12 moves to tone the legs, shape the arms and pump the heart!
Hey hey hey! Wow, whatta week. You know those days where you have 500 zillion things running through your mind and you can’t seem to find time to write one thought down or accomplish a single task? Well that’s been my week. We’ve all been there.
Tuesday was especially one of those days for me and when I got done with work all I wanted to do was go for a run. My back and legs were super tight, my mind was racing and I needed something to loosen me up and clear my head.
It was supposed to be #LegDay but instead I listened to my body and went for a run and had a killer workout. Sometimes we get so into our routines we forget to listen to our bodies. I’m especially guilty of this because I love routine (like seriously we did Gallup’s Strength Finder test at work last week and my number one strength was Discipline, meaning I love order and I stick to a routine. I’ll get into that more later.)
Seriously though, Monday Insanity, Tuesday HIIT, Wednesday Day Off… you get the picture. But I can’t tell you how good it felt to break the routine and do what I knew my body needed.
I challenge you this week to do something out of your routine, whether it be a new workout class, a day off or meditation (like how I threw that one in there 😏! ) I promise it will feel refreshing.
Now onto this beast of a workout. I’m nervous just looking at it.
Who’s done the 12 days of Christmas workouts? Yep, this one’s just like it expect we can do it all year around! Here’s how it works: you’ll perform each move for indicated number of reps, building as you move down the list. Start with move #1 (Standing Mountain Climbers) and perform the move for 12 reps. Then perform move #1 again (Standing Mountain Climbers) and add move #2 (Tricep Extensions) for 11 reps. Then you’ll do it again, 12 reps of Standing Mountain Climbers, 11 reps of Tricep Extensions then add 10 reps of Squat Jacks, you’ll repeat until you get all the way down to Move #12 Inch Worm.
Get it?
You’ll be alternating cardio moves with strengths moves, so we’ll be working the whole body. Tonin’ the legs, shapin’ the arms and pumpin’ the heart all at the same time!
All you need is a pair of heavy and light dbells and mat. Ready. Set. Go!
CARDIO STRENGTH PYRAMID WORKOUT
Equipment: light dbells, heavy dbells, mat
Warm-up: 5 minutes (light jog, speed walk, jump rope)
Move #1 – 12 Reps – Standing Mountain Climbers – lift right knee and extend left arm in air. Pull left arm down (like you’re pulling yourself up a rock wall). Once right foot hits ground, bring left knee up and right arm extended. Pull right arm down and repeat alternating legs (it’s like high knees, but add arm movement)
Move #2 – 11 Reps – Tricep Extensions – standing with heavy dbells in both hands, palms facing and overhead, lower dbells behind head, down to base of neck. Keep elbows in close to temples and back so you can’t see them in your peripheral vision. Squeeze triceps to lift dbells back to starting position. Repeat.
Move #3 – 10 Reps – Squat Jacks – with feet together and arms straight overhead, jump feet out into jumping jack position, while moving your body into a wide squat stance, (hips back, butt down, chest up, core tight), move arms down to sides while squat position. Hold for 1 second and drive out of heels to jump feet together, returning to standing position and arms back overhead. Repeat.
Move #4 – 9 Reps – Thrusters (squat + shoulder press) – holding heavy dbells in hands, palms facing and dbells at shoulder height, squat down, keeping dbells at shoulders. Then stand and press dbells overhead. Bring dbells back down to shoulders and go right into another squat. Let the weight of the dbells bring you down and resist at the bottom of the squat.
Move #5 – 8 Reps – Switch Kicks – with body slightly back, core tight and glutes squeezed. Kick right leg out and then immediately kick with left. Repeat alternating legs.
Move #6 – 7 Reps – Hammer Curls – with heavy dbells in hand, palms facing, lift dbells up to shoulder height by squeezing biceps. Keep elbows still and right underneath your shoulder. Resist on the way down and repeat. (do not swing!)
Move #7 – 6 Reps – Burpees – from standing position, bring hands to ground and hop legs back, so that your body is in high plank position. Hop legs back into hands and jump into air. Driving from the bottom.
Move #8 – 5 Reps – Dbell Flys – with dbells in hand, palms facing, hinge at hips (eyes on ground) and slightly bend knees. Pull core in tight to protect back. With arms straight, squeeze shoulder blades together in the back (like you’re squeezing a tennis ball in between your shoulder blades). Lift dbells up to body height and then lower them back down to starting. Try and keep you body as still as possible, using only your shoulders to lift.
Move #9 – 4 Reps – Speed Skaters – from standing position, hop right leg behind left and perform a curtsey lunge. Touch ground with right hand and then explode out of left leg jumping right and swing left leg behind right, performing a curtsey lunge. Touch ground with left hand. Repeat.
Move #10 – 3 Reps – Pushups – with hands outside shoulders, back flat and butt down, squeeze your body tight. Lower body by bringing elbows wide and squeezing shoulder blades together in the back. Once arms are at 90 degrees, press through the heel of the hand and squeeze the chest to lift body back to starting position. Repeat.
Move #11 – 2 Reps – Jumping Jacks – just the regular old jack. From standing position, bring hands overhead, and feet out (heels down), then bring hands come down by sides and just feet in. Repeat.
Move #12 – 1 Rep – Inch Worm – from standing position, fold body in half and walk arms on floor so that body is in high plank position. Hold for 1 second, then walk arms back into body and stand.11
Let’s do it! 💪🏿