KISS your excuses goodbye

Photo by Minna Hamalainen on Unsplash

Keep It Simple this Spring.

No gym? No space? Limited time? No problem.  This body-weight workout can be dialled up with cardio intervals or kept simple with supersets when you’re in a hotel room, on vacation, or binge-watching GLOW in your tiny living room. All you need is a space the size of a yoga mat, and a bench, be it park, couch or coffee table for dips.

(And, of course, check with your doctor if this workout is right for you.)

Having your routine, your favourite bench in the weight room, and the time you carve out for yourself to keep personal fitness a priority? Priceless. But every so often, we are all yanked out of The Zone for a work trip, a half-term with the kids, or -- more importantly -- a series finale, and though we’re still focused on our goals and good intentions, we have no equipment, and no room to move. So, what’s a girl to do?

Keeping It Simple is always the best strategy, especially when caught out of the comfort zone of your gym. Whether you’re travelling for work and stuck in a hotel room, trying to stay fit on a picnic blanket, or fitting in a session in your tiny living room while binge watching GLOW, the SS here stands for Small Space, or maybe Sans Supplies.

This Seriously Sweet body-weight programme can be done in the space of a yoga mat (or a beach towel), and hits your major muscle groups to build dynamic strength through explosive/plyometric moves, supersets with complementary muscle groups to increase intensity, and a challenging core routine as a finisher.

It can be done as a Straightforward Strength workout, or with cardio intervals to up the calorie burn and cardiovascular effect. Either way, you’ll be back on the couch, feeling Smugly Sweaty and Self-Satisfied in under 20 minutes.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your water bottle and trainers (and maybe a towel if you don’t want to Sweat on your Stuff), and try it out.

Option 1: Kick It (Super Set) workout:

Warm up, then superset the movements by performing 10-12 repetitions of both exercises in each pairing at a steady, 2 seconds up/2 seconds down pace, then repeat, with no break in between. Take 30 seconds to review the next pair, then superset them twice each. Take another 30-second break (drink your water while reviewing!) and perform the last superset. Use the last 30-second break to take a look at the core sequence, and perform all three exercises without a break, and without a break again. Well done, you.

Option 2: Kill It (Seriously Sweaty) workout:

Start with the warm up, then perform 15 reps of the first pairing of two exercises quickly (but with good form); do them back-to-back, then a cardio interval. Rest 15 seconds and repeat. Do the next pairing, followed by the cardio interval and timed rest twice, then the third. Take a 30-second break before doing your core set twice through, with no rest. It’s quick, sweaty, and possibly fun, if you’re into that kind of thing. Dial it up: Perform the cardio intervals for a full minute instead of just 30 seconds.

OR, you can just go Straight and Simple, and run through the moves one after the other.  Twice.

Warm Up: 

Walking Burpees x 10 reps each leg

Workout:

1 - Reverse Lunges with Knee Lift (Both Legs)
2 - Good Mornings (One Leg)

Cardio - Side Step with Squat - 30 seconds

3 - Pushups
4 - Mountain climbers (Don’t get up from your plank!)

Cardio - Jumping Jacks - 30 seconds

5 - Jump squats
6 - Triceps dips

Cardio - Side-to-Side Body-weight Lunges (just stay low and shift your weight side to side, keeping your weight back in your heels, and feeling the stretch in your inner thighs) - 30 seconds

Simply Superb Core Combo:

Russian Twists x 15 each side
Plank with Knee to Outside of Elbow x 8 each side
Side Plank x 30 seconds each side


Good job!  Now, REPEAT!


Check out form notes and full descriptions of the exercises HERE.

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This post is in collaboration with other bloggers. Check out the blogs below over the next few days for some lovely spring content.

https://www.earthtoconnie.com/                     www.avidreaderdiary.wordpress.com

www.spiceandnice.blog                                  www.meganelizabethlifestyle.com

www.peerlessprose.com/blog                         www.dammitkaren.com

www.maybemissmolly.co.uk                          www.bookmarkingstories.wordpress.com

www.countingbluebirds.com                          www.lifestylesteps.video.blog

www.smartmoneygreenplanet.com                 www.watchaguru.com

www.teachtraveltransform.blog                      https://thegraphitedragon.com

http://www.lifemakeupstyle.wordpress.com   http://thedecemberedit.com

www.thewriteone.home.blog