This tone-all-over circuit takes six proven and powerful moves — lunges, planks, pushups, squats, crunches and dead lifts — and amps up their difficulty each week to keep your muscles challenged. Pair these exercises with active rest (keeping your heart rate up during your “rest” time between sets) and you’ll be eager to jump into that bathing suit long before the fireworks start. Do this workout three times a week for a month, along with at least two hours of cardio a week, for the best results.
PERFORM THIS ROUTINE THREE TIMES THROUGH, RESTING BETWEEN SETS FOR A FEW MINUTES. UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, DO 12-15 REPS OF EACH EXERCISE, USING A WEIGHT THAT IS CHALLENGING BUT DOABLE FOR A HIGH NUMBER OF REPS. REST TIME IS ACTIVE REST TIME, SO YOU SHOULD BE MOVING CONSTANTLY!
1. WALKING LUNGE
Week 1
Regular, with dumbbells
Hold a weight in each hand, arms at your sides.
Week 2
Pulse 1 to 8 to 1
Step forward with your right foot, holding the weights by your sides. Pulse up and down once while knees are bent. Bring your feet together and step forward with your left foot. Pulse twice. Work up to eight pulses in a row, then turn around and headed in the opposite direction, work your way back down to one.
Week 3
Add torso rotation
Grab a light medicine ball or a dumbbell. Hold it out in front of you as you step forward. While in a lunge position, twist once to the right, once to the left, then return to starting position.
Week 4
Add shoulder press
With your elbows below the wrists, hold a dumbbell on either side of your shoulders and press the dumbbells up until yours arms are extended. Lower dumbbells and repeat.
60 seconds active rest: jump rope
2. PLANK
Week 1
Hold the plank position for 30 seconds.
Week 2
Hold the plank position for 45 seconds.
Week 3
Add a stability ball and hold for 30 seconds. Rest your forearms on the stability ball instead of on the mat.
Week 4
Using a stability ball, hold for 45 seconds.
60 seconds active rest: basketball shuffle
3. PUSHUP
Week 1
Regular
Week 2
Feet on stability ball
Balance your feet on a stability ball behind you.
Week 3
Hands on BOSU
A BOSU is an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform; it looks like a stability ball cut in half. Place the BOSU soft side down and hold on to the edges while you perform the pushup.
Week 4
Hands on ball
Place your palms on a stability ball, about shoulder-width apart.
60 seconds active rest: calf jumps
4. SQUAT
Week 1
Regular, hands at your sides
Week 2
Add bicep curl
Curl up, with your palms facing up, as you lower your legs.
Week 3
Add shoulder press
Position a dumbbell on each side of your shoulders, your elbows below the wrists. Press the dumbbells up as you lower your legs.
Week 4
Add front raise
Start with dumbbells at your thighs, palms down. Lift the dumbbells straight up to shoulder height as you lower your legs.
60 seconds active rest: mountain climbers
5. CRUNCH
Week 1
Regular
Week 2
Dumbbell crunch
Hold a dumbbell at your chest, close to your chin.
Week 3
Dumbbell half-curl down
Begin by sitting upright, feet flat on the floor. Holding a dumbbell at your chest, slowly lower your core down halfway. Hold for a second, then return to starting position.
Week 4
Add stability ball
Place a stability ball under the middle of your back and perform as usual.
60 seconds active rest: jumping jacks
6. DEAD LIFT
Week 1
Regular, with dumbbells
Week 2
Add calf raise
Standing upright, rise up on the balls of your feet once.
Week 3
Add upright row
While fully upright, lift the dumbbells straight up below your chin, leading with your elbows. Keep the dumbbells close to your body on the way up, letting your wrists bend.
Week 4
Add hammer curl
While fully upright, hold the dumbbells at your sides, your palms facing your legs. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up toward your shoulders until your elbows can’t bend any further. Slowly lower the dumbbells.
