Summer Sweat Challenge: Week 3

Monday 13

LEGS +CARDIO

Pop Squats

1. Begin with your feet wide apart, toes angled out, standing tall and core engaged.
2. Proceed to bend in the knees, dropping your butt low.
3. As you lower into the squat, reach with both hands to the ground. Now, as soon as those fingertips touch the floor, quickly pop back up into a standing position.
4. Pull the feet together and then hop back into the wide stance, and repeat.

Tuesday 14

ABS

Full Sit Ups

1. Start on your back with your legs stretched out and your hands laid out above your head.
2. Without using momentum, fully sit-up and reach for your toes.
3. Roll back down into the starting position with full control.

Wednesday 15

ABS+LEGS

Wall Sits

1. Start with your back against a wall (or use an exercise ball if you have one) with your feet shoulder width and about two feet from the wall.
2. Slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
3. Adjust your feet if you need to so that your knees are directly above your ankles (rather than over your toes).
4. Keep your back flat against the wall.
5. Hold the position. For added resistance hold dumbbells.

Thursday 16

CARDIO

Jumping Jacks

1. Stand tall with your back straight, abs engaged, shoulders relaxed, arms at your sides, and feet together.
2. Hop out with both feet while extending your arms out, forming an X with your arms and legs.
3. Hop back in to the starting position (legs together, arms at your sides). Repeat.

Friday 17

ACTIVE REST

Cobras

1. Lie on your stomach on an exercise mat or floor with your hands positioned directly under your shoulders and fingers facing forward. Legs should be straight and toes pointed.
2. Upward Phase: Gently exhale. Engage your abdominal/core muscles to support the spine. Press your hips into the mat or floor. Lengthen the torso and curl your chest away from the ground while keeping your hips stable. Keep the shoulders rolling down and back. Hold this position for 15 – 30 seconds.
3. Downward Phase: Gently lower your upper body back to the mat or floor, lengthening the spine as you descend.

Saturday 18

 ABS + LEGS

Oblique Squat

1.  Place hands on head, elbows pointing out. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and descend into a squat position.
2.  Press back into standing position and lift left leg higher than hip level while crunching side so left elbow taps left knee.
3.  Return to start, and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.