Girls' Weekend Part 3

Okay!  Now that we are on the other side of Thanksgiving and Black Friday it's the perfect time to pick up on the recap of our Girl's Weekend.  For those of you who, like me, went a little overboard with the yams last week and feel the need to burn a few extra calories, this is definitely the post for you!

My sister, Marci is very dedicated and knowledgeable when it comes to fitness.  For her class at our weekend together she walked us through this awesome (and intense) workout.  Try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed!  If your not wearing your workout clothes right now, (What?!  You weren't hangin' out in your yoga pants all day waiting for this post!) print it off and try it when your feeling motivated.

Marci's Class:

Before getting started here's what will be used for this workout:

- 2 sets hand weights 5-12 lbs
-1 yoga ball
-your "game face"

The first and most  important part of the workout (said in your best sport's announcer's voice).....

"ARE YOU READY?!?"

Now that you are starting to get excited, find some fun music to get you going.  (This is what we listened to.  Love it!  My favorites are "Long Way to Run", "You Wear Flowers," "Call my Name" and "Wandering.")

Okay, no more messing around.  Let's get to work!

Warm-up with light cardio for 3-5 mins

This is a circuit-type workout.  So, there are four different stations.  At each station/circuit the following pattern is repeated: 

Cardio, Strength, Abs.

Circuit 1
cardio: mountain climbers 2 mins.
strength: walking lunge holding 5-10 lb. weights 2mins.
abs: laying on your back, hold the exercise ball between legs, lift and lower legs as close to the ground as possible, keeping legs as straight as you can. 25 reps.

Circuit 2
cardio: squat down, roll onto your back, roll back up to squat and  jump to standing. (repeat for 2mins)
strength: squats with overhead press holding 5-10 lb weights. (repeat for 2mins)
abs: Jane Fonda leg lifts (lying on side lift and lower legs) 25 reps. each side (or to failure)

Circuit 3
cardio: jumping jacks 2mins
strength: push-ups 2 mins.
abs: with legs on exercise ball lie down holding a 5lb. weight above head with straight arms. In four counts sit up and then reach for toes. In 4 counts lie back down until arms are above head again. 25 reps (or to failure)

Circuit 4
cardio: start in low squat position with hands on the floor in front of your feet, jump feet back to plank position. Jump back to low squat position and then come up to standing. (repeat for 2mins)
strength: triceps dips on low chair for 1min.   Change to Traditional Bicep curls holding one 8-12 lb. weight in each hand (repeat for 1min)
abs: bicycle (lying on back raise head off floor, bring elbow across torso to opposite knee and quickly alternate elbow to opposite knee. 25 reps. (or to failure)

Finish with Buns bridge series
Throughout this bridge series keep your buns off the ground! Lower between sets.

lying on back raise and lower hips in two counts squeezing buns 8 reps
raise hips as high as you can, do small pulses to the ceiling 8 reps
keeping hips raised open and close legs 8 reps
continue with hips raised do three pulses to the ceiling 8 reps.

Repeat through 2-3 times.

Cool-down with stretching 3-5 mins.

This 30 min workout (approx) will work every major muscle group in your body. 

The day after Marci taught us this workout, walking down the stairs was like this for me: step, "ouch!", step, "ouch!", step, "ouch!", step, "ouch!"  (repeated for 2 mins or to failure).

Sympathetically, Kedar asked me, "Where do you hurt?"

"Well," I answered slowly as a assessed my sore body, "my fingers, toes and eyebrows feel just fine."