Posts Tagged skipping rope

The Bodyweight Training Galore Workout

The whole point of this blog is to give informative articles about fitness, nutrition, and to design my own short tough workouts that build strength, tone the muscles, and burn off stubborn fat. Occasionally though, I feel I do have to go over the 30 minutes.

This workout took me around fifty minutes, and I’m feeling its positive effects today in two sore buttocks, a tight back, tender triceps, and aching abdominals.

The weights are optional for the squats, but weight are needed for the dead lift. Adding weights makes each exercise harder. Take a minute between each exercise if you need it. These moves draw out perspiration and require healthy lung power, so therefore the moves dry the throat easily.

Equipment Needed:

  • Mat
  • Stability ball
  • Weights 30-80kg
  • Skipping rope (optional)

The Workout:

Start off with 3-5 minutes of jump rope or jogging on the spot to warm the muscles.

  • Twenty normal press-ups, twenty squat thrusts, and twenty star jumps, without taking a break, followed by twenty sit-ups on the stability ball.
  • Nineteen weighted squats. Feet hip width apart, and try to squat down slowly rather than rush the move. Really work those buttock muscles. After several you will feel the ache. Nineteen sit-ups on the stability ball.
  • Eighteen dead lifts. Feet close together. Suck in the abdominals. Reach for the weight and pull up to stomach. Do not curl the back, rather stand up naturally. Follow the weight down keeping the back straight and bend the knees slightly until you feel a pull in the hamstring and buttock areas. Eighteen sit-ups on the stability ball.
  • Seventeen wide press-ups. Widen the hands as far as possible and perform seventeen. Straight onto seventeen squat thrusts, and seventeen star jumps, followed by seventeen sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Sixteen weighted squats, but widen the legs slightly. Sixteen sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Fifteen dead lifts followed by fifteen sit ups on stability ball.
  • Fourteen diamond shaped press-ups, followed by fourteen squat thrusts, fourteen star jumps, and fourteen sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Thirteen weighted squats feet closer together, followed by thirteen sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Twelve dead lifts, followed by twelve sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Eleven normal press-ups, followed by eleven squat thrusts, eleven star jumps, and eleven sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Ten weighted squats, feet wider, followed by ten sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Nine dead lifts, followed by nine sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Eight wide press-ups, followed by eight squat thrusts, eight star jumps, and eight sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Seven weighted squats, feet close together, followed by, you guessed it, seven sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Six dead lifts, followed by sit-ups on ball.
  • Five diamond shaped press-ups, followed by five squat thrusts, five star jumps, and five sit-ups on ball.
  • Four weighted squats, feet wider. Four sit-ups on stability ball.
  • Three dead lifts. Three sit-ups on ball.
  • Two normal press-ups, two squat thrusts, two star jumps, and two sit-ups on stability ball.
  • One weighted squat, feet closer, followed by one last sit-up on stability ball.

Try to perform the moves without taking a break before the sit-ups. Performing sit-ups on a stability ball works on core strength because it requires some effort to remain on the ball and perform the exercise. There are a wide array of activities to perform on a stability ball, more of which I’ll discuss another time.

Be sure to eat protein rich food 30-60 minutes after the workout. If you can, try to go from five to one without taking a break to really stress the muscles. The physical act of lifting the weight, even for only one rep still stresses the muscles, and will help then grow back stronger – with the right nutrition.

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Killer Circuit

This short workout is timed three minutes for each separate sequence. Boxing, skipping, and weight training incorporates to provide the body with a thorough workout.

Equipment Needed

  • Mat
  • Medicine ball
  • Boxing gloves and bag
  • 10-20kg dumbells
  • Stability ball
  • Skipping rope

The Workout

  • Jump rope for three minutes to warm up the muscles.
  • Do alternate punches to the heavy bag for three minutes. Try not to take a break, and if you do stay on your toes to keep the heart rate high. Throw upper cuts, jabs, and straight punches.
  • Sit on stability ball and grab your medicine ball. Perform three minutes of sit-ups slowly. If you struggle with the last minute and a half, transfer the sit-ups to the mat. Remember to exhale as you rise, and inhale when you drop your shoulders. This will hurt but will build strong abdominals. Alternatively, do sit-ups against the heavy bag and punch the bag with each crunch.
  • Pick up your weights and perform three minutes of weighted squats. Try to perform the exercise slowly to really work the buttock and thigh muscles.
  • Rest hands on mat and position feet closely on stability ball. Dip down into a press-up and then pull the ball in with your feet. This is a hard move but try to perform twelve. It strengthens core strength, works on balance, and tones the calves, back, and arms.
  • That’s one round. Try to perform two of the same circuit.

This workout will take on average 25 minutes. Take a rest in between each move for 30 seconds to one minute.  I really was sore the next day after this short workout.

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Burn Fat in 15 Minutes

This tough workout is so effective. It gets the heart pumping, burns fat, and builds important lean muscle tissue. This short circuit has no rests, which keeps the heart pumping and burns calories.

Equipment required

  • Stability ball
  • Medicine ball
  • Skipping rope
  • Exercise mat

The workout

  • Skip for 4-5 minutes to warm up the muscles.
  • Perform thirty high jumps non-stop to work the heart. This requires mental strength to perform the exercise correctly. Try to jump to waist height. Motivate yourself with mantras.
  • Grab your medicine ball and jump on the stability ball. Roll the ball over your abs and push the medicine ball over your head. Perform 20-30 non-stop.
  • These are tough. Press-ups on a stability ball. Place your hands on the exercise mat, your feet on the stability ball. Steadily push down into press-up position without your legs falling off stability ball. Raise up and then pull your legs in to your chest slowly on the ball, then push out again. That’s one rep. Try to do 5-10. These are very tough but work effectively to tone the core muscles.
  • Perform thirty squat thrusts to further kill the arm muscles after press-ups.
  • Do 20-30 tricep dips on the stability ball. If you can hold your legs out straight for a harder burn or keep the knees bent for an effective exercise.
  • To finish off, perform 20-30 squats. Place your hands behind your head and squat down so that your thighs are parallel with your feet. Keep the back straight and feel the burn in your thighs and buttocks.

How’s that for a short, intensive, fat burning, muscle building workout?

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Music is my motivation

After several weeks of not carrying out my short little workouts due to stresses at home, writers block, and pretty much feeling out of sorts with myself, I today finally set off to the gym with a mission in mind…to get sweaty in less than thirty minutes.

This workout took a little over 30 minutes including stretches afterward. It was tough, probably because I have not performed body weight training for a short while. When I pressed play on my iPod it was almost red (red when running out green when full battery power) and I hate working out with no music. Music is my motivator. Anyhow, weirdly the music stayed on. I had Eye of the Tiger, Heart’s on Fire, Creeps, bit of Bobby Brown, K Klass and a few other funky tunes and the best one of all, Take me to the Hospital by The Prodigy, my fav group.

This little workout can be performed at home or the gym.

Items required:

  • Skipping rope
  • Boxing gloves
  • Punch bag
  • Mat
  • Medicine ball

The Workout

  • First off, start with a little skipping for three minutes. Pick out a funky track and skip non stop. Finally finish with ten double unders if you can.
  • If you’re at the gym and you have a punch bag to hand, put on your boxing gloves and perform jabs, uppercuts, and straight jabs at the punch bag. Remember to keep your guard up and when the arms are fatigued stay on the balls of your feet to keep the heart rate up. Time yourself for three minutes or a short song length. If you do not have a punch bag perform three minutes of shadow boxing. With the sit-ups, throw punches with every crunch.
  • Grab your mat beside the punch bag and try your best to raise your body and punch the bag with every sit-up. After a minute or two the abs will start to ache heavily. Use a mantra to push yourself through the pain. Your abs will thank you for it with strength and burn off fat.
  • Take a minute break. Grab your barbell or free weights and perform thirty weighted squats. Push the weight into the ankles and keep the back straight. Your back should not feel any strain, only your buttocks. Perform it in front of a mirror to view your posture.
  • Thirty chest presses with 10-40 kg if you can.
  • Grab your mat again and perform thirty press-ups on an incline to make it that little bit tougher, just like I love it.
  • Straight into thirty squat thrusts.
  • Grab a medicine ball and pick it up while in the squat position and use your arms to pull it slightly over your head. Keep the arms slightly bent and keep the back straight as you bring it back down and perform twenty.
  • Using the medicine ball again start off in the middle and bring the medicine ball up to the right of your head, slightly using your torso to twist to the right but keep your body facing the front. Perform one on the right and then the left. Try to perform twenty on each side.
  • Perform thirty high jumps non-stop.
  • Use the medicine ball and holding your arms out slightly bring the medicine ball as fast as possible to your left hip and then swivel it to you right. Perform twenty on each side. Boxers usually work with a partner on this and throw it backwards after spinning it round and then picking it up from the right side to spin to the left again. This works the oblique and hip muscles.
  • At this time, Hearts on Fire from Rocky came on so I had to skip to this motivating music. I skipped non-stop for four minutes and finished off with ten double unders.
  • I grabbed the medicine ball and performed twenty side bends.
  • Finished with twenty lunges on each leg holding the medicine ball straight to tire the arms. After the twenty I pulsed my legs for another ten lunges to kill my leg.
  • Finally stretch out the legs and arms.

Drink plenty of fluid throughout. This workout uses body weight exercises, cardio, and works the entire body. Eat well afterward and rest for a day or two before another workout. Give the muscles time to grow stronger.

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