A workout buddy keeps you going
You know what they say about couples who work out together? Nothing, actually, but partnering with an exercise buddy has been shown in studies to improve the likelihood that you will stick to a fitness regimen — particularly if that person is emotionally supportive. So whether you’re looking for a healthy way to spend more time with your significant other or want some fresh workout ideas to try with your BFF, this full-body circuit from online fitness program FitazFK is a great place to start. Here’s how it works: Begin with a five-minute stretch and warm-up. Decide who is person A and who is person B and begin with the first exercise. Person A should be completing exercise 1a, and person B should be completing 1b. Next, set a stopwatch for one minute and complete 14 reps of the first exercise. If you finish early, you get the remainder of the minute to rest before starting the next minute and swapping exercises (so that person A is doing exercise 1b and person B is doing exercise 1a). Complete three sets of each exercise before moving onto 2a and 2b, and so forth. This couple-friendly variation of the FitazFK method keeps you in the ultimate fat-burning zone while increasing your metabolic rate to keep you burning calories for hours after you leave the gym.
For more heart-pumping workout ideas, visit the FitazFK website.
1A: Sumo squat
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and with your toes externally rotated. Tense your ab muscles, bum and thighs. Keeping your heels firmly on the ground, lower your body while simultaneously pushing your bum out, as if you are sitting in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position by pressing upward through your heels and extending your legs.
1B: Weighted squat
Position your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Hold the kettlebell or dumbbell at chest level and tense your abs, bum, and thighs. Keeping your heels firmly on the ground and your elbows high, lower your body, simultaneously pushing your bum out, as if you are sitting in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Drive through your heels, creating force from your bum and press the weight up in one overhead motion. Return the weight to your chest and starting position. 2A: Lunges Stand tall with your hands on your hips and your legs hipwidth apart. Step one foot out in front of you. Lower your back knee so it’s approximately under your hip. This should now create a right angle in both knees. Push back through your front foot and return it back to your starting position. Repeat on the other side without moving forward.
2B: Elevated pelvic lifts
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on an elevated surface. Squeeze your buttocks together, and lift your hips off the floor. Hold for one second and then return to the starting position.
3A: Weighted arabesques
Stand on your right foot with a soft bend in your knee, your back straight, and your shoulders pulled back. Hold the kettlebell or dumbbell in your left hand. Keep a soft bend in your knee and your lower back flat as you bend forward so that the weight nearly touches the floor. Pull your body back up to a standing position and repeat.
3B: Pushups
Place both hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulderwidth apart. Position your feet almost together behind your body and in a straight line. Tense your ab muscles, bum, and thighs. Lower your body until your chest is two fists away from the floor; pause for one second, then return to the top.
4A: Glider side lunges
Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart, with your right foot on the glider. Keep your hands in front of your chest throughout the exercise to help you stay balanced. Put weight on your left leg, and as you slowly bend your left knee and squat down, slide your right foot out to the side. Then, as you slowly straighten your leg, slide the right foot back in. Ensure that most of your weight remains on the leg that’s not moving.
4B: V-Up
Lie on the ground with your back flat to the ground and your arms and legs pointing straight up. Slightly lift your arms and legs slightly off the ground, maintaining a strong midsection and a hollow rock position. Draw your fingertips to your toes and finish in a V position. Once you touch your toes, slowly descend to your original position. Ready, set, work out!