The 30min Workout, at Home & Around! by guest expert Hani Assi

Yes, we all experience our lazy days, and yes, there are (endless) times where we turn into fearful five year olds not wanting to move, use the stairs, go to the gym or even for a walk..But, how about we change that? No more excuses, as you won’t need a gym membership for this one. Just your neighbourhood or even your own home. This is your challenge to get moving and get into shape. The following is what a fitness expert would prescribe to get you moving for 30 minutes!

For this total-body workout, all you need to develop your fitness and musculature is your own body weight that will provide resistance to help you achieve your goals.

These home exercises will burn the extra fat and get you in very good condition quickly. I recommend that you do this routine for three days a week on non-consecutive days: Start with exercise number 1 and do as many repetitions as you can in 1 minute. Then, move on to the rest of the exercises and do as many reps as you can in 1 minute. This will be the pattern that you will have to follow to complete all exercises listed below.

The Target: Total body workout with emphasis on stressing your cardiovascular system.

The Challenge:

• Try to complete 3 rounds of the circuit while resting no longer than 1-2 minutes at the end of each circuit.
• Aim to break your own personal record for how many reps you perform in each exercise every week.

Hip Extension

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels on the floor toes pointing up. Place your arms at an angle out to your sides, palms up. Raise your hips, keeping your body straight from shoulders to knees. Hold for one or two seconds. Brace your abs and lift your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 2 counts, and then lower your right foot. Repeat with the other leg.
• Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.

Plank with Leg Lift

Start at the top of a push up, then bend your elbows to lower yourself and shift your weight onto your forearms; your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs and glutes (butt) (a). Lift one foot 10 cm, foot flexed (b). Hold for 2 counts, then lower and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating.

Keep It Straight: Your hips should always stay parallel to the floor, even when you’re raising a leg. Make sure you fire the glutes all throughout the exercise.

Body-Weight Power Squat

(a) Bend forward from the knees and allow your hips to tilt back. Keep your back straight, chin up, and knees pointing forward in the direction of your feet throughout the exercise. (b) Take your arms behind your back . (c&d) Jump while fully extending your knees and hips, land back as in (b) position.

Check: make sure your form is correct and your landing is soft and do not let your knees buckle up while jumping or landing.

Push up or Incline Push up

 

Begin with your hands just outside of your shoulders. Keep your abdominals firm so that your stomach doesn’t sag towards the floor and glutes squeezed. You can choose a normal push up or an incline push up using a height that is challenging enough. Incline push ups are easier to perform.

Standing Mountain Climber

Add a cardio component by jogging in place for 30 seconds, bringing your knees up to hip level. Drop to the floor, get into a plank position, and quickly alternate bringing your knees to your chest for 30 seconds.

Jumping  Jacks

Stand with your feet close together and your arms at your sides, then simultaneously raise your arms out to the sides and over your head, and jump your feet out so they are slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Without pausing, quickly reverse the movement. Repeat.

 Inverted Row using a Table

Lay under a sturdy table and hold onto the edge making sure it’s a steady one. For an easy version of the inverted row exercise you can bend your knees and keep your feet flat while pulling your body up toward the table. To increase difficulty, extend your legs fully. Keep the form straight, glutes squeezed and toes pointing upward.

Alternating Reverse Lunge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips, chest up, and shoulders back . Keeping your upper body still and core tight, take a large step back with your right foot, then bend both knees to lower into a lunge. Press through your left heel to return to standing. Repeat, stepping back with your left foot. That’s one rep. Continue alternating.

About our guest writer :  Hani is a Sports Performance Specialist and a Fitness Professional based in London, specialising in fat loss, muscle gain and nutrition. He holds a Masters degree in Strength and Conditioning in addition to professional qualifications in the fitness industry.

Got any burning fitness questions for Hani? Send us an email to info@nutrition-az.com and will make sure he gets back to you!