The Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts: A Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You--In 15 Minutes a Day! (10 page)

Single-Leg Toe Touch Squat

WORKS:
your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

A

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and keep your arms at your sides.

• Stand in a lunge position with your left foot forward and both knees bent so your right knee grazes the floor. Be sure your front knee does not extend beyond your toes.

B

• Stand by straightening your left leg; extend and lift your right foot off the floor behind you, pointing your toes.

• Bend your left leg into a squat while keeping your right leg extended and allowing only your toes to touch the floor. Repeat.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15 with your left leg, then repeat with your right leg for just as many.

Scoop and Press

WORKS:
your arms, shoulders, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

A

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart.

• Your palms should face your thighs. Now bend your knees and drop your butt back as though you’re sitting in a chair.

B

• Push back to stand up while you bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells, keeping your palms facing in, to your shoulders.

C

• As you reach the standing position, immediately press the weights overhead.

• Lower the dumbbells to your shoulders and then to your sides. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

Pedal Crunch

WORKS:
your core.

A

• Lie faceup on the floor with your feet raised, knees bent, and calves parallel to the floor.

• Place your hands loosely behind your head.

• Pull your navel to your spine and contract your abs to bring your head and shoulders off the floor.

• Twist your right shoulder toward your left knee as you straighten your right leg (extend your right arm to the outside of the knee for a bonus challenge).

• Return to the starting position and twist your left shoulder toward your right knee while straightening your left leg. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

MAKE IT HARDER:
To turn this move into a more challenging Cycling Russian Twist, hold your arms straight out in front of you with your palms together and reach to the outside of the knee that’s bent.

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90

Percentage of back problems that can be solved with exercise, physical therapy, and lifestyle fixes instead of with surgery, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

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Curtsy Salute

WORKS:
your shoulders, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

A

• Grab a lightweight dumbbell with your left hand and stand with your feet hip-distance apart.

• Place your right hand on your hip.

B

• Take a giant step back with your left leg, crossing it behind your right as in a curtsy.

• Bend your knees and lower your hips until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Your back knee should almost touch the floor.

• At the same time, raise your left arm straight out in front of you to shoulder height. Rotate the dumbbell so your palm faces down. Return to the starting position.

REPS:
Complete 12 to 15, then repeat the exercise with the dumbbell in your right hand and stepping back and across with your right leg for another 12 to 15 reps.

Wide Row

WORKS:
your biceps, shoulders, and upper back.

A

• Grab a 3- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand. Stand straight and keep your arms at your sides, palms facing backward. Brace your core.

• Bend forward at the hips, allowing your arms to hang straight.

B

• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the dumbbells to the sides of your ribs, then lower them to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

Butterfly Plié

WORKS:
your biceps, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

A

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang naturally at your sides, palms facing forward.

• Stand in a wide straddle stance with your toes pointed outward.

B

• Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your knees should not travel past your toes, and your butt should not dip lower than your knees.

• As you squat, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders. Return to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 12 to 15.

BIKINI BODY WORKOUT 1

This program firms up those notorious flabby spots that spill out around your bikini by pairing two powerful moves in every exercise. Doing two at the same time—each targeting an unrelated muscle group—allows you to train harder without exhausting a single group too quickly, says trainer Katrina Hodgson,cofounder of Tone It Up studio in Los Angeles, who helped design this workout.

START HERE:

Do these moves one after another with no rest in between. Rest for 60 seconds after completing a full circuit, then repeat the circuit once more.

Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Biceps Curl

WORKS:
your biceps, core, obliques, quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

A

• Hold dumbbells at your sides and stand with your feet hip-width apart.

B

• Step back with your left foot and bend both knees to lower your body until your right knee is bent to about 90 degrees.

• At the same time, rotate your upper body toward your right leg and curl the dumbbells to your chest.

• Reverse the movement by lowering the weights and rotating your chest to face forward, then return to the standing position. That’s 1 rep.