30 mins to a sleek physique: the workout you can do anywhere
The urban jungle workout
This workout, designed by Urban Jungle, a bootcamp program based in New York City, can be done anywhere - at home, at the park or in a hotel room. By using your own body weight as resistance and allowing only 30 seconds of rest between each exercise, you'll get your heart rate up and tone your body all in 30 minutes. You could even squeeze it in while the kids are taking a nap.
For best results, perform this routine three times a week for three weeks, making sure to increase intensity (the number of reps in each one-minute timeframe) each week. Two days a week, you will need to put in 30 minutes of cardio or yoga. After a couple of weeks, you should start feeling stronger, have more energy and notice your clothes feeling looser.
How it works
Here's an overview of the 30-minute routine, and click ahead for descriptions of each exercise.
1. Warm up for eight minutes. You can do whatever you like to get your heart rate up. Do some jumping jacks, jog in place or dance to your favourite song.
2. Do one minute of jungle squats. (Lower body)
3. Do one minute of push ups. (Upper body)
4. Do one minute of reverse V lunges. (Lower body)
5. Do one minute of modified chair dips. (Upper body)
6. Do two minutes of cardio. (Whole body)
7. Do one minute of abs exercises. (Whole body)
8. Take a 30 second break.Repeat steps 2 through 8, three times.
Jungle squat: tone your thighs and bum
What you're working: Quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves, while your core muscles keep you stable with correct form.
How to do it: Start out in a basic squat position, making sure your knees are not extending beyond your toes and with weight distributed evenly on your heels. Pivot to the right 90 degrees on left foot while maintaining the squat position. Pivot back to starting point, staying in squat position and then pivot to the left 90 degrees on right foot. Pivot back to starting point and come out of squat position. While standing up, do not lock your knees. This is one Jungle Squat; repeat for one minute.
Tip: Be sure to keep core engaged and back straight the whole time.
Push up: tone your arms
What you’re working: Pectorals, deltoids, triceps and traps, while core keeps you stable with correct form.
How to do it: This is a modified pushup, but you can’t cheat and use your knees! Try it on the floor first, starting in plank position and lowering yourself down. Be sure to keep the lower body in alignment with upper body, being careful not to arch your back either way. Lower your body to about fist height off floor and then push yourself back up to plank position. Quality over quantity is the name of this game. Continue for one minute.
Tip: For a modification, do an elevated push up using either a chair, bed, bench, bar or other object that will hold your weight and not cause you to fall. Use the same form you would use on the floor, maintaining that good body position.
Reverse v lunges: sculpt your legs
What you’re working: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, while your core helps keep you balance.
How to do it: Starting from the standing position, lunge backward at a 45-degree angle to the right, making sure your left knee does not extend over your foot. Explode from that lunge position back to the standing position. With only enough time to regain balance, lunge right back down, on the left side, going backward in another 45-degree angle. Explode back from lunge to standing postion to complete one repetition; repeat for one minute.
Tip: As you lunge, keep your eyes looking straight ahead and focus on keeping your core engaged to maintain balance.
Modified chair dips: tone those triceps
What you’re working: Triceps, pectorals, rhomboids, deltoids, traps, lats and biceps.
How to do it: Firmly grip a chair, table or any firm object that will support your weight. Fingers should be facing your back and your knees should be bent with feet shoulder width apart and flat on the ground. Lower yourself until your arms are bent at 90-degree angle and then push yourself back till arms are straight again. Repeat for one minute.
Tip: To make this more difficult you can straighten your legs and even raise one leg at a time while you continue to dip.
Cardio time: burn some serious calories
What you’re working: The whole body is engaged in this exercise.
How to do it: With feet shoulder-width apart, perform a squat, place hands on ground and thrust both legs back at the same time until you are in full plank position. While maintaining the plank position, move your hands and feet sideways at the same time for a count of three. From the plank position, perform six mountain climbers (in push up position, move your feet back and forth rapidly). Using your core, bring your legs back up to a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart and stand back up. This completes one repetition.
Tip: To modify you can step back to plank position and step back up at end of rotation. You can also remove the lateral movement if this is too difficult, however you eventually want to work your way up to include this in the exercise.
Lateral jumps: get those quads burning
What you’re working: The whole body is engaged in this exercise.
How to do it: Starting from the standing position with feet a little wider than shoulder-width, squat down and touch the floor. Explode into a lateral jump moving to the right. As you jump, reach your hands above yourself. Land with legs apart and go right into the squat position again, squatting down and touching the floor. Explode back up jumping to the left and landing softly again. Repeat for two minutes.
Tip: To decrease intensity, replace the lateral jump with a lateral step. Also, if you cannot touch the floor without placing too much strain on your knees, simply go as deep as you can, reaching straight down with your arms.
Inch worms: get killer abs
What you’re working: Obliques, hip flexors and other muscles are engaged to maintain stabilisation as you move through this exercise.
How to do it: Starting from plank position like you are going to do a pushup, walk your feet towards your hands in baby steps. Once you get to the point when you have to start bending your legs, start walking your hands forward in baby steps until you are back in the plank position. Repeat for one minute.
Tip: Go nice and slow. Controlled movements will keep your core engaged throughout and you’ll get a better burn. Also, keep your head in alignment with your back.
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See also:
- getty images,
