1. Wall Sit With Lateral Raises
Stand about 18 inches away from a wall, feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand. Lean back and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Raise the dumbbells out to your sides until they are shoulder height. Inhale, lower your arms, and repeat. Stay in the wall sit until you finish the set.
Make it Harder: Hold your arms up for more than a beat. When that feels easy, use heavier dumbbells.
2. Static Lunge With Bicep Curls
Start with a weight in each hand, arms out to your sides. While stepping into a lunge with your right foot (lower until your thigh is parallel to the floor), curl the weights to your upper arms. Lower the weights as you press through your legs back to the start. Alternate way to do the biceps curls, better when using heavier weights: Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and lift the weights up and down in front of your body, not out to the sides.
3. Tube Rows
Wrap tubing or stretchy bands around a post or doorknob and grab the ends. Straighten your arms in front of you, palms down. Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees. Keep abs in, shoulders back, chest lifted. Exhale and pull the grips toward your chest, squeezing shoulder blades together as you pull. Without leaning forward or releasing your shoulder blades, straighten your arms to the start and repeat.
Make it Harder: Stretch the band more tightly at the start of the exercise.
4. Chair Squat With front Raises
Stand with arms at your sides, feet 3 inches apart, weight on your heels. Sit back and down (as if a bench is behind you) while raising the weights out in front of you. Keep palms facing down and back straight. Then straighten your legs, lower the weights, and repeat.
5. Step-Ups With Shoulder Presses
Start as shown. Press the weights over your head while bringing your left foot onto the bench. Step back down with the right as you lower the weights. Repeat with left foot.
Make it Harder: The higher the step, the harder the exercise.
6. Superman Into Hollow Man
Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor, arms straight in front of you. Exhale and lift arms and legs off the floor. Hold for a beat, lower, and repeat. Then flip over. Exhale and raise your legs 6 inches or more off the floor. Do a small crunch with your upper body to "hollow out" your midsection, and reach your hands toward your feet. Hold for 10 seconds. Flip back over and repeat the circuit.
7. Hip Lift
Place your heels on a bench or chair and allow your knees to bend. Your knees should be directly above your hips at a 90-degree angle; your arms should rest on the floor at your side. Exhale and press your heels down into the bench, lifting your hips off the floor as high as you can (as in photo). Squeeze your glutes for a beat, then lower and repeat.
Make it Harder: Extend your right leg toward the ceiling. When you press your left heel into the bench to lift your hips, press your right leg straight up to the ceiling. Inhale, lower your body back to the floor and repeat. Complete a full set, then repeat with left leg in the air.
8. Bicycle Ball Crunches
Get in the classic bicycle position and place a 4-pound medicine ball between your knees. Exhale as you extend your right leg out straight; simultaneously bring your right armpit and left knee toward each other (lift your shoulders off the floor). Repeat with the opposite arm and leg; never let the ball drop.
9. Sumo Squat With Tricep Extension
Stand with your feet wide apart, toes angled outward. Extend both arms directly over your head. While lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells behind your head. Keep your elbows close to your head and pointed straight up throughout the exercise. Hold for a beat, exhale, press arms and legs back up to the start. Keep your shoulders directly over your hips (don't arch your back) and don't lean forward or let your knees come out over your toes.
10. Push-Ups
Lie facedown with feet together. Bend your elbows and place your palms directly under them. Keep your neck straight and your eyes focused on the floor. Straighten your arms so your body hovers over the floor. Lower slowly and repeat.
Too easy?
For a customized weight-training program by Jillian Michaels, or for her workout DVDs, visit jillianmichaels.com
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