The Public Body Workout for Halloween Hotness and Awesomeness
Are you planning to dress up this Halloween as sexy pizza slice, sexy french fries or sexy cheeseburger? Or maybe you're really wild, and you're thinking of sexy coffee mug or sexy Swiffer mop. Well if you are planning on these or other costumes that expose flesh in a not-so-subtle way, we have you covered...so that you can be uncovered! Here's our first workout for Halloween hotness and awesomeness!* After your warm up and/or movement prep, perform each exercise for one minute or to the point at which you cannot do one more quality rep. Because the movements alternate muscles worked, you should limit rest to 10 seconds between exercises. We've also included tips to progress some of the exercises for increased awesomeness. Repeat the entire circuit for 3 rounds with 1 minute of rest between rounds.
1. Classic Pushup (works chest, triceps, core and shoulders) Get into a high plank position, with hands and elbows directly below your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from your heels to your head. With control, drop your chest completely to the ground, then push yourself up back to the high plank position. To make this more challenging, put your feet on an unstable surface like a medicine ball, basketball or Bosu. If you need an adaptation, drop your knees to the ground as you push your body up from the ground.
-Increased awesomeness: once you feel like you cannot complete one more rep, hold the pushup position at the halfway point and perform small pulses in a small range of motion for 10-15 seconds.
2. Good Mornings (works glutes, lower back and hamstrings) Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hands behind your head. Keep the abs tight and knees only very slightly bent. From this position, hinge forward at the hips like you are bowing forward until your torso is parallel to the ground. Be sure to keep your lower back active and slightly arched, and shoulders back so that you back stays as flat as possible. Return to standing position and repeat.
-Increased awesomeness: Hold a weight close to your chest to make this movement more challenging.
3. Sumo Squat (quads, hamstrings, glutes) Start in a wide stance, with feet just beyond shoulder distance apart. Point your toes outward. Keeping your back straight, torso upright and arms straight out in front of you, drop your hips straight down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then return to starting position.
-Increased awesomeness: When you get to the bottom of the sumo squat, raise both heels off the ground, balance and pulse three times before returning to standing. Then lower heels and repeat the entire pattern.
4. Crab Walks (works triceps, core, hamstrings) Start sitting on the floor with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place hand flat on the floor behind you. (fingers can point forward or backward depending on what feels most comfortable for you). Press through you hands and feet to raise your butt and hips off the ground. Be sure to keep your shoulders down and back! From this position walk forward for 8 "steps" and then back for 8 "steps."
-Increased awesomeness: After each 8 steps forward, raise the hips up high, extend one leg forward and off the ground and perform 8-10 small triceps dips. Then return to crab position, walk back for 8 steps, raise hips and the opposite leg and perform 8-10 more triceps dips. Repeat.
5. Frog Jumps (works, calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes) Start with feet wider than shoulder width apart and toes pointed outward. Drop your hips lower than you knees, but keep your chest and torso upright. From this starting position, explode into the air extending your legs outward and arms into the air. (Your body will look like and "X"). Land softly and be sure to reset into your original "frog" position. Reps should be quality over quantity.
6. Bird-Dog Pushup (works...really everything) Perform a pushup as described above. However, when you reach the top of your pushup, raise the right leg off the ground and the left arm forward and off the ground. Hold for 3-5 seconds, return to high plank position and lower down to your pushup. When you return to the high plank position, raise the left leg off the ground and right arm forward and off the ground. Repeat alternating arm/leg.
7. Superman with abduction (works glutes, lower back) Start by laying flat on your belly with arm extending forward. Keeping your legs and arms straight raise your chest, arms and legs off the ground and hold. From this position open the legs about 6 inches (abduction), then close and lower all to the ground. Repeat this pattern.
Now go get hot. Get awesome. Get ready to dress as sexy can opener!
XO Public Body
*Always consult a physician before starting any fitness program.