Be Well Workout of the Week: 7 Pairs of Exercises Guaranteed to Make Your Muscles Scream
For this week’s workout, you’re going to have seven pairs of exercises to work with. You’ll do a set number reps for the first exercise, then one rep (yep: just one rep!) of the second exercise. Then, after that, it gets a little tougher: You’ll repeat the set number of the first exercise, and work up to two reps of the second exercise. Then it’s back to the first exercise again, and three reps of the second exercise in the pair. You’ll repeat this until you complete 5 reps of the second exercise. Your goal is to complete the entire circuit three times.
Ready? You got this!Be Well Workout of the Week: 7 Pairs of Exercises Guaranteed to Make Your Muscles Scream
Instructions: see explanation above.
Pair 1
1 Walk-outs: Start standing, put your hands on the floor and walk your hands out until you’re in a push-up position. (Do push-up/s before walking your hands back in to stand up.)
1-5 Push-ups: 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.
Pair 2
10 Mountain climbers: Get in plank position. Alternating legs, bring your knee into the chest, keeping your upper body strong. Extend leg and switch.
1-5 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.
Pair 3
5 Burpees: 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, hit your chest to the ground, and bring your feet back in, stand up.
1-5 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.
Pair 4
3 Knees-to-elbow hangs: Hanging from pull-up bar, use your abs to bring both knees up to touch (or get as close as you can) your elbows. Release back down.
1-5 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.)
Pair 5
10 (on each side) Alternating weighted punches: Hold weights at your chest, sink into a slight squat. Stay low in a squat, twist left and punch the right weight. Twist right and punch the left weight.
1-5 (on each side) Plank row: In a push-up position with your hands on free weights, row one weight up and back, keeping your hips square to the floor and squeezing your shoulder blade. Lower and repeat on the other side.
Pair 6
10 (on each side) Ab Twists: Sit up, hold weight at your chest, lean back and lift feet off the floor. Twist the weight side to side using your core.
1-5 V-ups: Lie flat on your back with legs outstretched and arms above your head. Sit up, lifting arms and legs and reaching your hands and feet toward the ceiling. Shoulder blades should come off the mat as you reach for your toes. Hold for a beat, then return to the starting position.
Pair 7
5 Bicep curls: Hold dumbbells at your side with palms facing forward. Pretend your elbows are glued to your midsection and curl the weight toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arm still. Slowly return your weight to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
1-5 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.
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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 Tuesday right here on Be Well Philly.
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