To start with, I feel I need to explain why I haven't had a kettlebell workout up in a week! I have strained my forearms doing pull up training - I don't think my arms like the overhand grip 🙁 So I am trying to rest them for a few more days. I hope at the weekend I will have a new KB workout up. In the mean time I have been focusing on body weight workouts.
Normally, the mark of a good workout is how much you sweat, or how high your heart rate goes up. While I do believe that these are good results from a workout I also know that slowing things down can be equally taxing. Just look at yoga and pilates! So, for a change I thought that I would put together a workout with both slow controlled exercises in one section, and then a second section for cardio and Abs (to speed things up), with an extra core blast at the end 🙂
The Workout
The first section has set reps and the aim is to complete 2 rounds of the following:
- Squats (normal pace) x 30 reps
- Slow Push Ups (4 seconds down, 4 secs up) x 15 - 20 reps
- Stability Ball Dolphin x 15 - 20 reps
- Slow Single-Leg Deadlifts (right then left) x 15 - 20 reps
- Close Push Ups (normal pace) x 15 - 20 reps
- Slow Sumo Squats x 15 - 20 reps
This section took me 16 mins 22 seconds to complete. I then set my Gymboss Interval Timer for 12 cycles of 15 seconds rest / getting into position time and 45 seconds effort. I completed 2 rounds of the 6 exercises below (my reps per exercise are beside):
- Lunge Jumps (deep) 25 - 21
- Stability Ball Jackknife 18 - 19
- Mountain Climbers 61 - 59
- Stability Ball Oblique Jackknife (not sure of proper name) 12 - 14
- Burpees 20 - 17
- Stability Ball Hand to Foot Transfer 13 - 11
To finish I completed a 60 second Plank Hold on the stability ball. Workout done!
For those of you who don't have a stability ball, you can substitute the dolphin exercise with double glute raises, the jackknife exercises with leg raises for the first one and cycle action for the oblique one, then standard V-Ups for the transfer one. Obviously for the plank hold, just perform that exercise from the ground. To advance it, have your arms further away, or lift up one foot. If you're lucky enough to have TRX, then you can do the equivalent moves on that.
I hope you enjoyed this workout today. I found each section tough in its own way. Always remember to keep your core engaged throughout each exercise, whether the pace be fast or slow. You will not only improve your form and balance, but it will give you an added burn to the core 🙂
Talk to you all soon.
Cheers
Marianne
Hi Marianne,
Just finished this workout,whew!!!!!!! LOVED IT!!!!!
So glad I came across your website. I won’t go into times as I know based on what i’ve vread I am alot older than most of your following. (I’m a 51year old female) there, I said it. But…. I don’t baby myself. I’m usually 10 minutes or so behind. My umph and drive keeps me going. I don’t want to be a slacker. I do this for me and only me. Just like feeling good and being able to wear almost anything. (age appropiate of course) Anyway,Marianne thank you for all your inspiration. Have a great day.
MinnieV.
Thank you Minnie V. Sounds like you’re a force to be reckoned with! What an inspiration you are to all of us!
Cheers
Marianne
Hi Marianne,
I discovered your workouts awhile back and really enjoy them (except I don’t have kettlebells.) This one was excellent and I am doing IF for my second day and down already over 1 pound! Thanks so much.
Laura
Laura, glad you like this one. Not to discourage you, but the 1 lb is most likely water loss from depleted glycogen. But over the weeks it will be fat loss. You just need to persist. Let me know how it goes.
Cheers
Marianne
Hi Marianne, just finished the above workout and I must say I totally underestimated the exercices. I noted for the 1st time my reps and compared to yours, it’s a little embarassing 🙂
the push ups are a total disaster for me..any tips for getting some improvement there?
Any way, many thnks for sharing your workouts!
grtz
Danielle 🙂
PS: I started to do some IF since tuesday and today I took a 24 hours fast challenge tht will last until 6 pm. Are u already seeing results with IF?
Hi Danielle,
Glad you enjoyed the workout, it was challenging in its own way. With regards to push ups, in my experience the only way to get better at anything is to keep practicing, add pushups whenever you can. Add in different varieties of pushups too. Like change up or down the tempo. Always start out doing as many full push ups as you can then when you can’t do any more, don’t give up, just do partial or from the knees. There are special training protocols for push ups and pull ups, but I like doing my own thing, and I don’t like regimes – but it’s a practice makes perfect thing 🙂
I am seeing good result from IF, Andrew is seeing excellent results! Think the difference is that I still have to watch my total calories, because it’s easy to get carried away. Wereas Andrew is allowed to eat more, being a man 🙁 It sucks from that point of view because I could eat what he eats LOL
My Uncle is doing Eat Stop Eat and he’s lost 20lbs, and 7lbs in the last few weeks (while on holiday in France, eating out and drinking wine) Only thing he did was keep up his 2 fasts per week. Keep it up for a good few weeks and then you’ll start see real results. I love how I feel when I am fasting, feel so thin and light 😀
Cheers
Marianne
Awesome, awesome, workout! This one was really tough for me but I loved it. The slow push ups and close push ups really burned out my arms and the core work in the 12 minute cardio section was killer (and so was the cardio work)!
Thanks again Marianne for another great workout!
Thanks Carrie 😀 I wasn’t sure how this one would go down because it is so slow in places, but it burns 😉 My legs, chest, shoulders and core were on fire. Plus it was a nice morning, which helps make it an even better experience.
Cheers
Marianne
Love your workouts. I can’t wait until I’m fit enough to try them out.
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for commenting. Glad you like the workouts.
The only way to get fit enough is to modify the workouts to suit your level. All of my workouts can be made easier by decreasing weight, increasing rest periods, decreasing reps. I have a beginners body weight workout with some modifications. The link is below :
https://myomyfitness.com/beginners-body-burn/
I hope you will let me know how your fitness journey develops 😀
Cheers
Marianne