30 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı DECEMBER 2013

By Amy SchlingerPh

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by Ja

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short on time? Try one of these four supercharged, body-toning workouts. It’s normal to be short on time during

the holiday season. You tend to make

sacrifces in order to get things done

like shopping, cooking, entertaining

and spending time visiting with family.

Sometimes your workouts don’t make

the cut because you just can’t ft them

in. Don’t ignore your ftness this holiday

season. Here are four no-excuse workouts

you can do in less than 20 minutes in the

comfort of your own home.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) involves workouts where you perform at 100 percent effort for a short time, followed by a short and sometimes active recovery. “All out intensity efforts resulting in shortness of breath require the body to take in excess oxygen post-exercise in order to recover,” says Eric Salvador, head instructor at The Fhiiting Room studio in New York City. “This process, commonly referred to as after burn, boosts metabolism for hours post-exercise.” Get your burn on with this HIIT workout. Repeat the entire circuit twice.

Equipment Needed: Jump rope

Interval 1• Jump rope for one minute (aim for

80-100 reps)• Do 10 squat thrusts. How to do it:

Stand with your feet together, squat down keeping your knees in line with your ankles, place your hands on the foor next to your feet. Jump your feet backwards into a pushup position. Then jump feet back in and return to standing. Add intensity by jumping after you stand up.

• Do 10 pushups. How to do it: Get into plank position. Keeping your elbows as close to your body as possible, bend your elbows and lower yourself down as close to the ground as you can without touching the ground. Push yourself back up.

Interval 2• Jump rope for one minute (aim for

80-100 reps)• Do 8 squat thrusts• Do 8 pushups

Interval 3• Jump rope for one minute (aim for

80-100 reps)• 6 squat thrusts• 6 pushups

Interval 4• Jump rope for one minute (aim for

80-100 reps)• Do 4 squat thrusts• Do 4 pushups

Interval 5• Jump rope for one minute (aim for

80-100 reps)• Do 2 squat thrusts• Do 2 pushups

HIIT WORKOUT

Workout #1

31DECEMBER 2013 ı WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

Vinyasa yoga, also known as fow, builds heat and focuses on getting your heart rate up. “These poses not only awaken and open the front and back of the body,” says Karen Kassover, certifed yoga instructor at Sports Club/LA and Reebok Sports Club/NY in New York City, “They also strengthen your core, arms and legs, energize your spine and center your mind.” Find your calm during this busy time of year by trying this sequence from Kassover.

1. Start in chair pose – utkatasana, feet together, knees slightly bent, arms extended at 45 degrees in front of you, abs engaged and back straight. Hold for 8 deep breaths, working the lower body, thighs and quads.

2. Fold forward into a standing forward bend, arms hanging forward head relaxed. 3. From here step (beginner) or jump (advanced) back into chatarunga, hands on the ground, legs fully

position. Jump your feet back up to your

hands. Stand up and jump as high as your

can. Return to starting position. Repeat for

20 seconds.

Tabata 2: Alternating Reverse LungeTargets: lower body, quads, glutes,

adductors, calves, hamstrings

How To Do It: Stand tall, arms at your sides,

and take a step backwards with your

right leg. Lower down to a squat, bending

both knees to 90 degrees. Keep right hip

directly in line with your right knee, heel

lifted and left knee directly over your

left ankle. Continue to lower until your

right knee almost touches the foor. Using

your legs, raise back up to start position.

Repeat stepping back with the left leg.

Tabata 3: Speed SkatersTargets: cardio

How To Do It: Stand with your feet hip-

width apart, arms at your sides. Hop as

far as you can to your right and land on

your right foot, sweeping your left leg

diagonally behind you, while swinging your

left arm across your body and right arm

behind your back. Jump to the left and

repeat on the opposite side.

Tabata 4: Caterpillar Crawl to PushupTargets: upper body, core, shoulders,

chest, arms, legs

How To Do It: Begin standing with feet

together. Bend over all the way, touching

your hands to the ground. Walk your

hands forward until your body is in a

pushup position. Perform a pushup.

Walk your hands back towards your feet

and stand up.

Tabata 5: V-Ups Targets: core, abs

How To Do It: Lie down on your back on

the foor, legs extended straight, arms

straight back overhead. Keeping your

legs straight and feet together, lift your

legs into the air as you simultaneously

raise your arms and upper body off the

ground. Slowly return back to starting

position.

extended behind you, elbows bent close to your body, chest on the ground.4. Inhale into upward dog, pushing hands into the ground to raise chest up and through as your extend your arms,

making sure to engage your legs and keep your core tight. 5. Exhale into downward dog, pushing back into your feet so they are fat on the foor, butt in the air, arms and legs

fully extended, back straight and core engaged. Hold 5 breaths.6. Step right foot forward into Warrior 1 (virabhadrasana I), right knee bent directly over right ankle, left leg straight

with toe pointing towards the left wall, arms reach up, and overhead, back arched to lift chest upward. Hold 8 breaths.

7. Open to Warrior 2 (virabharasana II), twisting your upper body to the left, right arm extended straightforward, left arm extended towards the back wall. Hold for 8 breaths.

8. Cartwheel hands to the foor and lower into chartangua. 9. Inhale into upward dog and exhale into downward dog. Hold 5 breaths.10. Jump forward to the front of the mat and fold forward. Bend knees back into chair pose.Repeat sequence 5 times from the beginning.

VINYASA YOGA

TABATA PROTOCOLTabata is a particular form of high

intensity training that can help improve

not only aerobic systems but anaerobic

as well. And it can be done in four

minutes fat. “Tabata is amazing

because in as little as four minutes you

can increase your aerobic capacity,

anaerobic capacity, VO2 max, resting

metabolic rate and burn more fat

than a traditional 60-minute aerobic

workout,” says Caitlin McGowan, Group

Fitness Manager at Equinox. As with

every tabata protocol, perform each

tabata below at maximum capacity for

20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Repeat each eight times for a total of

four minutes on each move.

Tabata 1: BurpeeTargets: full body, arms, chest, quads,

glutes, hamstrings

How To Do It: Get into a squat position.

Jump your feet back so you’re in a plank

Workout #2

Workout #3

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32 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı DECEMBER 2013

BARRE WORKOUTFor those who want to lengthen their muscles, strengthen their core and tone up overall, barre is for you. These workouts combine ballet work with core conditioning focusing on both alignment and balance. “Beyond helping you channel your inner ballerina, the barre is benefcial when it comes to balance and opposition, which will help you engage more deeply,” says Jill Dailey, ACSM, founder of the Dailey Method in San Francisco. “It’s also a great component to improve fexibility. These elements come together to give you the long, lean physique that many look for.” Here is an at-home workout to try created by Dailey that showcases moves from her method.

Spinal Extension—Lie on the foor, hands at your sides on your stomach

with your toenails, hipbones and palms of hands pressed

into the ground.

—Engaging your abs, slowly lift your chest off the ground

10 times, keeping hands and feet on the foor.

—Layer on by lifting your chest, legs and arms as high as

possibly, and tap inner thighs towards the midline.

—Repeat for 25 reps.

Flat Back on the Floor—Lay fat on your back on the foor, knees bent so your

feet are on the foor.

—Using your abs, press your low back into the foor.

—Lift one leg at a time in the air over your hips, making

sure to keep your low ribs tight and low back on the foor.

—Repeat for 10 to 20 reps with each leg.

Neutral Spine Plank—Start on all fours, hands directly under your shoulders,

fngers spread wide, toes curled under.

—Focus on keeping a neutral spine as you pull in your

abdominal region and lift your knees half an inch off the

foor.

—Repeat for 10 reps.

Seat Work on all Fours—Start on all fours, hands directly under your shoulders,

fngers spread wide, toes curled under.

—Keep your chest open and tuck your pelvis forward to

lengthen out your low back.

—Reach your right leg up and straight out behind you,

rotating your hips down towards the foor so your hips are

even.

—Keeping your left leg with toes curled under, abs engaged,

lift your left arm (opposite of leg lifted) straight out in front of

you.

—Pull both the arm and leg back in.

—Repeat for 10 reps on each side.

Lunge Thigh Work—Start in a kneeling position facing and holding onto a stable

surface in front of you (counter top, chair, couch), arms fully

extended.

—Step your right leg forward so that your foot is directly

underneath your right knee and your left knee is underneath

your left hip.

—Keeping a neutral back, abs engaged, curl your left toes

under and left your back knee up just a few inches off the

ground.

—Return to start position.

—Repeat for 10 reps on each side. MS&F

Workout #4