The Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts: A Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You--In 15 Minutes a Day! (37 page)
Authors: Selene Yeager,Editors of Women's Health
Tags: #Exercise & Fitness, #Weight Training, #Men's Health, #Quick Workouts, #Mind & Body, #Health
A
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
• Bend your knees and sit back until your legs are bent 45 to 90 degrees; make sure to keep your knees from extending over your toes.
B
• Press back to a standing position as you rotate your torso and outstretched arms to the left.
C
• Rotate back to the center and immediately perform another squat, this time rotating to the left as you stand.
• Both sides make 1 rep. The sequence is this: Squat, stand—while simultaneously twisting to the side—then twist back to the center.
REPS:
Do 10 to 12.
TIP:
To make the move more challenging, hold a dumbbell, as shown.
Tip and Row
WORKS:
your butt and back.
A
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides holding weights.
• Lift your right leg straight up behind you as you bend from the hips to lower your upper body forward. Your torso and right leg should be parallel to the floor and your arms hanging straight down, palms facing each other.
B
• Bend your elbows and pull the weights straight up to the sides of your chest.
• Lower the weights and return to a standing position. Repeat, this time lifting the left leg behind you as you tip forward. That’s 1 rep.
REPS:
Do 10 to 12.
Alternating Lateral Lunge
WORKS:
your thighs, butt, and core.
A
• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides.
B
• Take a giant step to the left, dropping your butt back (keeping your knee from extending over your toes) and pretending to place the weights on either side of your foot.
• Press back to the starting position. Then immediately repeat the move to the right. That’s 1 rep.
REPS:
Do 10 to 12.
Chapter 10:
15-Minute Workouts for Special Gear
BALLS, BARS, BANDS, AND KETTLEBELLS MAKE WORKOUTS FUN, AND THEY WORK YOUR BODY IN CHALLENGING NEW WAYS.
Superfast Special-Gear Workouts
I love gear. Balls, bands, foam rollers, and bells are like spices. You can use them to add pizzazz to your usual routine or you can build an entire workout around them. If you’ve been avoiding gear, perhaps out of fear of the unknown, I’d encourage you to expand your horizons. The beauty of gear is that each item lets you work your muscles in a fresh way, activating new fibers and taking your fitness and strength to another level. After all, that’s why the stuff got invented in the first place.
Begin with the basics ...
In this chapter, you’ll find moves using more than a half dozen pieces of unique equipment. Gear workouts, particularly those using kettlebells, can be a little tougher than your standard strength-training routine. If you’re just starting a fitness routine, work up to these gradually. On the other hand, the fresh challenge of these routines make them an excellent option to jumpstart the benefits for seasoned lifters who may have hit a plateau. So grab your gear and let’s go.
FIND IT QUICK:
YOUR 15-MINUTE GEAR-SPECIFIC CIRCUIT PLAN
NEVER MISS A WORKOUT
Work travel can really mess up your ability to stick with an exercise program even if you’re staying at a hotel with a gym. It’s just a hassle to get down there sometimes. Exercise bands, which stow easily in a suitcase and can be used in your room, eliminate that excuse. Another piece of special gear to consider packing is a suspension training system such as the TRX, which consists of two nylon straps with loops at one end. The straps anchor to something sturdy, such as a door frame for many different bodyweight exercises: dips, pullups, triceps presses, shoulder extensions, and more.
KETTLEBELL WORKOUT 1
Kick up your metabolism with kettlebells. Working out with these asymmetrical cannonball-like weights absolutely scorches calories. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that doing kettlebell snatches (a move where you simply squat and swing the bell, like the "
Snatch, Pull, and Push Press
") burns 20 calories a minute. That’s more than spinning, rowing, elliptical training, stair stepping, or swimming! The two 15-minute kettlebell workouts in this chapter can each burn close to 300 calories. And that’s just for starters. Factor in the muscle-building impact and the afterburn (the calories you burn after you exercise as your body repairs), and the total energy expenditure could shoot up by 50 percent.
START HERE:
Do these moves one after another with no rest between them. Rest for 60 seconds at the end of the circuit. Then repeat the circuit twice more.
ANATOMY OF A KETTLEBELL
The sculpting power of the kettlebell comes from its unique shape. The weight is asymmetrical, so your muscles have to work harder to balance and move it. That’s why you should start with a light weight (no more than 10 pounds) until you get used to the unweildy shape, and master ideal form.
Handle:
For most moves, you hold onto the handle, so you can swing the bell and pass it from hand to hand.
Horns:
The sides of the handle are called the horns. For some moves, especially if you’re holding the bell upside down, you’ll hold on here.
Base (or bell):
The main part of the weight, which is round with a flat base.
Around-the-Body Pass
