Fresh Fresca: 25-Minute Miracle Workout

I am not a personal trainer, body builder or gym rat but I have tried almost every kind of cardio activity, weightlifting and sculpting exercises and exercise videos there are and I have created this workout for myself from a mix of everything I have tried. I have found that this quick but rigorous 25 minute work-out has really worked for me!

Here are the exercises. Do any order you want (besides the warm-up and cool-down) and feel free to mix up the variations to keep it fun!

For the weights, start light and build up as you go. Anywhere from 3-12 lbs will work well.

Warm-up

2 minutes Jog in place

(This is important to get your heart-rate up to start the workout.)

Exercises

1 minute of Alternating lunges and bicep curls simultaneously

Start with a weight in each hand, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides. While stepping into a lunge with your right foot (lower until your thigh is parallel to the floor), lift the weights up in front of your body. Lower the weights as you press through your legs back to the start. Alternate legs.

( A lesson learned from Jilian Michaels, it is important to work both big muscles and small muscles at once- burns more calories and works muscles more thoroughly).

1 minute of Jumping Jacks

( To really get your heart-rate up, cross legs back and forth while jumping)

1 minute of Basic Squat with Shoulder Press

1 minute Jump Rope with Alternating Punches

While "jumping rope" instead of keeping your arms by your side, alternate forward punches while feet jump up and down.

1 minute Alternating Side Lunges with Tricep Kickbacks

I couldn't find a picture that demonstrates these two together so here are the separate exercises and combine!

1 minute Circular Sit-ups

Start lying on your back with arms behind your head. Begin like you are doing an oblique crunch to one side, but then continue to circle around your abs slowly, first to the front, then to the other side then back to the oblique crunch. Alternate directions.

1 minute Bunny Hop

With both feet together and arms at a 90 degree angle by your side, jump forward, using your arms to propel you forward. Jump forward 5 times, then jump backwards five times. Continue until the minute is over.

1 minute Diagonal squats with lateral raise

On the down, lift arms straight up by your sides and return when back up.

1 minute BREAK/ get water

1 minute Dead lifts

(Use a heavier weight for this one if you can.)

1 minute Bicycle sit-up

1. Lie on your back with your knees at chest level and your arms flat on the floor.
2. Alternate extending your legs by extending one leg out straight and as you bring it in extend the other leg out.
3. Continue to repeat this process like you are riding a bicycle until the required repetitions are completed.
4. Make sure you keep your back flat during the movement. If you are unable to keep your back flat then reduce the extension of your legs.

(The importance of these are the technique, not how fast you go!)

1 minute Squat Thrusts

Perform the squat thrust by standing with your feet together and squat down with your arms outside your legs and your hands on the floor. Kick your feet backwards until you are in the push up position maintaining a straight back. Without pausing, jump your feet back forward between your hands and jump up lifting your hands straight up to the air.

1 minute Push-ups

(Do whatever level you can)

1 minute Ski-jumps

Stand with feet together. Bend the knees and jump to the right as far as you can--think of jumping laterally rather than vertically. Land with soft knees and immediately jump laterally to the left.

1 minute Hip-Thrusts

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the hip.
2. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and towards the ceiling.
3. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

1 minute Double Crunch

1. Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Start position: Hands behind head and knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominals and raise shoulders off floor or bench. During the crunch, also bring knees towards chest.
4. Return to the start position.

1 minute high-knees

1 minute BREAK/ get water

1 minute Pilates Swim

Lie on your stomach with the legs straight and together.
Keeping your shoulder blades settled in your back and your shoulders away from your ears, stretch your arms straight overhead.
Pull your abs in so that you lift your bellybutton up away from the floor.
Reaching out from center, extend your arms and legs so far in opposite directions that they naturally come up off the floor. At the same time, get so much length in your spine that your head moves up off the mat as an extension of the reach of your spine. Keep your face down toward the mat; don't crease your neck.
Continue to reach your arms and legs out very long from your center as you alternate right arm/left leg, then left arm/right leg, pumping them up and down in small pulses.
Coordinate your breath with the movement so that you are breathing in for a count of 5 kicks and reaches, and out for a count of 5.

1 minute calf-raises with chest pull