Diary of a Fit mommy
Fitness

5 Day Total Body Home Workout

Who’s ready for a 5 day full body workout? As you go through each day, you will have a certain set of exercises designed to target each body part. Do 15 repetitions of each move and complete each move 3 times total.
SIX PACK MONDAY: ABS
  1. Bicycle Crunches:
    • Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and contract your core muscles.
    • With your hands gently holding your head, lift your knees to about a 45-degree angle.
    • Slowly, at first, go through a bicycle pedal motion.
    • Alternately touching your elbows to the opposite knees as you twist back and forth.
  2. Leg Lifts:
    • Lie on a flat surface with your lower back curvature pressed against the surface. Hold on to a fixed and sturdy object behind you (such as one of the beams from a squat rack) or you can just have your arms by your side with the palms facing the floor. Your feet should be straight in front of you and the upper torso should be aligned with the arms behind you holding on to the fixed object.
    • Raise your legs to where they are off the floor. This will be your starting position.
    • Raise your legs until the torso makes a 90-degree angle with the legs. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second or so.
    • Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in.
  3. Sit Ups:
    • Lie down on the floor placing your feet either under something that will not move or by having a partner hold them. Your legs should be bent at the knees.
    • Place your hands behind your head and lock them together by clasping your fingers. This is the starting position.
    • Elevate your upper body so that it creates an imaginary V-shape with your thighs. Breathe out when performing this part of the exercise.
    • Once you feel the contraction for a second, lower your upper body back down to the starting position while inhaling.
  4. Side Plank:
    • Lie on your left side with your knees straight.
    • Prop your upper body up on your left elbow and forearm. Position your elbow under your shoulder.
    • Brace your core by contracting your abs forcefully as if you were about to be punched in the gut.
    • Raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Your head should stay in line with your body.
    • Hold this position for the prescribed amount of time while breathing deeply. That’s one set.
    • Turn around so that you’re lying on your right side and repeat.
  5. Russian Twists:
    • Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
    • Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight, but don’t let it curve.
    • Place your arms straight out in front of you with your hands one on top of the other. Your hands should be level with the bottom of your ribcage.
    • Pull your navel to your spine and twist slowly to the left. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging. Inhale through center and rotate to the right. This completes one rep.
    • Do 16 full rotations.
ARMS WIDE OPEN TUESDAY: ARMS
  1. Tricep Dips:
    • Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench or stable chair.
    • Slide your butt off the front of the bench with your legs extended out in front of you.
    • Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
    • Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench.
    • Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position. This completes one rep.
    • Keep your shoulders down as you lower and raise your body. You can bend your legs to modify this exercise.
  2. Push-Ups:
    • Get into a plank position with hands planted directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder width apart). Ground the toes into the floor to stabilize the bottom half of the body. Engage the abs and back so the body is neutral. In other words, flat as a… plank (ah, now we get it!)
    • Begin to lower the body—back flat, eyes focused about three feet in front of you to keep a neutral neck—until the chest nearly touches the floor. (Note: Some experts say a push-up isn’t a push-up unless the chest actually grazes the ground). Don’t let the butt dip or stick out at any point during the move; the body should remain flat from head to toe all the way through the movement. Draw the shoulder blades back and down, while keeping the elbows tucked close to the body, so the upper arms form a 45-degree angle at the bottom of the push-up position.
    • Keeping the core engaged, exhale as you push back to the start position as explosively as possible without leaving the ground (pow!). That’s one!
  3. Plank:
    • Start off on a yoga mat in the pushup position. Starting with the pushup position is the easiest way to get into the plank.
    • Lower both your forearms to the ground so that both your elbows and fists are flat to the ground. Your palms should be balled up, and directly underneath your shoulders.
    • Curl your toes under and engage your abs by tilting your pelvis and pulling your belly button toward your spine.
    • Straighten your body but keep your neck and spine neutral. Imagine that you’re a plank of wood, and that you’re straight as an arrow.
    • Flex your abdominals and squeeze your glutes. These are the two major muscle groups you’ll be working out in this exercise.
    • Hold this position, also known as the plank, until after the burning begins. Keep your eyes on the floor in front of you. Avoid raising your behind. Your body should make a straight line from your heels to the back of your head.
  4. Arm Circles:
    • Start by standing straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Your arms should be straight out to the sides, so that your body forms a T.
    • Slowly start by making small circular motions with both arms on either side. After a few repetitions of small circles, enlarge your circles and do the same amount of reps.
    • Your end position should look the same as the start position. Breathe in and out, and release arms to the side of the body.
  5. Burpees:
    • Begin in a standing position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Now, lower your body into a squatting position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
    • Kick your feet back so that you are in push-up position. Keep your hands firmly on the ground to support your body.
    • Lower your chest to do a push-up. Bring your chest back up.
    • Kick your feet back to their original position. Stand up, and then jump into the air while clapping your arms overhead.
    • Repeat.
LEGS FOR MILES WEDNESDAY: LEGS
  1. Calf Raises:
    • Stand on the edge of a step.
    • Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in, the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step, and your heels hanging over the edge.Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance.
    • Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you’re on your tiptoes.
    • Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels below the platform, feeling a stretch in your calf muscles.
  2. Toe Touches:
    •  Lie on your back on an exercise mat on the floor with your legs touching and fully extended and your arms extended outward with palms down.
    •  With your knees slightly bent, raise your legs straight up in the air until your feet are parallel with the floor.
    • Reach your arms toward your feet, forming a 45 degree angle. Your head should still be on the floor. This is your starting position.
    • Roll forward as you exhale, lifting your torso off the floor as you try to touch your toes with your fingers.
    • Inhale as you slowly reverse the motion back to the starting position.
    • Repeat for a complete set.
  3. High Knees:
    • In basic high knees, you need to stand still with your feet hip-width apart. Pull your right knee towards your chest and keep it there for 3 seconds. Now move it back to the original position and then repeat the step.
    • Now do the same gesture with the left knee and do several repetitions. Take 2 minutes rest between the repetitions to increase your tendency to do more repetitions.
  4. Jumping Jacks:
    • Assume an erect position, with feet together and arms at your side.
    • Slightly bend your knees, and propel yourself a few inches into the air.
    • While in air, bring your legs out to the side about shoulder width or slightly wider.
    • As you are moving your legs outward, you should raise your arms up over your head; arms should be slightly bent throughout the entire in-air movement.
    • Your feet should land shoulder width or wider as your hands meet above your head with arms slightly bent
  5. Plie Squats:
    • Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with toes turned out, holding lighter dumbbells vertically in front of thighs.
    • Keeping abs tight and torso tall, bend knees 90 degrees; keep knees aligned between second and third toes and weight in heels.
    • Press back to start; squeeze your glutes.
LOVE ME TENDER THURSDAY: LOVE HANDLES
  1. Oblique V-ups:
    • Lie on your left side, legs angled 30 degrees from your hips.
    • Rest your left arm on the floor and put your right hand behind your head
    • Lift your straight legs off the floor, bringing your torso toward your legs
    • Slowly return to start. That’s one rep.
  2. Mountain Climbers:
    • Start the exercise by lying face down on the floor.
    • Straighten out your arms and then touch your knees down to the ground or floor.
    • Now you are ready to lift yourself up into position. When doing this, be sure that your hands are directly under your chest at a width that is slightly more than your shoulder length distance.
    • Once you have settled into position and checked the position of your hands you should be sure to keep your legs stretched out, ensuring that they are properly lined up with the rest of your body. Pay special attention to your knees as many people tend to create a gap here but that should be avoided. If the recommended position is uncomfortable for you, it is alright to modify it slightly as long as you maintain the correct posture.
    • Now you should stretch out your left leg for stability. Bend your right knee and bring it up in the direction of your right hand. At this point, you should be in a similar position to the one you would be in if you were climbing a mountain or tree (hence the name) except horizontal instead of vertical.
    • After bringing your right knee up, return it to the original position and do the previous step with your left leg. (Once again, bend the left knee and bring it up towards the left hand mimicking the actions of a mountain climber)
  3. Side Jackknife:
    • Lie on your left side on an exercise mat with your legs extended straight downward and the right leg on top of the left. Place your left hand on your abdominals. Place your right hand behind your head. This is your starting position.
    • Raise your right let straight in the air while simultaneously raising your torso, bringing your right elbow toward your right leg.
    •  Hold for a moment and then return to the starting position.
    • Repeat for a complete set and then switch sides.
  4. Side Plank:
    • Lay down on your side so that only your forearm and the side of your foot are touching the ground.
    • Make your body into a straight line (side plank position).
    •  Bend at the waist and lower your hip towards the ground and then back up again.
    • Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions and then switch sides.
  5. Dumbbell Side Bends:
    • Grasp a set of dumbbells. Stand straight up with one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in.
    • Keep your feet firmly on the floor with a shoulder width stance.
    • Keeping your back straight and your eyes facing forwards, bend down to the right as far as you can, then back up again.
    • Without pausing at the top, bend down to the left.
    • Repeat for desired reps.
BACK THAT THING UP FRIDAY: BOOTY
  1. Squats:
    • Plant your feet flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart.
    • Point your feet slightly outward, not straight ahead.
    • Never let your knees extend beyond your toes.
    • Look straight ahead. Bend at your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair, keeping your heels on the floor.
    • Pull in your abs, and keep your lower back in a near neutral position (a slightly arched back might be unavoidable).
    • Tighten your whole body when you perform the squat.
    • Lower yourself. In a controlled manner slowly lower yourself down and back so that your upper legs are nearly parallel with the floor. Extend your arms for balance.
    • Keep the upper body tight at all times.
  2. Butt Kicks:
    • Start on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
    • Keep your right knee at a 90-degree angle as you slowly raise your leg behind you until your thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Pulse your flexed foot toward the ceiling by squeezing your glutes. Your back should remain perfectly still in a neutral spine. The motion should be small and controlled with the muscle doing the work and not momentum.
    • Return to start position to complete one rep.
  3. Lunges:
    • Stand up straight, with your legs hip-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Flex your abdominal muscles inward and upward.
    • Step forward with your right foot approximately 2 or 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9m). The taller you are, the further you will need to step forward. Keep your back straight as your body moves forward.
    • Lift your left foot up slightly, so that the toe is in contact with the floor, but your heel is not.
    • Bend both of your knees at the same time. The aim is to make both of your knees stop at a 90 degree angle. Make sure your right knee does not go over your toe line.
    • Pause in this position for 1 to 5 seconds. Stopping your forward momentum will help you to put more effort into rising from the lunge.
    • Push off of your right heel to rise. Return your right leg to its starting position.
    • Repeat with the left leg.
  4. Wall Sit:
    • Stand in front of a wall (about 2 feet in front of it) and lean against it.
    • Slide down until your knees are at about 90-degree angles and hold, keeping the abs contracted, for 20-60 seconds.
    • Come back to start and repeat, holding the squat at different angles to work the lower body in different ways.
  5. Side Lunges:
    • Stand with your feet set about twice shoulder width apart, your feet facing straight ahead.
    • Clasp your hands in front your chest.
    • Shift your weight over to your right leg as you push your hips backward and lower your body by dropping your hips and bending your knees.
    • Your lower right leg should remain nearly perpendicular to the floor.
    • Your left foot should remain flat on the floor.
    • Without raising yourself back up to a standing position, reverse the movement to the left. Alternate back and forth.
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