BEST WORKOUT FOR YOUR BODY TYPE
Pear
Perform all of the moves pictured below on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as described. Add the specified cardio segments on Mondays and Fridays.
Monday
For each exercise shown, do 1 set of the prescribed repetitions, rest 30 seconds, then do another set of that same exercise. To amp up
your results, follow your strength workout with a round of Smart Cardio Intervals.
Smart Cardio Intervals
Do this. . .
for this amount of time. . .
1. Warm up, graduating from easy
to moderate intensity
5 minutes
2. Exert at maximum effort and speed
45 seconds *
3. Recover
90 seconds *
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 ten times
5. Cool down
3 – 5 minutes
6. Stretch
5 minutes
*After 3 weeks, increase the duration of the maximum effort interval to 1 minute and
increase your recovery time to 2 minutes.
Wednesday
Perform the moves circuit style: Do the prescribed number of repetitions for each exercise, with no rest between exercises. After you’ve
done all of the exercises once, rest two minutes. Perform the entire circuit 3 times, resting two minutes between each circuit.
Friday
Perform each set of two exercises back-to-back, with no rest between each exercise. Rest 30 to 60 seconds before repeating the set
one more time.
Set 1
Lift-off Lunge, Hundred on the Ball
Set 3
Mermaid, Boat Curl and Press
Set 2
Scissors Jump, Pushup and Leg Raise
Set 4
Triangle Lat Raise, Dip and Knee Raise
Nothing scorches calories or firms your muscles like fighting gravity. Follow your Friday strength-training sequence with the following
Butt-Busting Hill Repeats—which can be done on a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or stationary bike.
Butt-Busting Hill Repeats
Do this. . .
for this amount of time. . .
1. Warm up, graduating from easy to moderate intensity
3 - 5 minutes
2. Increase the incline on your equipment to a moderate
2 minutes *
level, and push yourself at a hard intensity
3. Lower incline and recover
1 minute *
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 four times
5. Cool down
3 - 5 minutes
6. Stretch
5 minutes
*After 3 weeks, increase the duration of your time on the incline to 3 minutes and increase your
recovery time to 1 and 1/2 minutes.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/BestBody
© 2009 Women’s Health
BEST WORKOUT FOR YOUR BODY TYPE
Pear
2 Scissors Jump [10 to 20 jumps]
1
Tones: Butt, thighs, shoulders,
triceps, and core
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold
dumbbells up at your shoulders—elbows
bent and pointing out to the sides, palms
facing forward. Take a giant step forward
with your right leg and lower your body until
your knees are bent 90 degrees. Your knees
should be in line with your ankles. (A) Press
into your right foot, straighten your right leg,
and come to a stand, simultaneously pulling
your left knee forward in front of your hips
(so you’re standing on one leg) and pressing
the weights up toward the ceiling. (B) Return
to start. Repeat with your left leg.
Tones: Butt and thighs; raises
heart rate to burn extra calories
Stand with your right leg forward and your
left leg extended behind you, toes on the floor.
Bend your right knee and dip your left knee
toward the floor, so you’re in a lunge position.
Place your arms straight out in front of you or
out to the sides. (A) Swiftly jump up and switch
legs in midair, in a motion like a scissor. (B)
When your back knee grazes (or nearly grazes)
the ground, jump again. Keep jumping continuously, without resting, for a full set. To prevent
injury, try to land as softly as possible.
To make the move more challenging, place
your front foot on a step.
3 Pushup and Leg Raise [8 to 12 reps]
Tones: Shoulders, triceps,
chest, and core
Lie facedown on a fitness ball, with both
hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until
it is under your shins. Your hands should be
directly below your shoulders, so it looks like
you’re ready to do a pushup.(A) Keeping your
torso straight and your abs contracted, bend
your elbows and lower your chest toward the
floor. Stop when your upper arms are parallel
to the floor. (B) Return to start, and immediately contract your glutes as you lift your
right leg off the ball. (C) Lower your right leg
to the ball, then lift the left leg. That’s one
rep.
4 Hundred on the Ball [10 reps, 100 breaths per rep]
Tones: Thighs, butt, and core
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides.
Bend your knees to 90 degrees and place your
calves on a fitness ball. Lift your head and
shoulders off the floor, making sure to keep
your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. (Put
your head down at any time if you feel stress
in the upper body.) (A) Take 5 short, consecutive inhales, followed by 5 short, consecutive
exhales. Do this 10 times for 1 rep. At the same
time, lift arms off mat and pulse them up and
down palms facing down, in unison with the
breath. (B)
Make the move harder by placing the ball
under the tops of your feet. Make it easier by
keeping the ball under your knees.
6 Boat Curl and Press [8 to 10 reps]
5 Mermaid [8 to 10 reps]
Tones: Core (especially
obliques) and shoulders
Assume a side plank position, with your right
elbow on the floor directly beneath your
shoulder. Stagger your feet so your left foot
is in front of your right foot. (A) Raise your
left arm directly overhead—bicep next to your
ear, arm extended, and with your palm facing
the floor—so your arm is in line with your
body. Arch your left arm towards the floor as
you raise your hips up in the air. (B) Return to
start. Repeat for a full set; then switch sides.
7 Triangle Lat Raise [10 to 12 reps per side]
Tones: Butt, thighs, back, and
shoulders
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and lunge
forward with your right leg. Taking a cue from
the triangle pose in yoga, turn your left foot
out—so it’s perpendicular to your leg—and
rest your right forearm on your right thigh,
palm up. Extend your left arm straight down,
with your palm facing your right leg. (A)
Keeping your left arm extended, squeeze
your shoulder blades together and raise
your left arm straight out to the side until it
reaches shoulder height. (B) Return to start.
Complete a full set, then switch sides.
Tones: Core, biceps, and
shoulders
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your
arms extended at your sides and your palms
facing forward. Sit on a bench and lean back
slightly, pulling your knees to chest height, so
you’re balancing on your tailbone. (A) Curl the
weights to your shoulders; (B) then immediately rotate your wrists so your palms face forward and press the weights straight overhead.
(C) Return to start. Each dumbbell extension
is one rep. Balance on the bench during the
entire set if you can.
8 Dip and Knee Raise [10 to 12 reps]
Tones: Triceps, shoulders, and
upper back
Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet flat
on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees. Grasp
the seat on either side of your butt; make sure
your fingers are facing forward. Walk your feet
out slightly and inch yourself off the seat. (A)
Bend your arms, keeping your elbows pointed
straight back as you dip your butt toward the
ground. Simultaneously contract your abs and
pull your right knee toward your chest. (B) Return to start. Concentrate on using your arms
to raise your body, rather than pushing up with
your legs. Complete a set, alternating legs.
Make the move more challenging by performing it with your legs extended.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/BestBody
© 2009 Women’s Health