Workout 15: Full Body Circuit
1. Simulated Pull-up
- Grab a towel or t-shirt, hold it in both hands, and stand in a squat position.
- Hold the towel out in front of you with your arms extended, and pull on both sides of the t-shirt or towel as hard as you can as if you were trying to rip it.
- As you continue to try to rip the towel or t-shirt, slowly bring your elbows backward as if you were trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- When your hands get as close to your chest as possible, slowly return to the starting position, and repeat until the set is complete. Remember to KEEP trying to rip the towel throughout the entire exercise.
2. Prayer
- Stand upright with your knees slightly bent.
- Place your hands together in a praying position in front of your chest. Your elbows should be pointing out to your sides and your fingers pointing ahead of you while pushing tightly against each other.
- Slowly move your hands outward away from your body so that your arms fully extend while still positioned together and pushing tightly against each other.
- To feel this moment to its highest extent, you want to be pushing your hands together as tightly as you possible. You can try putting a 5 or 10 pound weighted plate between your hands to increase the difficulty.
- Bring your wrists back in toward your chest.
- Stand upright with your knees slightly bent.
- Place your hands together in a praying position in front of your chest. Your elbows should be pointing out to your sides and your fingers pointing ahead of you while pushing tightly against each other.
- Slowly move your hands outward away from your body so that your arms fully extend while still positioned together and pushing tightly against each other.
- To feel this moment to its highest extent, you want to be pushing your hands together as tightly as you possible. You can try putting a 5 or 10 pound weighted plate between your hands to increase the difficulty.
- Bring your wrists back in toward your chest.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet resting flat on the ground hip width apart.
- Place your hands behind your head so that your thumbs are behind your ears.
- Hold your elbows out to the sides and slightly tilted inward.
- Slightly tilt your chin down leaving a few inches of space between your chin and your chest.
- Gently pull your abdominals inward.
- Curl up and forward so that your head, neck, and shoulder blades lift off the ground.
- Hold for a second at the top of the movement and then slowly lower yourself back down.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.
- Lift one leg as you drive your knee up toward your chest and raise your opposite arm. Slightly arch or round your lower back to keep your pelvis stationary and reduce strain on your back.
- Quickly place your foot back on the ground.
- Bring your opposite leg upward in the same motion, driving your knee to your chest, while raising your opposite arm. (This movement is essentially running in place to increase your heart rate).
- Alternate sides.
- Stand upright with your feet a little wider than hip width apart and your toes turned slightly out. If you can, engage your abdominal muscles and broaden your chest by gently pulling your shoulder blades in toward each other.
- Bend your knees slowly, pushing your glutes and hips out and down behind you as if you’re sitting down on a chair. Keep your head and shoulders aligned with your knees and your knees aligned with your ankles.
- Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your knees aligned with your toes (without surpassing them) as you lower yourself as straight down as possible. You can raise your arms up and in front of you (no higher than parallel to the ground) as you lower your body.
- Straighten your legs to come up and squeeze your glutes as you approach the starting position.
- Place your forearms on the ground with your elbows aligned beneath your shoulders. Keep your arms parallel to your body at about shoulder width distance. (You should be in a push-up position, only on your forearms rather than your hands).
- Ground your toes into the floor and squeeze your glutes to stabilize your body. Be careful to not to lock or hyperextend your knees.
- Simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg while pulling in the knee of the left leg.
- Neutralize your neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot in front of your hands. Your head should be in line with your back. Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
- Keep your back flat and hold the position for as long as possible without compromising form.