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11.2.12

More often than not, we find ourselves rushing around town in a frenzy just trying to get everything done and look fabulous all the while. While we plow through work, errands and obligations, essentials like exercise can take a backseat. Sometimes we’re too far from a fitness studio or just in one of those moods where the gym isn’t going to cut it. For days like that we’ve devised a series of do-anywhere workouts to help you fit fitness into your day, no matter where life takes you.

Our first stop is the local park, where swings stand in for suspension bands and benches double as tricep sculptors. Using gravity and your body weight can be just as, if not more, effective than pumping iron or rotating between fancy machinery! Multiple muscles are used in this sequence, giving you a killer workout in record time (not to mention a healthy Vitamin D glow)!

Do two sets of each move, either in succession or in two separate rounds. Aim to go straight from one exercise to the next leaving little room for recovery to expedite the process and keep the fire burning.

  • Swing Set Pikes

    Hook your feet into the seat of a swing set, and walk your arms out so they fall in line with your shoulders and your back is flat. Contract your abdominal muscles while pulling your knees towards your triceps and lifting up into a pike position. Make sure your arms remain straight and stationary. Return to starting position with control and repeat for 20 reps.

  • Hanging Leg Raises

    Find a tall bar (monkey bars, swing set, etc) and hang from the pole with hands shoulder's width apart. Keeping your gaze forward and neck relaxed, slowly raise your knees up to your chest. Lower and repeat for 20 reps. Make sure to keep your shoulders relaxed, and to use your core - not momentum!

  • Bench Jumps

    Stand with feet about shoulder's width apart, spine straight, arms bent by your sides. Bend at the knees with weight in the heels, and jump onto the bench with knees bent. Jump back down and repeat 10-20 reps. Make sure you are utilizing your heels as springs, and that you do not land with straight legs. We want to keep those beautiful knees protected and strong!

  • Incline Push-Up To Side Plank

    Stand with your hands shoulder's width apart on a low wall or bench, body diagonal with the ground and feet hip's width apart. Make sure your abs and glutes are engaged - your pelvis should be in line with your spine and your shoulders should neither be hunched or crunched up by your ears. Slowly lower your body towards the wall while maintaining the same alignment, bending elbows out at your sides. Push back up and then rotate your body to the left into a side plank. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then reverse the motion so you end back at the starting position. Repeat on the right side and complete 10-20 reps on each side.

  • Straight-Leg Bench Tricep Dips

    With your back turned, place your hands shoulder's width apart on a bench. Move your feet as far out as possible while keeping a straight spine and arms parallel with the ground. Keep a very slight bend in your arms to avoid locking out your elbows - you want the work in the triceps, not the elbows. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, keep them tucked by your sides, and slowly lower your body towards the ground. Press up through your hands and return to starting position with triceps still engaged. Repeat 20 times.

  • Don't Forget:

    Remember to stretch, wear sunscreen, and hydrate to keep you glowing from the inside out!

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