Good Morning! I hope everyone you are doing well on this chilly morning. My morning started off with a bowl of TJ’s Pumpkin O’s and a mug of warm cinnamon coffee. Now I’m writing this post before heading into work!
// Blogging in bed with coffee + Winston //
Today, I am bringing you a kickass Boot Camp that will have you dripping sweat 5 minutes in. I used this workout in my Boot Camp class yesterday and I was struggling, letmetellya. Not exercising this weekend combined with Halloween shenanigans did not do me any favors, but I think regardless of how I acted this weekend, this would have kicked my butt anyways. No question.
This Boot Camp keeps your heart rate up thanks to my beloved burpees and the stair run and focuses on leg, deltoids, and chest strength. What I love most about Boot Camps is not only are they insanely tough, but can be modified to the point where all fitness levels can find a version that works for them.
Equipment Needed:
-A set of dumbbells (I used 8 lbs)
-A mat
-A step with risers (or some sort of sturdy ledge or surface)
[DISCLAIMER: Always consult your physician before starting or changing an existing an exercise plan. Change exercises to what is safe for you and your health.]
Exercises:
(Modifications Below)
1. High Pull/Front Raise Combo: Stand with your feet about shoulder distance apart with a nice, firm stance. Hold the dumbbells in front of your hips with your palms facing you. As you keep your core engaged, bring the weights up to your chin as your elbows point out. Slowly bring your weights back to the starting position to complete the High Pull portion. Next, while keeping a slight bend in the elbows but having your arms almost straight, lift the weights out in front of you, but not going higher than your shoulder. Return to resting position. (This completes one repetition).
2. 1-Leg Burpee: Stand on one leg. Start off by jumping up as high as you can. As you land, immediately bring your hands down to the ground. Jump your foot back and you will then find yourself in single-leg plank. Complete one pushup, jump your foot back to your hands and stand up. (Complete 5 on each leg).
3. Dips: Sit down on the step or sturdy surface. Place your hands on the step right next to your hips. Move your feet forward and shift your hips forward off the step (keep your backside close to the step!). Lower your hips straight down towards the ground while keeping your elbows pointing behind you. Push straight up, completing one repetition.
4. Split Squat: Place one foot on the step and the other foot on the ground in front of it. While keeping all the weight in the heel of the front foot, drop the back knee down towards the ground. Push through the front heel back to standing. Be sure to have the front foot out far enough that when you bend the front leg, you knee stays behind your toes!
5. Box Jump Burpees: Face the step and jump both feet up onto the step. As you jump both feet back down, immediately bring your hands to the ground and jump your feet back into a plank. Complete one pushup, then jump your feet back to your hands and come to standing. Be sure that your whole foot in firmly planted on top of the step when completing the box jumps.
6. Squat-to-Bench: Stand so that your backside faces the step. With your feet about hip distance apart and your toes pointing forward, squat down to where you feel your hips tap the bench. Push up through your heels back to standing. As you squat down, be sure to keep your knees stacked above your ankles, your spine straight, belly button pulled in, and all the weight in your heels!
7. Decline Pushups: Place your feet on the step and your hands on the ground underneath your shoulders. While keeping your core engaged and your back straight, lower your chest towards the ground, and push straight back up.
8. Plank Shifts: Place your forearms on the ground while keeping your elbows underneath your shoulders and your legs extended out with your toes on the ground. While keeping your back flat the whole time, use your toes to shift your body weight forward and then back to the starting position. Be sure to keep your core engaged the entire time, or else you may feel this in your lower back which we don’t want to happen.
9. Stair Run: Depending on what’s available to you, run to the top of the stairwell and back down. I had access to a stairwell that had 5 flights of stairs, but just work with what ya got!
Modifications:
1. High Pull/Front Raise Combo: If the weights you select seem to be too difficult, either use lighter weight or complete the exercises on one arm at a time (example: high pull on the right arm, front raise on the right arm, & same on the left).
2. 1-Leg Burpee: There are a ton of modifications for burpees! Simple ways to make this easier are to take out the pushup and/or the jump. If doing the burpee on one leg is too much, switch to regular burpees where you are on both feet. If doing the regular burpee, you can either jump your feet back and forward from the plank position, or walk each foot back and forth, to slow it down a bit.
3. Dips: You can bend your knees and bring your feet closer to you for a smaller range of motion for the dips. You can also make the step lower to the ground. To make harder, go lower! You can also place a weight on your lap for extra resistance.
4. Split Squat: To make easier, complete the lunges on the ground and not on the step. To make harder, hold a weight in front of your chest or place a barbell over your shoulders. Also, you can make these into a plyometric exercise and complete these on the TRX instead of the step.
5. Box Jump Burpees: To modify, step up and down on and off the step to take out the box jump. As for modifying the burpee, either complete the pushup or take it out. Also, instead of bringing your hands all the way to the ground, place your hands on the step to complete the pushup. To make harder, add risers to make your step higher!
6. Squat-to-Bench: To modify, do not worry about touching the step; just go as low as you can. To make harder, make this a jump squat!
7. Decline Pushups: To modify, remove the step from the equation and complete the pushups either on the mat or against the wall. To make harder, add risers to the step to make it higher. You can also lift one leg up, resulting in one-leg decline pushups.
8. Plank Shifts: To modify, instead of shifting, just hold a plank. To make harder, put your feet into a TRX!
9. Stair Run: Substitute with another form of a high intensity cardio burst!
Comment below if you try to the boot camp! Have a great day!!
xo Sara
