Workout Wednesday: Full-Body Circuit Workout

It was almost unanimous.

In last week's vote over which workout you all wanted to see today, almost all of you picked the Full-Body Circuit: Ten Minutes of Complete Toning.

So, today, that's what we're doing around here!

Below, you'll find a short, introductory video, explaining what you'll need to run your own home circuit, followed by picture tutorials of all seven moves you'll need to complete it.

After reviewing the workout, please feel free to e-mail me - britr@ufl.edu - with questions if you have them. While this workout should be safe for most men and women, should you have any personal and/or safety concerns, please feel free to ask.

And for those of you that had your hearts set on the other workouts I mentioned last week, fear not: I have a brave and kind neighbor who has agreed to model another workout for us. So tune in for that soon! (And thank you, Rachel, for being such a good friend and such a good sport!)

So now, without further ado, let's work out!

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Pardon the initial look of fear in my eyes. I hate being on camera. And yes, my husband was currently watching Mythbusters behind me on Netflix. We're classy like that. Also, note my reference to my seemingly non-existent dog. I thought y'all could see him. Turns out, you can't.
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Minutes #1-2: Lunge, Punch and Kick

Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, weights in hand, and arms at your side.

With your right foot, take a big step back and drop down into a lunge, while simultaneously raising both arms forward, palms down, until they're parallel to the ground.

After a slight pause, push off the back leg and rise up to standing, while bringing the back leg forward, foot flexed, finishing with a kick in front of the body. Keep your abs engaged throughout, and while kicking, draw the arms back, elbows pointing behind you, palms turned upward.

Repeat on the right side for the first minute. For Minute #2, repeat the same process on your left side.

Minute #3: Squat and Reverse Press

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weights in hand with palms facing forward, arms at side.

Sitting your rear back, deeply squat, keeping your chest lifted and curling your forearms, palms up, just until they are parallel to the floor.

Then, pushing through both heels, rise up, raising arms, palms still facing upward, until they are slightly bent but parallel to the floor.

Repeat for the entire third minute of the circuit.

Minutes #4-5: One-Legged Squat and Press

Stand on your left leg, right heel lifted behind you, weight in right hand.
Bend your left leg, squatting down, while sitting your rear down and back and pushing your right heel backwards for balance. (TIP: Your chest can drop slightly, but make sure you are squatting and bending, not just dropping the upper body.) While performing this one-legged squat, drop the weight in your right hand toward the toe of your left shoe.

Reverse, pressing back to the starting position, except, while rising, press the weight in the right hand from your left toe all the way up over your head.
Repeat for Minute #4, then stand on the other leg and repeat for Minute #5.

Minute #6: Rotating Push-Up

Start in a push-up position, hands on weights, feet set slightly wider apart than your hips.

Bend elbows, keeping them close to your body, as you drop your torso straight down toward the ground, much like a typical push-up.

Then, push up, and as your arms reach full extension, begin to rotate your body counter clock-wise, shifting to your side, bringing your weight to rest on the sides of your feet and your left arm, while reaching your right arm up toward the ceiling, creating a perpendicular angle with your body.

Return to starting position and repeat, but this time, after the push-up, rotate your body clockwise and reach your left arm toward the ceiling. Continue on, alternating sides, for the entire sixth minute of the circuit.

Minutes #7-8: Side Plank with Tricep Extension

Laying on your left side, set your elbow under your shoulder and lift your hip off the floor, raising your body till it makes a diagonal line. Raise the right arm directly up right over your shoulder, holding the weight. (TIP: You are holding this position for the entire minute. Do not let your hip touch the floor again until the minute is over.)

While holding your left side plank, bend your right elbow, bringing the weight toward head.
Then reverse the movement, straightening the arm back into place. Repeat this tricep extension while holding your side plank for Minute #7. Then repeat on right side, using your left arm for tricep extensions, for Minute #8.

Minute #9: Bridge and Fly

Lying on your back, prop your heels on a low chair or couch, knees in the air and together. (TIP: To make this movement easier, just keep your feet and heels on the floor.) Next, squeeze your glutes and raise your arms over your chest, palms facing each other.

Then lift your hips up until you have a diagonal line stretching from your shoulders to your knees, all while opening the arms out to the sides, keeping them slightly bent at the elbows.

I feel the need to point out that I am wearing three shirts, which creates the illusion of a gut hanging over my pants. I swear, that is not my belly. I wish I didn't care, but I totally do.

Then, return your hips to the floor, squeezing arms back to center, and repeat for the entire ninth minute of the circuit.

Minute #10: Roll-Up and Raise

Lay on your back, legs long, arms at your sides, holding the weights, palms down.

Begin to roll up to a sitting position, inch by inch, bringing your straight arms up off the floor as you do so.

Continue the motion until you are sitting upright, with arms straight and raised directly over your head.
Reverse back to floor and repeat for the last minute of the circuit.

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And there you have it! Ten minutes of all-over toning.

I really hope this was useful to some of you, and I appreciate all of your patience as I figure out how to navigate my first exercise tutorial here via the blog. (Seriously, my new goal is to never have to take pictures of myself doing this again. I am willing to pay - in undying love and snacks - any and all willing fitness models. And I'm totally serious.)

Please Note: I don't normally look this lackadaisical about exercise. But my photographer, i.e., my husband, was working under a time crunch, and I'd already worked a long, long day at the gym, so I'm sans make-up and covered in sweat. Plus, I'm wearing three shirts. Why? I have no idea.

So, please, leave any and all feedback below. I'd love to hear from those of you that try the workout, especially. And, as always, suggestions about what you want to see here in the future are always welcome.

Thanks for stopping by! We'll be back to normal shenanigans around here tomorrow, but until then, Happy Exercising!

It's kind of like paper

Being married means I get to fall asleep in the arms of my best friend every night.

Being married means I get to face life's challenges hand in hand with a man who has vowed to protect and love me for the rest of our lives.

And being married means I now have yet another occasion for which I must purchase a gift for the man who likes to moonlight as The Guy It's Impossible to Shop For.

Seriously, Christmas, Valentine's Day and his birthday were hard enough.

But now, we have our wedding anniversary.

So, once again, I'm stuck wandering the aisles of Target and Best Buy, desperately trying to find a gift for the man who has everything and doesn't want anything else but a flat-screen T.V.

But unlike other holidays, our anniversary comes with the added pressure of purchasing or producing a themed gift.

This year, for instance, we are apparently supposed to give Our Beloved Spouse a gift made of paper, because that's what They say is appropriate for One's first anniversary.

And of course, by "They," I mean The Important Hallmark Traditionalists Who Decide These Kinds of Things.

By "One," I mean The Girl Sitting Here Typing This Who Is Nowhere Near Crafty Enough to Produce a Flat Screen T.V. Made Entirely Out of Paper.

And by "Beloved Spouse," I mean My Husband Who Won't Die Happy Until He Owns the Aforementioned Flat Screen Television.

But seeing as how we are in no position to buy the flat-screen of my husband's dreams, I dropped the element of surprise, and I compromised. I suggested that we pool the money we'd use to buy each other anniversary gifts, and instead purchase one item we both wanted:

A flip video camera.

The hubs wants it like he wants all technological advancements. It's just another gadget he can play with.

And I want it because I need a better way to capture the life-affirming spirits of my friends, dogs and future children. (Plus, think of the blogging possibilities!)

So, we did it.

We had a lovely anniversary dinner (which my hubs asked me not to talk about because, as he said, "Please, can we just have one un-bloggable moment?" I started to tell him "No," but I figured that was unfair considering, technically, it's his anniversary, too. At least, that's what They tell me.)

And soon after dinner, we became the proud owners of our very own pocket-sized video camera.

Now, other than the fact that, two hours into owning and using this gift, I was reminded of how annoying my own voice is on film and how dirty my house is when viewed through the camera lens, I'm still proud to say this technology-chicken girl produced one minute of pure husband-featuring entertainment.

It only took me 12 separate takes, 11 of which I deleted because they included brief glimpses of my unbrushed hair and un-made-up face.

Which pretty much means you all may never see video of me, because getting me to brush my hair and put on make-up on a Saturday afternoon would take a true act of God, and I'm pretty sure He's got bigger fish to fry.

Plus, I'm terribly camera shy. (And secretly afraid you all won't find me nearly as entertaining in person. There's a reason I never went into broadcast journalism. The written word is my friend; the camera is not.)

So, until I work up the courage (i.e., finally smack a little translucent powder on my face) I give you The Hubs and My Face-less Voice: An Introduction.

There you have it. I think we're ready for the Sundance Film Festival, don't you?

To be honest, I like this little piece of technology, but I imagine we'll only use it to capture the more important moments in life (at least until we have kids. Then all bets are off.)

I am still a girl who likes to write, more than I like to point and shoot any kind of camera. (If I can even remember to bring a camera with me, that is.)

Call me old-fashioned, but nothing is better than a good story, told by putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

Still, upon occasion, I may pop a video up on the old blog, just to mix things up around here.

At least until I manage to fashion a flat-screen T.V. made entirely out of cotton.

You know, for our second anniversary.

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Thank you all for your sweet words and anniversary wishes on the post about our love story. I feel so honored that you all took the time to read about one of the biggest blessings I've received. You all are so wonderful!

Happy Monday, everyone!