30 Minute Workout Plan (Spring Shape Up!)
With the first day of spring just four days away, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to shape up for summer! The workout I’m doing these days combines muscular endurance moves with strength building exercises—this combination helps to maximally tone muscles while simultaneously increasing your resting metabolism (which of course will help you burn fat faster!) While this workout will help increase your strength, I promise it won’t bulk you up. Do make sure you use heavy enough weights to really exhaust your muscles though; if you use a weight that’s too light you just won’t see results. The weights you lift should be heavy enough so that you notice your heart rate increasing while you are doing the exercises, but not so heavy that you sacrifice form. Never sacrifice form in an effort to lift heavier weights!
My 30-minute workout program is a full-body workout that will target every major muscle in your body. It’s a circuit training workout and the perfect way to get functionally fit in a very short amount of time. I recommend doing this workout 3 times a week. This is very doable as I know everybody can squeeze a 30-minute workout in (especially one that you can do at home) at least 3 times a week!! Remember, getting physically fit need not be a full time job.
Be sure to concentrate on the movements and don’t rely on momentum. It’s always better to do the exercise with correct form and to focus on quality over quantity of reps or the amount of weight lifted. Take your time to learn the proper form.
Equipment:
The only equipment you’ll need is 2 sets of dumbbells.
Beginners will want to use 1 and 5 pound dumbbells and advanced exercisers will want to use 3 and 8 pound dumbbells.
Follow the below workout program 3 days a week to get fitter, firmer, faster! You’ll be bikini-ready in no time 😉
Ivy’s 30 Minute Workout:
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10 minute cardio-warm up. Choose any cardio exercise you like. If you are doing this exercise at home you can go outside and do a brisk walk or jog lightly. You can also jump rope, dance, climb stairs, ride a stationary bike, etc. If you are at a gym, start the workout on your favorite cardio equipment (treadmill, bike, elliptical trainer, stair stepper, etc). For the cardio warm-up you want to increase your heart rate and work hard enough that it’s difficult to carry on a conversation.
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Ivy’s 10-minute Circuit Workout. Perform the following sequence of exercises two times through…without resting! Watch the video demo first to see how to do the exercises properly. You can then print the workout and do it anytime, anywhere!
1. Plies with Alternating Forward Punches
1-3 pounds pound dumbbells
40 reps
2. Balancing on Right Leg: Overhead Press with Left Leg Lift
8 pound dumbbells
8 reps
**Switch legs and repeat for 8 more reps while balancing on left leg and lifting right leg
3. Bicep “Lifts” (keep elbows slightly bent)
5-8 pounds / 10 reps
4. Plank Position to Forearms (hold plank position, drop to right forearm and then to left forearm = 1 rep)—alternate sides
6 reps
5. Side Squat Steps with Hammer Bicep Curls (palms face inward)
5-8 pounds
18 reps
6. Squat Pulses (feet one-inch apart)
5-8 pounds
12 reps
7. Body Lifts (with feet on chair)
10 full lifts
12 pulses
8. Seated Ab Crunches
18 basic crunches
10 oblique side crunches (left)
10 oblique side crunches (right)
10 basic crunches
Perform the workout 3 days a week! If you have a fitness question or suggestion for a workout you’d like to see please leave a comment.
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Monday 23rd of August 2010
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