Badass Fitness

From 'Bad Donkey' to Badass...

This is a blog about Austin and little Sal and Ellie and Ava and Jacqueline. This is a blog about the youngest recruits in the Badass Army. This is a blog about  "Bad Donkeys" on their way to "Badass."

Some of them are still too small to fit on an indoor cycling bike or hold a Resist-a-Ball. But they're proving the power of fitness and health at any age.

This month, I watched little Sal work his way through my entire 45-minute TRX class. I watched Ava turn the TRX into a rope climb and use Bosus as an obstacle course of little trampolines. Later that day, she told the ladies at the nail salon that she just got done "working out." Jacqueline, not even old enough for preschool, pulled on the IndoRow alongside her mom. Austin, 9, did the same - for 30 minutes, right beside his mom and grandmother.

Ellie, spunky daughter of a training client, showed my Badass Boot Camp students how to do a pike pushup. The next week, she came to class and rowed. She showed me how to use a hula hoop - one of the best core workouts around. Before she left the studio that morning, she had a studio T-shirt, business cards and a new title: KidFit Coordinator.

She and the other little Badasses....er...BadDonkeys... all had fun. And it didn't involve sitting on their butts in front of a Playstation or a television. It didn't involve eating junk food or drinking soda. It was healthy fun, fitness fun. It was something they did with their parents and grandparents.

I hope it planted a seed that will, in the years to come, prevent them from becoming yet another statistic of childhood (and then teen and adult) obesity. If you're an adult trying to make exercise part of your life after years of inactivity, you know how challenging that is. So why not involve your children, nieces and nephews now? Why not make exercise a part of their daily routine today, so that they don't have to be 50 pounds overweight and 35 years old before they get on the road to Badass?

Childhood obesity, and the diabetes and other health complications that come with it, are a huge epidemic. Children should not need cholesterol medication or be so overweight that they have knee problems. They should not struggle to walk up a few flights of stairs.

So as a new week begins and you start thinking about how to make 2011 better than 2010, this is my challenge to you and the little ones in your life: Get moving. And bring them along with you.

Coming this week: From the Badass Bookshelf - a self-described 'Fatty' finds both pain and humor during a yearlong struggle to lose 50 pounds.

 

The Not-so-Skinny on Thanksgiving Eats

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

You know what that means: Delicious food, times infinity. You know what else that means: Fat, calories and sugar -- times infinity. To be more exact, the average is 4,500 calories and a whopping 229 grams of fat from snacking and eating a traditional holiday dinner with turkey and all the trimmings, according to the Caloric Control Council (yes, there is such a thing!)

The typical holiday dinner can be loaded with 45 percent of calories from fat. According to the Council, the average person will consume enough fat at tomorrow's meal to equal three sticks of butter. And that doesn't include the pre-dinner grazing and the post-dinner, late-night turkey sandwich.

Which begs the question: Do we really know the calories in all of those amazing Thanksgiving traditions? If you had to guess, you'd probably be pretty accurate on many dishes. On others, you might be downright shocked.

I don't want any of us in the Badass Army to deprive ourselves tomorrow. It is Thanksgiving - a single day out of 365. We get to live a little, and tomorrow we can get back on the Badass track.

But you can also make choices at the dinner table, if you want. Odds are that not every item on the menu makes you salivate, so why waste the calories? If you're going to treat yourself, make it count!

To help you choose, here's a breakdown of the calories in those most popular Turkey Day eats. Gobble, gobble accordingly:

• 325 calories: Roasted dark meat turkey without, 4 ounces
• 200 calories: Roasted white meat turkey without skin, 4 ounces 
• 600 calories: Homemade stuffing (1 cup) with 1/2 cup gravy
• 210: Candied yams, 1/2 cup
• 190: Mashed Potatoes, 1 cup
• 150 calories: Green bean casserole, 1 cup
• 625 calories: Sweet potato casserole, 3/4 cup
• 80 calories: Cranberry relish, 1/2 cup
• 400 calories: Candied sweet potatoes
• 800 calories: A single slice of pecan pie with whipped cream
• 400 calories: Single slice pumpkin pie with whipped cream
• 400 calories: Generous cup of egg nog
• 535 calories: Chocolate Cream Pie, 1 large slice


Coming up: Holiday shopping, pre-relatives-arrive-housecleaning and other unexpected calorie burners.....

Manic Monday Distress: A De-Stress Playlist

Badass CEO Corporate Confession: I. Do. Not. Want. To. Go. To. Work. Today. Nope. Not even a little bit.

See, the stress and anxiety of last week culminates in today's big project deadline. So really, when the alarm went off this morning, I just wanted to stay under the covers. If only such luxuries were an option.

Instead, I found solace in pre-dawn music and sweat. Sometimes we need Zen, mellow tunes to de-stress. Other times, the best music is the kind that speaks for us - when "speaking" means shouting, cursing,  and voicing generally angry or "I am fed up" sentiments.

This past week, and today, in the Badass CEO's universe, calls for such music. Loud. Pumping. Aggressive. Assertive. No-holds-barred. Politically incorrect.

So keep this playlist in your iPod. You never know when you'll find yourself knee-deep in a "Week from Hell," when only loud music and ample amounts of sweat will do.

Shannon's In-Distress, De-Stress Playlist

1. Shut Up and Drive: Rihanna

2. 99 Problems: Jay-Z

3. Freedom: Rage Against the Machine

4. Paralyzed: Rock Kills Kid

5. Everlong: Foo Fighters

6. How I Could Just Kill a Man: Rage Against the Machine

7. Chemical Beats: Chemical Brothers

8. I Ain't Goin' Out Like That: Cypress Hill

9. Till I Collapse: Eminem

10. Free Your Mind: En Vogue

11. Breathe Me: Sia

12. Workin' Day and Night: Michael Jackson

13. I Feel It All: Feist

Coming this week: The Thanksgiving Calories Realities, and Badass Foodie is Back!

45 minutes and a whole lotta sweat....

Pardon my absence this week, but it has been a doozy of a juggle between my "real" day job and my "not-so-secret-passion" job as a fitness trainer here in Tallahassee. The one thing getting me through the stress of a big report due at work this week: Exercise.

Yep, that's right. Sweat. Endorphins. Muscle Burn. The transfer of "pain" from stress-induced headache to squats-induced sore legs. Thursday morning, after a fitful sleep, I sought solace through indoor cycling and rowing. Thirty minutes of each, all out, just me and my Desperately Seeking Zen routine.

The best workout, though, came Wednesday morning. The previous two days had been such a cluster, I really wasn't 'feelin' it' when my TRX Suspension Training class started at 6 am. But 45 minutes later, I felt energized and ready to take on what I knew would be another challenging day. And I could tell my students felt better, too. Tired, yes. But strong. Undefeated.

I'm sharing the workout here because this is the time of year when stress piles on for all of us in the Badass Army. End-of-year work deadlines. Too many social obligations. Holiday and family stress. Colds and flus floating around. It can be overwhelming. It's tempting to just curl up in bed or drown our sorrows in wine and/or junk food.

Yet it often feels so much better after venting through our muscles and sweat glands. So sweat through it, Badasses.

SweatBuster TRX Routine

Warmup:

• 30 seconds jumping jacks
• 30 seconds high knees
• 30 seconds mountain climbers
• 30 seconds jumping jacks

Circuit 1:

1. One-legged lunges, 16 reps on each side

2. Jump squats, 16 reps

3. Chest press, 16 reps

4. Sprinter's start, 16 reps, followed by running in place for 30 seconds with TRX in Sprinter Start position.

5. Cardio Burst, off the TRX: 20 Burpees

Circuit 2

1. Sumo Squat (aka wide-leg or plie squat), 16 reps, followed by 8 reps with calves raised

2. TRX squat, 8 reps on each leg

3. Bicep curls, 16 reps, followed by tricep presses, 16 reps

4. Rollouts, 16 reps, followed by 16 counts of rollouts with arm circles

5. Front squats, 16 reps, followed by 8 reps of front squats with a hop

6. Cardio Burst: 10 burpees, followed by 30 seconds of high knees

Circuit 3

1. Reverse-grip bicep curls, 16 reps, followed by reverse-grip tricep presses, 16 reps

2. Deltoid fly, "T" version with arms ending out to the side like a "T", for 16 reps

3. Mid-level rows, 16 reps

4. Deltoid fly, "Y" version with arms ending up at a diagonal like a "Y", for 16 reps 

5. Jump squats, 16 reps

6. Cardio burst: Jumping lunges for 30 seconds, followed by mountain climbers for 30 seconds

Circuit 4

1. 10 TRX pushups, followed by 15 TRX crunches

2. TRX planks, held for 30 seconds

3. 10 TRX pushups, followed by 15 TRX pikes

4. TRX planks, held for 30 seconds

5. Side planks, held for 30 seconds on each side

Coming next week: Thanksgiving eats: The good, the bad, the ugly...

 

"Dear (insert name of other half/friend), stop buying cookies..."

Does this sound familiar?:

You're five days into a new Badass, clean eating regimen. You've worked out three of the past five days, and you're thinking, 'I've got this. Let the lean me emerge!'" 

Then your significant other shows up with chicken wings and fries for dinner. Or your co-worker brings in fresh-baked cookies. Or your best friend picks a dinner spot where everything on the menu is fried or drowned in butter.

Suddenly, 'I've got this' turns into 'How can I resist? They're not making this any easier for me.'

Let me stop right here and stress: I believe, above all, that we are responsible for our own actions. If we really want a stronger, leaner Badass, we have to be strong and determined and make the right choices to get there. But I also believe that the support of friends and loved ones is key to our successes - whether the goal is dropping five pounds or finishing a master's degree. Whatever. It helps to have a strong shoulder to lean on.

In recent weeks, a couple of clients lamented and fretted over the tempting foods that their loved ones keep inserting into their daily routines. An aunt sent sugar cookies. A husband has the metabolism of a hummingbird and keeps wanting fatty foods for dinner - all the while, his wife is determined to rock a bikini come spring and does not appreciate these junk food temptations at home.

At my office this past week, we at one point had a tray of sugary pastries, a decadent cake, and homemade cookies in the break room all at once. Not exactly part of the corporate wellness plan that I coordinate! I think I went into diabetic shock just looking at it all.

So today, I present an open letter to "the others" in our lives. Feel free to print it out and give it to them as a gentle reminder that you need less temptation and more support in your Badass journey to a leaner, stronger you.

The Open Letter, In Hopes of Making that Badass Better....

Dear [insert name of your 'other'],

I'm sorry it has come to this,  but that [insert tempting food] was the last straw. As you know, I am trying to [insert fitness goal] and I'm starting to feel really good about my chances of getting there. But the  [insert fast food] and [insert fave pizza joint] and [insert baked goods/chocolate] are making my Badass journey more difficult.

I don't expect you to go on this eating plan with me, but I would love it if you could meet me halfway. I would do the same for you, and I know that you get how important this goal is to me. So here is what I'm asking: [pick from the following...]

• If you buy the big bag of candy, please don't tell me - and hide it.
• When I ask you to pick up dinner, please find me something that isn't fried or loaded with starch and sugar.
• Try to 'treat' me with something other than [candy/chocolate/cake/cookies]. I would love to have a [massage/round of golf/round of tennis/pedicure/perfume/cologne/date night] instead.
•  When you eat [insert non-clean eating food] right in front of me, I admit it is so tempting. Do you mind eating fast, or away from me altogether, instead?
• Please be willing to compromise. I know you love [insert their fave 'cheat food' here], and I do too. But maybe we can limit that to once a week instead of every night.
• It would feel so supportive if, at least a couple of times a week, you would eat my healthy foods.

 OK, so I know this might seem whiny or like I'm asking a lot. But I promise, the end result will be worth it. I'm on this road not just for myself, but to get to a point where I like myself better - and can be better for you and the other people I care about. So next time you want to bring home cookies from the bakery, maybe you can just buy one for yourself and bring me [flowers/fruit/a card] instead.

Love,

[insert your name]

Want a better Badass? Keep lunging!

Round. Firm. Perky. Resistant to gravity. These are all the things we seek in the quest for a better backside.

Male or female, genetics plays a big part in how well our Badass fills out those jeans. But fear not: We are not destined to look like Mom or Grandpa from the back.

We CAN make our Badasses better. Firmer. Tighter. Rounder. Gravity-proof. Enter the lunge.

The lunge is one of the oldest strength moves around, and for good reason. It works the hamstrings, the glutes and the quads, plus a bit of the core and balance. There is no equipment required for most lunge varieties, and you can do them anywhere.

Plus, there are several variations to ensure you work every angle of your lower half without getting bored - sore, yes; bored, no. I use lunges in between circuits with my training clients, and by the end of an hourlong session we'll have done more than 200 lunges. They curse me the next day, but after a few weeks of said 'torture,' they look a whole lot better in those jeans.

So get off the leg extension machine and that Stairmaster for a day or two, and try these moves on for size. (Note: Make sure your form on these is tip-top: When you lunge, the leg should form a 90-degree angle, and the knee should not track over your toes.)

Lunges, Lunges and More Lunges

Regular stationary lunges: Start with your feet hip width apart, shoulders square over your hips, abs tucked. Lift the right leg and, heel leading, step forward in a long stride. As your right foot touches the floor, lower down - bending the knee of the right leg. Your left heel should come up off of the floor. Now press off the ball of the right foot, stepping back to the start position. Repeat on the left side. Aim for 10-15 on each side.

Walking lunges: Perform the squat with the same technique as a regular squat, but walk while lunging. So lunge with the right foot, taking a long stride out front, and as soon as you come up out of the lunge, take a big stride with the left foot and lunge. Aim for 10 lunges forward and 10 lunges back in the other direction.

Walking lunges with dumbbells: Perform walking lunges while holding 5- to 15-pound dumbbells in each hand. Aim for 10 lunges forward and 10 lunges back in the other direction.

Walking lunges with medicine ball rotation: Perform walking lunges while holding a 6- to 10-pound medicine ball out front. As you lunge forward with the right leg, rotate the medicine ball to your right side, engaging your core. Now walk into a left lunge and rotate the medicine ball to your left. Continue the rotations from side to side as you lunge. Aim for 20 lunges.  

 
 
Reverse lunges: Facing forward in the starting lunge position, take a big step back with the right foot. Bend the knees of both legs, and lower into a lunge until the back knee comes close to the ground. Keep your weight on the front heel and keep your core straight. Now push back up with the right foot and return to the standing position. Do the same thing with the left leg. Aim for 10 to 15 on each leg.

Smith Machine split lunge: Start with right leg forward in a lunge position, left leg back. Slowly lower your butt straight down until right quad is parallel to the floor, then come up just as slowly and controlled. Play with the weight - you should feel the burn for those last several reps. Switch sides, left leg forward in a lunge. Aim for 10-15 on each side.

 

Diagonal walking lunges: Perform these as you would a walking lunge, except step the leading leg out to a 45-degree angle. Do 10 on each leg.

Clock lunges: Imagine you're standing in the middle of a clock. Lunge forward with the right leg into '12 o'clock.' Step back and lunge the right leg to the right side, or '3 o'clock.' Now lunge it back to 6 o'clock, and last lunge it back and to the left - 9 o'clock. That's one rep. Do 14 more. Repeat for 15 reps on the left leg.

Curtsy lunges: Step the right foot forward and over to the left, and drop into a curtsy. You should feel the squeeze in your right glute/thigh. Push back up off that right foot. Now step the left foot forward and over to the right, and drop into a curtsy. That's one rep. Use dumbbells for an added challenge. Do 20 reps.

Jump lunges: Start in a lunge position, right foot lunging forward. Jump up, and in the air switch your legs so that you land with the left foot lunging forward. Keep the chest up, jumping with control. 

 

Coming this week: An open letter to your other half..."Dear Other Half: Stop bringing home fried chicken and cookies..."

When temps drop, turn to these 8-is-enough 'comfort' foods

The good news: When Fall (and soon Winter) brings the temps into the 50s and below, our bodies work harder to keep us warm. This means...wait for it...yes, our metabolism speeds up while acting as our own internal heater.

The bad news: It doesn't speed up enough to make holiday foods and big mugs of hot chocolate calorie-free.

So as tempting as that hot bread pudding might be, it's more important than ever this time of year to eat well most of the time. We can indulge, but our daily eating for the most part needs to be wholesome, clean - and delicious. Yes, delicious. Not cardboard rice cakes. Real food that's really good.

Deprivation when it comes to food is akin to torture in this Badass' book. So today, I present my favorite "comfort" foods for the fall and winter months. These don't scream "I'm a pre-packaged diet plan meal." Because, really, don't those fake foods just make you want to say "Blech! Pass me the cookie!"

Stock your fall and winter pantry with these bites of Badass deliciousness:

1. Oatmeal spiked with pumpkin and cinnamon:  Oatmeal is one of the best foods to start your day, thanks to fiber and complex whole grain carbs that will keep you full without lots of calories (150 for 1/2 cup of dry oats). And when you add pumpkin and cinnamon, it just tastes like sweet sinfulness. Yet it's not. Pumpkin has only 40 calories in a ½ cup serving, plus potassium, Vitamin A and fiber. So add 1/2 cup of pumpkin to that cooked oatmeal, then sprinkle on cinnamon and a packet of Splenda or Truvia.

2. Buffalo Chili: When it's cold outside, what better way to warm yourself than with a hot bowl of chili? This is a hearty meal, but it's packed with good nutrient-dense calories and antioxidants thanks to the cooked tomatoes, beans, and green peppers and onions. Use ground buffalo, aka bison, and it is a lean bowl of protein that will power you through the next day's workouts.

3. (Lean) Beef Stew: My Grandma makes the best beef stew, with a cup of red wine cooked in. There are tons of recipes out there, and the best ones are packed with carrots, celery, mushrooms, and regular or sweet potatoes. Use lean beef and a slow cooker, and it eliminates the need for added oil or fat in cooking. Jut pour everything in, let it cook slowly for several hours, and come home to a meal rich in nutrition but not calories and fat.

4. Starbucks Tall (Skinny Sugar-Free) Cinnamon Latte: Less than 150 calories of pure sweet deliciousness. It is the best way to get through a cold morning or afternoon. Yep, if you want to make the Badass CEO happy, keep her well-supplied with these lattes!

5. Badass Foodie's Mac n Cheese: Old-School macaroni and cheese is high on the "not Badass" food list, thanks to the white flour-based pasta, excessive amounts of cheese and whole milk. But Badass Foodie's version is totally Badass. Each serving has about 200 calories,  8 grams of fat and 9 grams of protein, and the flavor is off the charts. This will be cooked several times by the Badass CEO in the months to come.

6. Turkey Meatloaf: Ah, the ultimate comfort food. Your mom made it. Grandma probably perfected it. But it wasn't exactly 'health food,' right? Well, it can be. Use lean ground turkey (or lean beef or buffalo if you prefer) and add in some unexpected goodness and flavor with salsa, dry oats, egg whites and seasoning. My favorite recipe includes all of these things and comes from an old issue of Oxygen magazine. I tore it out and have used it so many times, it's got the tell-tale splatters of salsa all over it. Oh, well. It's delicious and, paired with a salad and veggies, is a healthy and very satisfying meal.

7. Baked Apple with Cinnamon: Yes, you could eat warm apple pie. But that would cost you 400 or so calories depending on the crust. Why not get the flavor of apple pie without the crust? The apples are the best part anyway. Remove the core from an apple, leaving half an inch at the bottom and sprinkle in cinnamon and Splenda or Truvia, plus 1/2 tablespoon each of raisins and chopped walnuts. Bake it at 375 for about 30 minutes in a cake pan until it's tender. Eat it warm. Enjoy the awesomeness of less than 150 calories.

8. Sugar-free hot chocolate: When it's cold outside and you're sitting there after dinner, craving something sweet, make a cup of sugar-free hot cocoa. It's chocolate. It's hot. It's sweet. The Perfect Trifecta! And at about 60 calories, it's guilt-free. Heck, even regular cocoa is only about 100 calories. So dig in - it's better than reaching for that chocolate bar or slice of warm cake.

Coming this week: Lunges, lunges and more lunges = Best. Badass. Ever.

The Badass CEO finds nutrish, delish on a plate

I love food. I also love my jeans to fit. Hence, a constant struggle to find a healthy balance between true culinary enjoyment and Badass CEO-worthy eating.

I'm especially mindful of this precarious balance this time of year, with the Halloween-through-New Year's festivities rolling in. Candy corn, turkey and stuffing, green bean casserole, holiday cookies - my Italian genes give me the potential to scarf them all down with glee, and abandon.

But I don't want my genes to get in the way of my jeans, if you know what I mean.

Which brings me to my favorite mid-week meal. It's all about health, balance, and deliciousness. If it tastes like cardboard, I won't eat it. And I wouldn't expect you Badasses to suffer through dry rice cakes, either.

This meal - salmon burgers, roasted asparagus, sauteed spinach and the optional serving of sweet potato fries -- offers flavor, nutrients, and easy preparation. It will take you all of 20 minutes, and weighs in at about 600 calories with the fries or 450 without.

The Players

1. Salmon burger (Costco find!): The salmon burgers from Trident Seafood are incredibly easy to prepare (just pop them on the outdoor grill or George Foreman, or pan-sear or bake them). They also boast 1,360 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids per patty (compared to 1,000 milligrams in 2 tablespoons of fish oil). Each patty has just 170 calories, 9 grams of fat and 20 grams of protein, and 2 carbs.

Prep: They're delicious grilled and eaten "naked" with spicy mustard or on a 100-calorie sandwich thin with tomato, lettuce, etc.

2. Roasted Asparagus: Asparagus is low in calories, just 6 calories for a medium spear. Moreover, it's packed with vitamin K and Folate. It's also a great natural diuretic, helping to banish any bloat.

Prep: My go-to method is roasting. Drizzle 6 spears (1 serving) with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of grated Romano or parmesan cheese. Roast at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. 

3. Sauteed spinach: You can't find a much more nutritionally dense food than spinach. Two cups, uncooked, has just 20 calories. And squeezed into those 20 calories are the stuff that makes Popeye such a Badass -- vitamins A, B, C, E, K, plus carotene, calcium, iron, folate, manganese, potassium and many valuable amino acids. Fun fact: Spinach supplies the same amount of protein as you would get from the equivalent of meat, and for a lot less money and fat.

Prep: I heat a half tablespoon of olive oil in a sautee pan on medium heat and then adding in 3 cups of spinach (which cooks down to about 1 cup), sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sautee it for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it's cooked to your liking.

4. Alexia Sweet Potato Fries: A baked sweet potato would be even more healthy, but hell, a Badass needs fries every now and then. And these yummy fries made by Alexia offer the "indulgence" of fries with less of the fat and more nutrients (lots of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber, iron) than white potatoes. One serving has 170 calories and less than 10 grams of fat.

Prep: It's as easy as preheating the oven to 400 and spreading the fries onto a baking sheet. I like to season them before baking with sea salt, black pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Awwweesome!

So go ahead, try this meal on for size. And if you have a better one, share it in the comments below or e-mail me at shannon@badassfitness.net.

Coming later this week: Being Badass isn't just for 18 and over....

Only have 15 minutes? Make every second count!

Sometimes, we get so busy it feels like we can't breathe (here goes the Badass CEO, 'projecting'!...) There aren't enough hours in the day, and there are too many things on the "to-do" list. Admittedly, for me, it's been one of those weeks/weekends.

These crazy-busy times are often when it seems so easy to just move fitness to the backburner. I don't have time. Other things are more important. It can wait. Sure, it can wait. But if you keep saying "let it wait," it never gets done. Fast forward to 30 pounds later...

The fact is, fitness does not require hours of commitment. Even if you only squeeze in 15 minutes, that equals calories burned and muscles worked. So today, I give you a 15-minute mini-workout that you can do anywhere, whether it's the living room or hotel or backyard.

Think of all the things you can do in 15 minutes at work or home: Fire off several e-mails. Hold a conference call.  Dust the living room. Fold the laundry. Scramble eggs.

In the same amount of time, you can work all the major muscle groups. Don't believe me? Give this a whirl:

15-Minute Badass Buster

Warmup

• 30 seconds: Jumping jacks
• 30 seconds: Running in place with high knees
• 30 seconds: Jumping jacks
• 30 seconds: Mountain climbers

Workout 

• 60 seconds of regular squats
• 60 seconds lunges, alternating legs
• 60 seconds of jump squats

 

• 30 seconds of regular pushups
• 30 seconds of tricep dips
• 30 seconds of close-grip pushups
• 30 seconds of pike pushups

 

• 30 seconds: Jumping jacks
• 30 seconds: Running in place with high knees
• 30 seconds: Jumping jacks
• 30 seconds: Mountain climbers

 

• 60 seconds of regular squats
• 60 seconds of walking diagonal lunges, alternating legs
• 60 seconds of jump lunges

Abs

• 30 seconds: Regular crunches
• 30 seconds: Raised-Knee Crunches (pictured at right)
• 30 seconds: Regular crunches
• 30 seconds: Raised-knee crunches
• 60 seconds: Hold a plank


Coming this week: A nutritionally perfect meal that happens to be delicious...