Warm Yourself Up Workout

This week my idea was to come up with a quick and efficient workout that would warm you up from the super chilly weather we have had this winter. As I'm writing this, the snow is slowly melting as a wonderful 'heat wave' is rolling through. I figured the workout would still be appropriate as freezing rain is in our horizon or at least it was. With all of this said, I feel like for the most part I've kept myself in positive spirits as far as the weather goes. There's actually something quite beautiful about living in a snow globe. I guess it's all in the perception of how you view things in life. Don't let something you can't control, like the weather, bring you down. Just bundle up, give yourself some extra time to get to the places you need to go and do things that will get those positive endorphins going...like my Warm Yourself Up Workout.

So the workout consists of six exercises that you can complete in a circuit-like fashion. For whatever reason, the theme of the workout is exercises that start with the letter B.  It's probably because they are all beautiful exercises just like the snow.  They are beautiful in the sense that they will challenge you, get your heart rate up and it won't take you very long to complete it if you push yourself. 

Warm Yourself Up Workout 

Burpees 3x15

Ball Slams 3x15

Box Jumps 3x15

Barbell (or dumbbell) Shoulder Press 3x15

Broad Jumps 3x15

Bulgarian Split Squats 3x15

Go through three rounds of each exercise at your own pace.  Challenge yourself to finish as quickly as possible while keeping good form.

Burpees:  You will start in a standing position with hands overhead. Jump up off the ground and then bend your knees so that you can put your hands on the ground in the same position as your push up. You are then going to two foot jump your feet back or walk one foot at a time back into your starting push up position. Your back should be flat and hands should be stacked directly below your shoulders. Jump or walk your feet back to your bent knee position and stand up to start the exercise over again with a small jump overhead.

 

Ball Slams: Use a medicine ball of your choosing and put it overhead. The name of the exercise pretty much gives away what you're going to do so bend your knees and you slam the ball on the ground. Catch the ball, bring it back overhead and repeat.

Box Jumps: I would start with the smallest box which is usually about 12 inches. All you're going to do is two foot hop up and back down at whatever speed you're comfortable with. Be careful and stay focused during this exercise and keep your eye on the box as you jump.

Barbell Shoulder Press: I used a barbell but you can use dumbbells if they are more accessible to you. Stand with good posture and bring the barbell to your chest. Press the bar straight up above your head and then back down to your chest to begin the exercise again.

Broad Jumps: Find a decent amount of space or even a clear pathway that you can use. Bend your knees and bring your arms back as if you are going to use them to propel you forward as you jump forward. The goal is to jump as far forward as possible and land as softly as you can with a bent knee.  

Bulgarian Split Squats: You will need a bench or chair to set your foot on.  This exercise requires some balance so get yourself set up and stay focused throughout the exercise. Basically a split squat is a lunge with your foot raised up. Bring your feet apart so that if you were to drop your back knee into a lunge position, your knee would stay behind your toes. Make sure you stand up nice and tall throughout the exercise.

Have fun, work up a sweat and be proud of yourself when you finish.