Are you still beating down the treadmill for 30 minutes of cardio before going through a rote series of glute kickbacks, leg lifts and biceps curls, only to still be disappointed by your results?
Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Skip the gym slog, and rev your metabolism with these six simple exercises. Perform each move for one minute, moving immediately to the next exercise. Rest for two minutes after you complete the first round, then repeat the circuit two more times. In less than 25 minutes you’ll feel strong, confident and ready to tackle the rest of your day.
1. Pushup burpees
Stand tall with your feet about hip distance apart. Crouch down, placing your palms on the ground just in front of your feet, directly under your shoulders. Engage your core, and hop your feet back into a full plank position, forming a straight line from head to heels. Perform a full pushup (or drop your knees to the ground to do a modified pushup) by bending your elbows and lowering your chest toward the ground. Press yourself back to a high plank, hop your feet back to their starting position, and jump up into the air, reaching your arms over your head. As you land, be sure to land “soft” on the balls of your feet, with your knees and hips slightly bent to help absorb impact before you transfer your weight back to your heels to perform another burpee.
Continue the exercise for 60 seconds.
2. Squat press
Grab a pair of dumbbells, and hold one in each hand. Position your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart, toes angled slightly outward. Bend your elbows, and curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders so your palms are facing each other — this is the starting position.
With your weight on your heels, tip your hips back, and bend your knees, lowering your butt toward the floor as you squat down. Make sure your knees remain in alignment with your toes without extending in front of your toes. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, press through your heels, and return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement. Once you’re standing, immediately press your arms directly over your head, extending your elbows. Carefully reverse the movement, and return the dumbbells to shoulder height.
Continue the exercise for 60 seconds.
More:Use power poses to boost confidence with this workout
3. Twisting mountain climbers
Start in a high plank position on the ground, your palms positioned beneath your shoulders, your legs extended and your core tight. Pick your right foot up off the ground, and bend your right knee, drawing it up and across your body toward your left elbow as you crunch and twist your torso, engaging your abdominals. Immediately hop your foot back to its starting position as you simultaneously draw your left knee up and across your body toward your right elbow. Continue alternating feet, performing the twisting mountain climber as fast as you can.
Continue the exercise for 60 seconds.
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