BeWOW: The Best Pre-Holiday Workout Ever
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Christmas is just about here!! The time for family, fun, baking and eating. To combat some of the extra deliciousness you’ll be eating over the next few days, give your workouts a big, calorie-burning boost. Here’s a great workout to help burn off some extra holiday cheer.
BeWOW: The Best Pre-Holiday Workout Ever
Repeat the follow circuit four times, top to bottom, for a total of 100 reps of each exercise and a full mile sprint.
.25 mile sprint (on the treadmill, elliptical, bike, or outside)
25 squat jumps
25 push-ups
25 skiers (left and right is one rep)
25 sit-ups
25 lunge jumps
25 dips
25 ab twists
25 dead lifts
25 bicep curls
25 overhead press
Squat jumps: Stand with feet hip-width apart and perform a squat, dropping your rear until your knees are just behind your toes and your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. As you stand, propel yourself upwards and jump. Return to standing and squat again.
Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.
Skiers: Start standing with feet together. Jump to the right, land on right foot, left foot goes behind you. Push off your right foot to jump left and land on left foot, right foot goes behind you.
Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.
Lunge jumps: Start standing with feet together and step forward with the left leg into a lunge, bending knee to about 90 degrees. Jump as you stand back up and switch legs before you land, so your right leg is forward. Lunge again, then jump, putting your left leg forward, and so forth. Left and right counts as one.
Tricep dips: Sit on a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge, fingers forward. Scoot your butt off the edge and walk your feet out a few steps. Drop your body and bend your elbows until they’re at 90 degrees. Push yourself back up until your arms are extended all the way.
Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly and use your abs to twist side to side.
Dead lifts with dumbbells: Hold dumbbells with arms extended down so they’re resting on your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping shoulders back and abs tight (and without locking your knees), bend at the hips and let the weights lower towards the floor, going as far as you can without bending your knees too much. Drive your heels in to the floor and stand to return to the starting position.
Bicep curls: Hold dumbbells at your side with palms facing forward. Pretend your elbows are glued to your midsection and curl the weights toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still. Slowly return your weights to the starting position.
Overhead press: Holding a pair of free weights at your shoulders with your palms facing forward, press the weights up over your head. Return the weights to your shoulders and repeat.
>> Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.
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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 week right here on Be Well Philly.
