Make Your Workout Work for You
America's top two reasons for abandoning a workout program are that it's boring and that there isn't enough time. So we had Kim Lyons, trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser, create an excuse-proof workout exclusively for Marie Claire.
America's top two reasons for abandoning a workout program are that it's boring and that there isn't enough time. So we had Kim Lyons, trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser, create an excuse-proof workout exclusively for Marie Claire.
This circuit program — in which you do one exercise right after another in a specific order — is built on moves you probably already know (so no wasting time trying to figure out where to put your left foot). But it combines them in a way that gets your heart rate up (read: burns calories) and tones you (read: burns more calories) in one short session. The lower-body moves elevate heart rate, and the upper-body moves allow it to come down for an interval training effect that incinerates fat.
The Plan:
- Do these 12 moves in the order indicated for the first few weeks.
- Do each move for 30 seconds and rest 10 to 20 seconds in between. As you improve, do each move for a minute with little to no rest in between.
- If you're not breathing somewhat hard after the lower-body moves (it should take some effort to hold a conversation), make sure you're not cheating on the range of motion. If your form is spot on, try doing the move for longer than 30 seconds.
- Go through the whole circuit once for a quick toning session, twice to burn extra calories, and three times for a serious fat-blaster.
- Do this workout three days a week. Add 30 minutes of cardio on two days (at a pace where you can hold a conversation but are breathing a bit heavily), and you could potentially burn a pound every seven days.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing a reverse lunge
1. Reverse Lunges
Start: Stand with feet together, hands on hips. Move: Take a large step backward onto the ball of your foot, balancing weight between both legs. The back heel should remain off the floor. Bend both knees and lower your hips toward the floor until the front knee is at a 90-degree angle. Push off the back toe to return to the starting position. Repeat, alternating legs.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing an overhead shoulder press with dumbells
2. Overhead Shoulder Press
Start: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders, elbows down, palms facing forward. Start the program with light weights — three to five pounds since you'll be doing many repetitions. Move: Press the weights straight overhead until your arms are fully extended. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing a closed stance squat
3. Closed-Stance Squat
Start: Stand with feet and knees together, hands on hips. Move: Slowly squat toward the floor, bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if you're about to sit on a chair. Lower down as far as possible without lifting your heels off the floor, then stand back up to the start.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing bicep curls
4. Bicep Curls
Start: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing up. Move: Slowly curl the weights up toward your shoulders, keeping elbows in tight to the body. Resist the pull of gravity on the return.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model simulating speed skating
5. Speed-Skaters
Start: Stand with feet and knees together and crouch down: hips low, back flat, hands in front of your body. Move: Take a large step to the right side, staying low, swinging your arms across your body to the right while bringing your left foot, knee bent, behind the right leg. Repeat, alternating sides.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing overhead tricep extensions with weights
6. Overhead Tricep Extensions
Start: Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a pair of dumbbells overhead, arms straight, elbows close to your ears. Move: Slowly bend your elbows, dropping the weights behind your head. Straighten arms overhead to return to the starting position.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing a side lunge
7. Side Lunges
Start: Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes turned out on the diagonal, arms in front of your body for balance. Move: Take a large step out to the side with your right foot, shifting your weight toward the right and bending the right knee to 90 degrees while straightening the left leg. Push off your right foot and return to standing. Repeat on the other side.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing a two arm dumbbell row
8. Two-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Start: Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Bend forward from the waist so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your back flat, and allow your arms to hang straight down from your shoulders. Move: Keep your torso steady and slowly pull the dumbbells toward your chest, leading with your elbows and keeping your arms close to your sides. Slowly lower weights back to starting position.
Total Body Reboot Plan
fat, diet, weight, exercise, lose, thin, skinny, workout
model doing a plie squat
9. Plié Squats
Start: Stand with feet double shoulder- width apart, toes pointed out on the diagonal, hands on hips. Move: Keeping your back straight, bend your knees (if they're not moving over your toes, turn your toes in a bit) and squat toward the floor. When thighs are parallel to the floor, stand back up to the start and squeeze your glutes.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model doing a modified push up
10. Modified Push-ups
Start: Lie facedown and place hands on floor just outside your shoulders. Bend your knees and cross your feet behind your thighs. Move:Keeping your abs tight, press your body up until your arms are straight (your weight should be distributed between your hands and knees). Slowly lower almost to the floor then press back up right away into the next push-up.
Total Body Reboot Plan
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model demonstrating bicycle crunches
11. Bicycle Crunches
Start: Lie on your back with legs bent and elevated above your hips. Place fingertips behind ears to support your head and neck, then lift chin off chest. Move: Alternately bring one knee toward your head while extending opposite leg away. Simultaneously lift opposite shoulder and elbow to meet the knee across your body. Keep elbows pointing out, and remember to breathe.
Total Body Reboot Plan
fat, diet, weight, exercise, lose, thin, skinny, workout
model demonstrating a plank
11. Bicycle Crunches
Start: Lie on your back with legs bent and elevated above your hips. Place fingertips behind ears to support your head and neck, then lift chin off chest. Move: Alternately bring one knee toward your head while extending opposite leg away. Simultaneously lift opposite shoulder and elbow to meet the knee across your body. Keep elbows pointing out, and remember to breathe.
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