Being a busy college student, I realize paying for a gym membership on a budget is sometimes unrealistic. If you're lucky, your school gives you a free gym pass to their rec center, but usually their hours of operation don't match up with your schedule. That doesn't mean you can't still get in a good workout! The following is a fast, easy, and effective workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home. No equipment needed, but I would recommend investing in a good yoga mat. It gives you a surface that provides cushion and traction for particular floor exercises. Plus it's a cute way to bring the gym feel to your home.
Before you begin any workout, you always want to make sure to warm up your muscles. Doing some static stretches will get your heart pumping and loosen your muscles. Here's a quick 5 minute warm-up for those of you who need inspiration:
30 seconds: swing arms open and shut while stepping side to side to open up your chest
30 seconds: reach opposite arm to toe keeping your arms long and loose
30 seconds: (right leg) stand in a hamstring stretch position and swoop arms down towards toes
30 seconds: repeat on left leg
1 minute: alternating lunges with a side twist down the hall, across the room, wherever works
30 seconds: jump rope (you don't actually need a jump rope just rotate your wrist as if you had one)
30 seconds: jumping jacks
30 seconds: squat jumps (if this is too difficult just do rapid squats)
30 seconds: quick high knees in place
Now that you are properly warmed up and ready to go it's time to start the workout! When you are doing workouts on a time limit, it is important to watch the amount of time you are spending on each set rather than the reps you get in. I would recommend getting a stop watch, nothing fancy just something you can watch your seconds on. This workout is set up for 4- fast sets of five different activities. Totaling up to 20 minutes, leaving you with 5 minutes for a good cool down.
**Repeat the below workout four times, doing just one minute of each category and leaving 1 minute in between for rest. Remember the key to an effective, fast workout is to push yourself on everything you do. Just think, it's only 20 minutes!
1 minute --> Pushups (Each set try to vary the position of your hands so that you are working different arm musles: wide, narrow, etc. It is okay to go to your knees if needed, as long as you keep your abs, hips and chest aligned and in tight, lowering your chest all the way to the ground each time.)
1 minute --> Squats (Squats get you the booty. Use proper form, keep your knees behind your toes, chest up. For each set try to vary your squats. You could do wide leg-plie squats to work your inner thighs, double squats when you squat low for two and then stand, rapid squats, squat jumps, you get the picture. Make sure to focus on squeezing your glutes throughout the entire squat motion.)
1 minute --> Abs/Core (There are hundreds of different exercises that work your abs and core. I would choose a different exercise for each set of abs you do. Ones that I find really burn are bicycle crunches, double crunches {extending both arms and legs and then crunching them together at the same time}, v-ups, russian twists, and full sit-ups.)
1 minute --> Cardio
- First Time Through: Mountain Climbers
- Second Time Through: Burpees
- Third Time Through: High knees
- Fourth Time Through: Speed Jumping Jacks
After you complete the workout, make sure to stretch and calm your breathing. Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Re-hydrate and nourish your body and you are good to go! Hopefully you are sweating like a monster and feeling like a boss when you're done :)
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