Total Body Supersets Workout #1

You guys!!  I finally have a workout ready to go for you!  I know, I know.  It’s not exactly brain surgery to take some pictures and post them on here, but I struggle with this thing called perfectionism.  Every heard of that?

Yeah, I’ve been plagued with it my whole life…  Perfect grades in school?  Winning every race?  Perfect “looks?”  The leading soprano in every opera?  Yep, I’ve always wanted it all…perfectly.  And now I want the perfect blog.  Oh golly…time to chill out.

So, it doesn’t look quite as snazzy as I envisioned in my head, but, hey, it’s still a great workout, and it’s still one that I would recommend as a great, short, at-home workout.  The workouts that I post, unless otherwise noted, are ones that I write myself either for myself or for a client (or both).  So this is my basement.  This is my simple home gym equipment, and these pictures were graciously taken by my hubby even though he’s sick and just wanted to go to bed.  (Bless you, Hubsters!)

Ever struggle with perfectionism?  Ever find that it holds you back from your goals and dreams because you don’t want to start something unless you can finish it completely and perfectly?  Here’s my advice: just start.  Whatever it is.  Just start with a small, easy step.  Want to start working out but afraid you’ll look ridiculous?  Workout in your basement when everyone’s asleep.  Want to try a new recipe but afraid you’ll mess it up?  Just make it, and give it a different name if it comes out looking/tasting like something else.  Seriously.  Just start!

And now, to our workout…

I often start my at-home strength training sessions with five minutes of jump rope.  I just set a timer for five minutes and do regular leg jump rope interspersed with single leg jumping rope and some double unders.  It took me a while to get the hang of those!  If you haven’t jumped rope since elementary school, don’t worry.  It’s a great workout skill to develop all over again (and you’ll realize what great shape kids are in!).

Now I am a big fan of circuit training (performing all of the exercises in a row, taking a very short rest, and then continuing again for another one, two, or more rounds of the exercises).  However, this workout consists of three supersets, of which I am also a big fan.  (Basically, I’m a fan of any strength training workout where I don’t have to sit around and rest…because I’m all about getting the workout done in a short period of time.)  In a superset, we go back and forth between two exercises that work opposing muscle groups.  So, while you’re doing one exercise, your muscles are resting from the previous exercise but your heart rate stays up the whole time!  Winning!  Cardio workout AND strength training?  I love it!  (And also why you don’t have to love running…get your cardio here, folks.)

I’d put this workout in the intermediate category of workouts.  I’m including some options for modifications below.  Please don’t feel badly if you need to modify.  Remember our goal here?  Just start!  Do what you can, and please never do what hurts in a bad way (good pain from hard work is applauded!).

So here we go…

Superset #1: Single Leg Bench Step Downs + Towel Plank Jack In-and-Outs

Single Leg Bench Step Downs

Complete 10 Reps per Leg!

Modifications for Single Leg Bench Step Downs:

• Skip the Dumbbell; just use your body weight.
• Use a very stable stair (rather than a squishy bench!) and give yourself something to hold onto.
• Kick it Up a Notch: Use a heavier dumbbell or hold the dumbbell over your head.

Towel Plank Jack In-and-Outs

     

Modifications for Towel Plank Jack In-and-Outs:

• Skip the towel and just walk feet out/in and up/back.
• Just do a plank if the walking plank jack is too advanced.
• Kick it Up a Notch: increase the number of repetitions.

(Complete 2-4 rounds of Superset #1 before moving on to Superset #2.)

Superset #2: Reverse Lunge to Single Leg Shoulder Press + Standing Oblique Crunch

Reverse Lunge to Single Leg Shoulder Press

      

Complete 6-8 Reps per Leg!

Modifications for Reverse Lunge to Single Leg Shoulder Press:

• After the lunge, stand on both feet while doing the shoulder press.
• Skip the weight, and just use body weight.
• Kick it Up a Notch: stand on a foam pad or balance disc.

Standing Oblique Crunch

Complete 15-20 Reps per side!  (Smiling is optional, but encouraged.)

Modifications for Standing Oblique Crunch:

• Skip the weight; just use your body weight.  You might be surprised how much you can feel this one even without the weight!
• Kick it Up a Notch: use a heavier dumbbell!  (I know, I know. You never would have thought of that on your own. You’re welcome.)

(Complete 2-4 rounds of Superset #2 before moving on to Superset #3.)

Superset #3: Chin-ups/Pull-ups + Pop Squats

Chin-ups/Pull-ups

     

Complete 10 Reps!

Modifications for Chin-ups/Pull-ups:

• Chin-ups are pictured (palms facing you); pull-ups are harder (palms facing away from you).
• Stand on a chair that’s tall enough to start at the top of the movement (second photo); then slowly return to straight arms.
• Stand on a chair and jump up to the top; then slowly come down to straight arms.
• Kick it Up a Notch: Seriously?  You need to make pull-ups harder?  I applaud you.  Do some more reps or tie a weight around your waist like my Hubsters used to do in college and totally made me want to date him…

Pop Squats

     

Start in a squat position, jump your feet in to standing, and jump back to a squat.

Aim to complete 15-25 reps!

Modifications for Pop Squats:

• Instead of jumping in between the two positions pictured, just step in and out of the positions.
• Kick it Up a Notch: hold a dumbbell in front of your chest.

(Complete 2-4 rounds of Superset #3, and then you’re done!)

What do you think?  Tried this workout at home?  How’d it go?