Lil'Fytness Fanatik's FitFix

Lil'Fytness Fanatik's FitFix of the Month

No fries with these combos, thank you very much!

Are you still using the excuse that you don't have time to work out?

Sorry, I'm not buying it! You can fit a full body workout routine into twenty minutes! Here are are a couple of combinations that can help shave time off your workout while keeping it balanced.

Combo #1:

Plie squat/bicep curl(or regular squat for all you guys out there that won't plie):
To perform this combo, stand with feet as far apart as possible while maintaining your balance(if you are doing regular squats, shoulder width is fine.) Start with dumbbells(or soup can's, bricks, whatever you can find!) in hand, arms extended down between your legs(or at your sides for regular squats), palms facing forward(that's supinated for you anatomy buffs).

Sink deeply into your plie squat for two counts, being careful not to extend your knees past your toes. Keep you back flat and your abs tucked in tightly.

As you come back up to the starting position, raise your dumbbells in a bicep curl, being careful to keep your elbows positioned close to your waist, and remember to squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the movement.

- Only bring the dumbbells to the point where you have about a 15 degree
bend in your arm, beyond that is not necessary. SQUEEZE!

As you bring your dumbbells back down in a controlled fashion to the starting position, begin lowering into your plie squat. Your body should move like a piston, starting the next movement just as the other finishes - up and down, up and down - you dig?

- Remember to exhale as you lift or come up out of your squat and exhale as you lower your weights and your body into the squat. Once you get the hang of it this is pretty fun. Before know it, your 10-15 reps will be over and it will be time to take a break. After about 30 seconds, try it again! Third time is a charm ;)

Combo #2:

Shoulder Press/Stationary lunge
This combo is similar to the one above. This time, you begin by holding your weight at your shoulders, elbows pointing down down to the floor. Your legs should be positioned such that your right leg is about one foot in front of you and the left is about one foot behind you, somewhat like an open pair of scissors(is that a good visual cue?).

To begin, lower your hips towards the ground while keeping your pelvis tilted forward slightly, and be sure to keep your knee above your ankle so that you can see your toes if you look down.

- Ideally you should be trying to form a ninety degree angle at the knee of your right leg.

Raise yourself back up to the beginning position, squeezing that right hamstring and glute while you're at it. Just as you reach the starting position, press your weights up towards the ceiling, tracing an arc with your hands while keeping your palms facing forward and your wrists straight.

This is where the piston action comes into play again - start lowering into that lunge just as you bring those weights back down to the starting position. Really, this is fun once you get the hang of it. Remember your breathing, and focus on maintaining good form - watch your knees and keep those abs tight!

When you've completed your first set on the right, switch the position of your legs so that your left foot is forward, and repeat. Have fun.