Be Well Workout of the Week: Work Your Muscles from Top to Bottom
This workout is going to make you feel the burn all over, alternating between challenging your upper body and your lower body with a kettlebell, a resistance band and your body weight. Here’s the plan: You’ll do two lower-body exercises, and then two upper-body exercises, repeating this pattern throughout the circuit. Then, we’ll end it all with some planks and some wall squats. Your goal is to complete the circuit all the way through three times. You got this!
Be Well Workout of the Week: Work Your Muscles from Top to Bottom
Instructions: Complete circuit three times.
20 kettlebell swings
10 squat thrusts with high pull
20 seated resistance band rows
10 resistance band bicep curls
20 plié squat jumps
10 knee drives
20 resistance band chest flies
10 resistance band tricep extensions
1-minute plank
1-minute wall squat
45-second plank
45-second wall squat
Explanations of exercises:
Click links for how-to videos.
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.
Squat thrust with high pull: Holding the kettlebell, squat down until the bell reaches the floor. Press hard into the bell and jump your feet back to a strong high-plank position. Don’t let your hips sag. Then jump your back in wider then the bell and with a flat back, lift your chest and stand up, lifting the bell and driving your elbows high.
Seated resistance band rows: Sitting on the floor with legs together and straight out in front of you, loop a resistance band around your feet and hold one end in each hand. Starting with arms extended in front of you, pull your elbows straight back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Extend arms slowly to return to the starting position.
Resistance band bicep curls: Stand with the resistance band looped under your feet, band handles in each hand at your side with palms facing forward. Pretend your elbows are glued to your midsection and curl the handles of the resistance band toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still. Slowly return your weights to the starting position.
Plié squat jumps: Standing with feet a little further than hip width apart, turn your feet out and do a squat. Instead of standing to return to the starting position, spring upward with your feet, jumping in the air. Land in the starting position and repeat.
Knee drives: Start in a lunge with your right foot forward and your left leg behind you. Press into your right foot, driving your left knee up towards your chest as you move into a standing position. Return your left foot to the floor in one fluid motion. Do all reps on the right, then on the left.
Resistance band chest flies: Loop your resistance band around something sturdy (a pole, for instance) at chest height, and standing facing away from the band, grab each handle of the band. Standing with your feet staggered and keep your arms raised to the side at chest height, pull the band handles forward, allowing your hands to meet at your chest. Slowly return to start and repeat.
Resistance band tricep extensions: Standing with your feet hip-width apart and slightly staggered, loop the resistance band under one foot. Holding a handle in each hand, raise your arms so that your biceps are framing your head and your hands are together behind your head. Extend your forearms up straight overhead. Return to start and repeat.
Plank: Get in push-up position, resting on your elbows; keep back, hips, and legs in a straight line. Hold.
Wall squat: Do a squat (legs forming a 90-degree angle) with your back against a wall. Hold.
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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.
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