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Full Body Circuit
By Pam Fountas in 30 Day Lifestyle Challenge ·
1. Squats
Place feet hip-width apart, abs tucked in, shoulders back and chest out. Arms placed straight in front of you for your balance. Bend your knees and lower down with all your weight the heels of your feet to protect the knee. Aim to get to where knees are at 90 degrees (try to get the upper legs as close to parallel with the floor as possible). Push back up to start position through the heels of your feet. Hold hand weights at your side for added intensity.
** Start with 12 – 15 and work up from there.
2. Push-up
laying face down place hands directly under shoulders than move out to the side one hand width; either on your knees or on your toes for added intensity. Make sure the whole body lowers towards the floor and not just the chest (hips and abdomen drop down but don’t let the lower back sink in). Use your breath to help you – big exhale as you push back up.
**Start with doing push ups on your knees, just make sure you’re still keeping your body straight. Do as many as possible with good form.
**Do as many as you can to failure
3. Lunges
Standing straight with feet about hip width apart, take a big step forward and centre your body weight. Square your hips, square your shoulders and rotate the shoulders back and stick your chest out. Lower your body straight down (not forward) dropping the back knee and putting the weight into the front heel
Push back up to start position through your front heel. Complete your reps on one leg than switch lead leg
** start with 10 on each leg. Work up from there and add hand weights at your side when ready
** For even more added intensity, complete moving lunges. Start with right leg, step back to centre and alternate.
4. Plank-to-Row
Get yourself into a plank. Lay face down, get up on your knees OR toes with hands on the ground and arms fully extended, disrectly underneath your shoulders. From there I want you to alternate being on one arm while the other hand comes off the ground and moves back alongside the body; squeezing the shoulder blade and working the upper/mid back.
After you’re confident with this movement begin to add hand weights in weights. Being on your knees is the lower intensity option. Regardless of what option you choose, ensure your body is straight and your rear is NOT sticking in the air.
** Start with 10 – 15 reps and work up from there
5. Triceps Press - Up
Lay on your side (hips under shoulders, knees under hips, ankles under knees = straight line!) and fold your inside arm in around your body. Place top arms hand close to you, in front of your chest. Hips should fall under shoulder and knees under hips. Press up from there lifting the side of your body as high as you can (height will increase when strength does) off the ground using the back of your arm (triceps). Lower slowly. Take a rest between reps if needed, OR don’t go all the way down and feel it the whole time
** Do as many as you on each side to failure
6. Plank
Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes (start first on knees) and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
**Hold for 20 to 60 seconds (increase time slowly)
7. Side Plank
Prop your body up onto your elbow and the side of your inside foot. Body should be in a straight line keeping the core contracted. Hold one side for 30 seconds than repeat on the other side. Complete 3 times through. Start on the side of your knees and work your way up to being on the side of your feet. If 30 seconds is too much, take the time down and work up to what you can
**Important Notes:
- Ensure you have warmed up 5 – 7 minutes before starting the circuit. Depending on what space you have, maybe it’s going up and down your staircase, marching/jogging on the spot or light skipping. Big thing is to ensure you are warming up with dynamic movements and not holding static stretches
-Complete one exercise to the next with LIMITED rest in between. The more comfortable you get with the movement the faster the transition will happen
- Working the muscle to failure is key; increase the suggested rep ranges right from day one if you need too
- Rest in between a full round of the exercises for 1 minute. The goal is to be able to go through this circuit 3 times –start off with two.
** Consult a physician before starting any physical activity program. These exercises are suggestions and not medical advice. It's encouraged to seek the advice of a fitness professional to ensure you are executing the form correctly. Feel free to contact me with more questions.
