X JUMP

• Stand with your feet slightly closer than shoulder width apart. Get into squat position with hands in fists, facing each other in front of your chest.
• Jump out of the squat forming an X midair, with your arms and legs extended 45 degrees.
• land softly and immediately descend into the next squat. Perform 2 sets for 25 reps.

TIP: Land with soft knees in squat to avoid joint shock.

SINGLE-LEG STRIKE

                  Works: Shoulder, Obliques, Thighs. 

• Stand with legs lunge-length apart, right leg back, holding a 10- to 15 pound dumbbell overhead.
• Draw your right knee upward and bring the dumbbell just outside your right knee, keeping your arms straight. Then touch the ball of your right foot on the floor behind you as you as you extend the dumbbell back overhead. Perform 2 sets of 25 reps.

TIP: On each rep tap tap the ball of your back foot briefly before striking knee upward.

SEATED BICEP CURL AND CRUNCH

WORKS: ABS; CORE

• Sit on the edge of a flat bench and hold dumbbels at your sides, palms facing up. Lift your feet off the floor to bench height, keeping your knees at 90 degrees. Lean back until your torso is about 45 degrees to the bench surface.
• Holding this angle as much as possible, perform a bicep curl with both arms while while drawing your knees toward your chest.
• Extend your arms back to your sides and lower your feet toward the floor, but without touching down. Perform one set of 20 reps and one set set of 16 reps.

TIP: Hold a dumbbell between your feet for added lower-ab engagement.

DUMBBELL CHEST SCOOP

Works: Chest, Arms, Core

TIP: For better leg muscle recruitment, bend knees and sink more.

• Stand with your right leg foot two feet behind you, keeping both legs slightly bent. Hold dumbbells as 12 inches from you hips with your palms facing forward.
• Bring the dumbbells forward in a scooping motion until they form a V, at chin level return dumbbells to sides, keeping your core engaged. Repeat with your left leg staggered behind you. Thats one set. Perform two sets of 20 reps.

POP-UP PLANK

Works: Shoulders, Core

• Get in a plank position on a Bosu, flat-side down, with your forearms about 6 inches apart and fists facing each other.
• Using your core and upper body, pop up into a full plank position, then land with your palms flat on the Bosu.
• Pop your forearms back down onto the Bosu, landing with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Perform two sets of 12 reps.

TIP: Energy comes from your core. Take a deep breath to explode up and down.

OFFSET PUNCH AND LUNGE

Works: Shoulders, Arms, Core, Legs

• Stand with feet staggered approximately 30 inches apart, hands in front of chest holding dumbbells at shoulder height, with palms facing each other.
• Descend into a lunge and simultaneously punch the left arm forward, rotating your left arm until your left palm faces down. Rise up from the lunge and return the dumbbell toward your chest. Perform two sets of 20 reps. Repeat with your left leg forward, punching wiith your right arm.

TIP: Keep the negative movement (returning the weights back to the chest) as tight and controlled as the contraction.

DUMBBELL TWISTING LUNGE

Works: Shoulders, Core, Legs.

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width and hold a 2 to 4kg dumbbell with both hands at chest height, with your arms extended forward.
• Rotate your torso and pivot on your feet to the left while dropping your right knee into a lunge until its about four inches from the floor.
• The dumbbell should be over your left foot, and your abs engaged.
• Rise up from the lunge and twist your torso and arms around the right , dropping your left knee into a lunge four inches from the floor. Move from left to right seamlessly without pausing. Do two sets of 20 reps each side.

TIP: Make sure to keep your front knee from drifting past your toes while lunging.

by Cat Perry