Be Well Workout of the Week: Your New Favorite Countdown Workout


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This week’s workout is about to be your new favorite workout — promise. Here’s the deal: You’re going to start with 21 reps of the seven exercises listed below, then work your way down by three reps to 18 reps of each, and then to 15, then 12, 9, and so on until you’ve done three reps of each exercise. And then you’re done! Who doesn’t love a workout that gets easier as you go? Good luck!

Be Well Workout of the Week: Your New Favorite Countdown Workout

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Reverse lunges (on each side)
Chest flies (using weights, band, or TRX trainers)
Ski jumpers
Lunge rows (using weights, band, or TRX trainers)
Dead lifts
Bicylcle crunches (on each side)
Plié squats

 Explanation of exercises
*Click links below for video how-tos.

Reverse lunge: Start standing upright with your feet together. Take a wide step backward with one foot, sitting down into your hips and bracing your core. Push with your lead leg to return to center. (Do these faster by alternating your arms as you would when you run.)

Chest fly: Lying on your back (it’s easiest on a bench), hold a weight in each hand with arms up over your chest. Drop arms to the sides until they are straight out from your shoulders and raise them back up, contracting in your chest.

Ski jumpers: Start in a skier’s stance (like a squat, but bent forward at the waist slightly). Using your arms for momentum, jump up and to the left, landing on both feet. Jump to the right. Repeat.

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.

Dead lift: Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and dumbbells in hands. Bend knees slightly and lean forward with your arms moving towards the ground, until your back is at a table-top position. Slowly return to the starting position.

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.

Plié squats: Standing with feet a little further than hip width apart, turn your feet out and do a squat.

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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.

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