ll tackle a circuit of six different exercises, as outlined below. At the end of the circuit, you’ll do 100 jumps with a jump rope. (If you don’t have a jump rope, do jumping jacks.) Your goal is to complete the circuit, top to bottom, five times through.
A couple of optional tweaks: If you do not know how to do kettlebell swings (video tutorial below), you can always just do squats. For the one legged squats, you’ll need a bench or a chair: Do your squat with one leg raised, sit until your butt taps the bench, then stand right back up. And if you’re just starting out and five rounds is too much, try two or three rounds and build up from there.
Good luck!
BeWOW: Total-Body Conditioning Circuit
30 kettlebell swings
25 bicycle crunch (on each side)
20 lateral lunges (10 on each side)
15 lunge row (on each side)
10 burpees
5 single-leg squats (on each side)
Cardio: 100 jump-rope jumps
Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for video how-tos.
Kettlebell swings: Standing with feet about hip-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of you both both hands. Bend your knees into a squat, swinging the kettlebell back through your legs as you drop down and forward to about shoulder height as you stand. Repeat in a fluid motion.
Bicycle crunch: Lie on your back in sit-up position: feet on floor, knees bent, hands behind the head to support the neck. Lift your feet off the floor, extend your left leg to straighten, and twist your torso as you touch your left elbow to right knee. Draw the left leg in as you push the right leg out, and twist the other direction, touching your right elbow to left knee. Repeat by alternating sides in a fluid motion.
Lateral lunge: Standing with feet together, step to the side in a lunge, making sure your knee doesn’t bend past your toe. Return to standing and lunge on the other side.
Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row a weight with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.
Burpee: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, lower to the ground, bring your feet back in, and stand up.
Single-leg squat: Stand in front of a bench with feet hip width. Raise your arms in front of you (think Frankenstein) for balance. Raise the left foot off the ground. Squat with the right leg, keeping the left foot off the ground. Tap the bench with your butt, then stand back up. Do all reps on one leg, then switch legs.
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