Be Well Workout of the Week: New Year’s Fitness Test

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A new year is upon us, friends. What a perfect time for resolutions, making positive changes and harnessing your motivation to accomplish all of your goals. Let’s make the first Be Well Workout of 2015 a good one to start your new year of health on the right foot.

Think of this workout as a test to gauge your progress throughout the year. Do it today, record your times/results, and then revisit this workout every few weeks to see how much you have improved.

Check out the full workout below.

Workout of the Week: New Year’s Fitness Test

One-mile cardio (walk, run, bike, elliptical, whatever you want to do): Record the time it takes you to complete the mile.

One-minute rounds of the following exercises: Record how many reps you complete in a minute of each exercise.

• Squat jumps (or squats if you are just starting out)
• Push-ups
• Jump rope jumps (or jumping jacks)
• Sit-ups
• Lunge jumps (or regular alternating lunges)
• Pull-ups (or rows with a band if no pull-up bar)
• Toe taps on step
• Ski jumpers (or lateral lunges)
• Squat with overhead press
• Plank (record how many of the 60 seconds you’re able to hold your plank)

Explanation of exercises

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.

Jump rope jumps: Jump with two feet using a jump rope, as fast as you can.

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.

Pull-ups: Suspend yourself on the pull-up bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up, keeping your body as straight as possible, until your chest reaches the bar. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. (If you’re struggling with pull-ups, try these alternatives instead.)

Toe taps on step: Stand facing a step. In one fluid, continuous motion, tap your left toes on the step then switch and tap your right toes. Pump your arms for stability and momentum.

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.

Squat with overhead press: Hold free weights at your shoulders, and do a squat. As you stand back up, press the weights over your head.  Return them to your shoulders as you squat back down.

Plank: Get in push-up position, resting on your elbows; keep back, hips, and legs in a straight line. Hold.

» For more Be Well Philly workouts, go 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 Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

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