Tone Your Abs, Arms Ass With This 15-Minute Workout
There's a sure-fire way to quickly tone your three most in-demand areas for summer: your arms, abs, and ass. We talked to an expert Fitness Instructor at Equinox, to give us an easy 15-minute circuit for those "three As."
While the summer's warm weather welcomes al fresco dining, weekend jaunts to the beach, and evening strolls without so much as a coat, it also brings to reality that dreaded two-word phrase: bikini body. But no need to be insecure, ladies! We reached out to a Fitness Instructor at Equinox, Rachel Buschert, to discuss a brief, killer workout to zap three troublesome areas in which many women hold insecurity: arms, abs, and derrière.
But if you really want to see results, don't just stick to these three moves. "You need to do something for your entire body, and it needs to be high-intensity," said Buschert. "Of course you can work those specific muscle groups, but the main goal of the workout should be to get your heart rate up and to burn a lot of calories."
THE WORKOUT
The name: Squat, Thrust, Press
The move: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding five-10 pound weights in each hand. Squat like you're sitting back in a chair so that the dumbbells hit the floor. Then, step or jump into a high plank position. Jump back in, and as you stand up, do a bicep curl to finish.
The target: The plank works the core; the squat works the glutes; the bicep curl works the arms.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
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The name: High Plank Rotation
The move: Start in high plank with hands wider than shoulder-width. Go to do a push up, and as you lower your body raise a leg. When you come up, rotate your hips and come into a side-plank where one arm — the same side of the leg you raised — comes up. Lastly, pass back through high plank, and switch sides.
The target: The push up works the upper body; the side plank works the oblique.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
The name: Lat Pullover Variation
The move: Lie on your back with feet hip-width apart. With one five-10 pound dumbbell in each hands, do a crunch, and pass the dumbbell through your thighs. Keep the dumbbell there, and do a complete bridge. Retract the bridge, and finish the set with a crunch.
The target: The bridge works the glutes; the crunch works the abs; passing the dumbbell through works the arms.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
After each exercise, rest for 30 seconds before beginning the next one. Completing all three exercises counts as one set. Do three sets.
To add cardio between sets, jump rope.