The Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts: A Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You--In 15 Minutes a Day! (14 page)

A

• Stand and hold dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in.

• Extend your right leg behind you, keeping your toes on the floor.

• Bend your elbows 90 degrees so that the weights are at either side of your torso.

B

• Lean your upper body slightly forward and extend your arms straight back.

C

• Bring the weights back to the starting position, while curling your right heel toward your glutes.

• Lower your leg to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 5 to 6, then switch legs and repeat.

Side Stepup and Kick

WORKS:
your glutes, hips, quads, and hamstrings.

A

• Stand with your right side next to a step and hold a dumbbell in your right hand, elbow bent, weight at your shoulder, palm facing in.

• Plant your right foot on top of the step and raise your left arm straight out to the side at shoulder height, palm facing the floor, for balance.

B

• Straighten your right knee as you raise your left leg straight out in front of you to hip height, toes pointed.

• Return to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 10 to 12 then repeat to the other side.

Swivel Squat

WORKS:
your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core.

A

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and raise your arms out in front of you, parallel to the floor. (To make this move more difficult, you can hold a lightweight dumbbell in your hands.)

• Sit your hips back into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause.

B

• Press your heels into the floor to stand while simultaneously rotating your torso and arms as far to the right as is comfortable without moving your feet.

• Rotate back to center as you dip into another squat.

• This time rotate to the left as you straighten your legs to stand. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 10 to 12.

Butterfly Squat and Curl

WORKS:
your biceps, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

A

• Stand with your heels together, toes turned outward to least 45 degrees.

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your thighs, palms facing forward.

B

• Take a giant step to the left and squat down, keeping your knees aligned with your toes.

• Simultaneously, bend your elbows, rotating your arms out to the sides as you do, and curl the weights up to the sides of your shoulders.

• Return to the starting position and repeat, this time stepping to the right side. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 10 to 12.

Front Loaded Split Squat

WORKS:
your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

A

• Stand with your back facing a bench that’s 2 to 3 feet behind you and hold a dumbbell by the ends in front of your chest, your elbows bent.

• Swing your right leg back and place the top of your foot on the bench.

B

• Keeping your abs tight and your back straight and tall, bend your left leg and lower your hips toward the floor until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor.

• Press back to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 10 to 12, then repeat the exercise with your right leg forward.

STRESS-BUSTING WORKOUT 1

Send stress packing with these four explosive moves created by Kim Blake, a trainer at Nike World Headquarters Sports Center in Portland, Oregon. You’ll push your bodyweight off the floor and then absorb it when you land.

START HERE:

Do these moves one after another, resting for 15 seconds between exercises. When you’ve finished all four, rest for a minute, then repeat the circuit two more times.

Runner’s Lunge to Knee Skip

WORKS:
your quadriceps and calves; builds explosive power.

A

• Start in a pushup position, then bend your right knee and place your right foot between your hands.

B

• Push through your right foot, raise your torso, and drive your left knee and right arm into the air, hopping off the floor.

• Return to the starting position, then place your left foot between your hands and hop with your right leg. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

SKIP HIGHER:
Try to drive your thigh to your chest as you leap.

Plié Jumping Jacks

WORKS:
your upper and lower body and heart.

A

• Stand with your hands at your sides and your feet hip-width apart.

• Now bend your knees and jump into the air, bringing your arms overhead and spreading your feet wide, knees and toes turned out.

B

• Land lightly and lower yourself into a squat.

• Quickly jump back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

Quarter-Turn Squat Jump

WORKS:
your quads, calves, glutes, and lower back.

A

• With your feet shoulder-width apart, lower into a squat, and bring your arms toward the floor. Then jump up, swinging your arms overhead and rotating yourself 90 degrees to the left while in the air.

B

• Land softly and lower into a squat, then jump up and rotate to the right. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 12 to 16.

TIP:
This also is a good warmup exercise to improve mobility and prep muscles for any activity.

Donkey Kick