You may love the feeling exercising gives you, but undoubtedly there are times when putting aside an hour to work out just isn’t possible. That’s when combo moves that work your total body come in handy. Body weight exercises that you can do anywhere anytime have become my best friend as a busy new mom. This is not to say there aren’t benefits to isolation movements, but it all depends on your individual fitness goals. Regardless of how you choose to train, your time is precious and learning how to work more muscles in less time is always a plus. Make your quick workouts count with these combo moves that work both your upper and lower body.
Thigh Stretch with Tricep Extension– Kneel on the ground with your feet flexed and hold light weights in front of your chest with your elbows open wide. Squeeze your glutes and tighten your abs as you hinge as far back as you can. Keep your hips forward and your body in one line from your knees to the top of your head. Engage your quads to pull yourself back up without losing your form. Once back up, straighten your arms up above your head with the weights and bend your elbows to do one tricep extension. Bring the weights back to your chest to complete the rep and repeat starting from the thigh stretch. Do 15-20 reps.
V- Up to Back Extension– Lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms extended above your head. Use your core to come up into a V sit position balancing on your tailbone. Your arms will come forward reaching for your toes. Slowly lower back down and use your core to flip onto your stomach with your arms still over your head. Engage all the muscles in your backside to lift your upper and lower body up off the ground, pressing your hips into the floor. Hold this position and do 3 quick heel beats squeezing your inner thighs. Lower your body back down and flip to your back to complete one rep. Do 10 reps flipping in each direction.
Squat Jumpback to Push Up– Squat with your legs about shoulder width apart and keep your hands reaching down in front of your legs. Maintain a tight core and straight back. From here, lower your hands all the way down to the ground and jump your legs back into a pushup position. Do one push up before jumping your legs forward into your squat position again. Stay low as you lift just your hands and upper body back up. Do not straighten your legs. Go right into your next rep by placing your hands back on the floor and jumping the legs back. Do 2 sets of 10.
Side Plank Leg Lift Combo– Get into a side plank on your left forearm with your legs stacked in parallel. Place your top hand behind your head or on the floor if you need extra support. Do one hip dip and one leg lift lifting the top leg up to hip height and then lowering it back down. Rotate your body and place your right forearm and foot on the ground so that you are in a normal forearm plank. Continue to rotate into a side plank on the right side, lifting your left arm and leg. Repeat a hip dip and leg lift on your right side to complete one rep. Do 3 sets of 5.
What’s are some of your go-to exercises when you’re short on time?
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Video: Crystal Chin
