TONE YOUR ARMS AND ABS FOR A SUMMER OUTSIDE
Renew Houston is here to help you transition back outside this summer. In this week’s workout, Karly Mendez, a trainer and human performance specialist at Memorial Hermann Sports Park-Katy, shares a 30minute circuit workout for people at any fitness level.
For this circuit, start with 10 repetitions of each move, doing three rounds — or as many as you can complete in a 30-minute fitness break.
Pushups
Begin on the floor on all fours, positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs back, balancing on your hands and toes. Keep your body straight without dropping your hips. Engage your core by pulling your bellybutton toward your spine. Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself to the ground until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Exhale as you push back up through your hands to the start position. Keep elbows slightly bent.
Tips: If you can’t prevent your back and core muscles from sagging in the middle, modify this pushup: Followthe steps above on your knees, keeping core engaged.
Metronome
Begin by lying with your back flat against the floor with your hands out to the side of your body, palms down. Your body should form a T. Raise your legs — keep them straight or you can modify by bending to 90 degrees. Pull your bellybutton toward the ground and anchor your lower back to the ground. Lower legs to one side. As they touch the ground, reverse your direction and lower legs to the other side.
Tips: Pick a spot on the ceiling for concentration.
Dead bugs
Lie down, and extend arms straight over chest, making a perpendicular angle with your torso. Bend your knees so they form a 90-degree angle, lifting feet from the ground. Engage core, maintaining contact between lower back and the floor. Make sure spine maintains this neutral position through the exercise. Keeping arms in the starting position, slowly reach left arm back, over your head and toward the floor while extending right knee and hip, reaching right heel toward the floor. Stop the movement just before arm and leg touch the ground. Reverse the movement to the opposite sides by keeping left arm and right leg steady as right arm and left leg are extending. Tips: Go slow and keep your lower back on the floor.
Tricep dips
Begin sitting on a chair with your arms at your side and feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Position your hands so palms on the chair are beside hips. Move torso forward, off the chair with arms extended. Your glutes should hover over the floor. Let knees bend slightly; position feet on the floor a few inches in front of knees. Slowly lower body, hinging at the elbows until they form a 90-degree angle. Push up to starting position with arms fully extended. Increase the difficulty of this exercise by straightening your legs and placing heels on the ground instead of your whole foot. Modify this exercise by sitting on the ground with hands behind your back — elbows point backward, with fingers on the floor by your feet. Raise your hip until your body is in a line, then bring feet more forward in front. Slowly bend elbows, sinking down, and push your body back up again. Tips: Keep elbows straight behind you — close to your body, not outward. Keep shoulders relaxed.
Plank shoulder taps
This exercise can be modified on your knees. Begin in a plank position with hands under shoulders and feet hip-width apart. Keeping core muscles tight and engaged, touch your right shoulder with your left hand, followed by touching your left shoulder with your right hand. Keep alternating sides.
Tips: Keep spine, head and neck aligned, back flat and hips level with the floor.