AMRAP

A Barry’s Bootcamp-Inspired Hotel Gym Workout

May 14, 2014 by Nicole 10 Comments

First off, I loved reading all your comments on yesterday’s post—so many great suggestions for new workouts and blog topics! I’ve added all of them to my to-do list. And I was especially excited to see a few of you wanted to know more about Btone and the classes I teach there. I’ve tried not to talk too much about it on the blog because I know most of you guys aren’t in Boston or an area that offers Megaformer classes, but now I’m definitely going to dedicate a few posts to explaining more about this uh-mazing workout. As for today’s…

While in Mexico, I ate a lot, drank a lot, slept a lot, sunbathed a lot—but wasn’t a total slob (well, if the breakfast buffet could talk, it might say otherwise). I worked out a couple times at the resort’s gym, and wanted to share what I did the first day with you guys because it was actually a real ass-kicker. My boyfriend and I decided to do a Barry’s Bootcamp-inspired workout, mixing treadmill intervals with strength training. He’d do eight minutes on the treadmill while I was doing strength training, then we’d switch; doing this twice for a 32-minute workout. The majority of my strength training intervals were bodyweight exercises, but he did some crazy-looking dumbbell boxing thing. Here’s what I did:

Barry’s Bootcamp-Inspired Hotel Gym Workout

Equipment I Used:

Treadmill
Two 10-lb dumbbells
Exercise mat

As a reference, the treadmill I was using had a speed max of 12mph and an incline max of 15%. It also really really didn’t want me to workout:

Mexican treadmill = LOL pic.twitter.com/4HK1w5AjEQ

— Nicole Perry (@nicoleperr) May 4, 2014

Lazy treadmill aside, let’s get to the workout breakdown. Check out the picture tutorial then read the full description below for any needed clarification.

Think of this workout as being broken into four sections:

8-minute AMRAP focusing on lower-body muscle groups
8-minute treadmill hill workout
8-minute AMRAP focusing on core
8-minute treadmill sprinting workout

8-Minute AMRAP (Lower Body)

Do as many rounds of the following exercise circuit as you can in 8 minutes. Try not to take any breaks; push yourself as hard as you can without sacrificing proper form.

10 Burpees:The whole burpee sequence will look like this: squat down placing hands on the ground; jump back into plank position; jump legs back up towards hand; stand back into squat position; jump up with arms overhead.
10 Squat Pulse Jumps: Squat down, sending hips back like you’re sitting in a chair. Jump up, coming out of the squat and into the air. Land back down softly, sinking right back down into that deep squat position. Staying low, do 3 squat pulses, up a couple inches, down a couple inches. That’s one rep. Go right into your next jump.
10 Pivoting Lunges (each side):Holding a kettlebell in each hand, lunge forward onto one foot and then pushing off that front foot, come back upright and immediately step it back into a lunge. The other foot stays planted on the ground in the same position as you lunge forward and backward, back and forth. Hold a 10-lb dumbbell (or appropriate weight for your fitness level) in each hand.

8-Minute Treadmill Hill Workout

Adjust the speeds listed below to your fitness level, but try to stick to the incline changes.

[Min 0-1] 5 mph @ 5% incline
[Min 1-2] 6 mph @ 7.5% incline
[Min 2-3] 7 mph @ 10% incline
[Min 3-4] 6 mph @ 10% incline
[Min 4-5] 5 mph @ 10% incline
[Min 5-6] 5 mph @ 7.5% incline
[Min 6-7] 5 mph @ 5% incline
[Min 7-8] 7 mph @ 15% incline

8-Minute AMRAP (Core)

Do as many rounds of the following exercise circuit as you can in 8 minutes. Try not to take any breaks; push yourself as hard as you can without sacrificing proper form.

50 Bicycle Crunches:Lay on back, hands behind head. When you crunch up towards your bent left knee, your right leg should be extended out and not touching the ground. Switch sides, crunching over towards the right with your left leg extended. Continue in a fluid, cycling motion.
10 Windshield Wipers:Lay on back, legs perpendicular to the ground and arms outstretched for support. Lower your legs to the right, twisting your hips, until they are just hovering above the ground. Lift back to starting position and over to the left side. Continue back and forth in a windshield-wiper motion.
10 Hip Dip Forearm Planks:Start in an elbow plank position. Keeping shoulders level, twist your torso to lower your right hip to the floor. Return to plank position and then twist the other way, lowering your right hip to the floor.
10 Sawing Forearm Planks: Go right into these from the hip dips; don’t come out of the plank position. Get into an elbow plank position. Rock forward, pointing your feet, and then back, flexing them. Keep core tight and body straight throughout the movement.
5 V-Up Crunches:Start on your back with arms stretched out overhead and legs hovering just slightly above the ground. You’ll then crunch up, bringing your hands towards your toes (keeping legs and arms straight). When done correctly, your body will make a “v” shape as you crunch; this means you’re not just reaching your arms up, your chest needs to move towards your knees. Lower back down to starting position. If possible, your feet should never touch the ground.

8-Minute Treadmill Sprint Workout

Stay on 0% incline the whole time. Adjust the speeds listed to your fitness level, but try to stay in a -2/+2 range if possible.

[Min 0-1] 6 mph
[Min 1-2] 7 mph
[Min 2-3] 8 mph
[Min 3-4] 10 mph
[Min 4-5] 6 mph
[Min 5-6] 10 mph
[Min 6-7] 6 mph
[Min 7-8] 10.5 mph

At Barry’s, on those amazing Woodway treadmills, I can max out closer to 12 mph when sprinting, but on the one at the resort I felt like I was dying at 10.5. Couldn’t have gone .0001mph faster if I tried.

WEARING | shorts: Lululemon / tank: H&M / sneakers: Nike Free +3

Have you guys ever done Barry’s Bootcamp? They opened a location in Boston this fall and it’s suuuuuch a good workout. I don’t get in for classes as often as I’d like, but have been trying to make it to one every week or two. They’re longer (and harder) than this workout I’ve posted, which is just loosely based off Barry’s, so definitely try out the real thing if you have a studio in your area!

Filed Under: AMRAP, Cardio, Full Body, Running, Treadmill Workouts, Workouts

AMRAP Quickies Workout

May 7, 2014 by Nicole 17 Comments

I’m back from Mexico! Each time I go on a trip, I get so excited about all the blog-worthy pictures I can take and ambitiously plan out all the amazing posts that will come from them. The outfits I wore, hotel room workouts I did, a food diary post about what I ate—every vacation, I think about the endless blog potential. And every vacation, I come home with four blurry iPhone photos and…well, that’s about it.

On the one hand, it’s a shame and I’m a terrible blogger. On the other hand, I think it’s a really good sign that I’m doing something right. Sometimes, you’ve gotta just shut the computer, enjoy life and the people around you, and experience things without worrying about documenting it all on social media.

I’m pretty deep, huh? In actuality, the resort we stayed at didn’t have Wi-Fi and after a couple mild panic attacks, I was forced to just put away my iPhone. It was good for me.

And Mexico was great—the wedding was beautiful, we went snorkeling, the food at the resort was delicious, and despite the continuous drinking, it really was so relaxing. I even got in a couple workouts!

Now that vacation is over, I’m excited to get back to my usual fitness grind, and did this AMRAP Quickies workout yesterday morning before tackling my dreaded post-vacation email inbox.

AMRAP Quickies Workout

Equipment I Used:

Jump rope
15-lb kettlebell
Exercise mat
Timer

AMRAP stands for As Many Reps/Rounds As Possible. That means no breaks between exercises and pushing yourself as hard and as fast as you can without sacrificing proper form. You’ll do three 5-minute AMRAP mini workouts. In between each, jump rope for 2 minutes for a quick cardio blast. The first AMRAP will focus on lower body exercises; the second on upper body; the third on abs.

I used my Gymboss Interval Timer and set it for 3 rounds of 5 minutes of work and 2 minutes of “rest” (jump roping). During the five minutes, I pushed through as many rounds of the mini routine as possible until the timer went off, then grabbed my jump rope and went straight into my cardio blast. Full breakdown after the pictures.

5-MINUTE AMRAP—LOWER BODY

10 Jump Squat Lunges: Start in a lunge position, both knees at 90 degree angels. Jump up, landing in a squat position. Do a jump squat. Jump back into a lunge position, this time with the other leg in front. Each time you land after a jump squat, that’s one rep (1 jump lunge + 1 jump squat = 1 rep).
20 Tip Toe Pulse Squats (Alternating): In a deep squat position, lift one heel and pulse up a couple inches and down a couple inches back into the squat. Repeat, this time on ball of other foot. You’re staying low in a squat throughout the whole 20 reps—these are small pulse movements.
10 One-Leg Hip Bridge Thrusts (Each Side): Start in a bridge position, one foot firmly on the ground with knee bent, the other lifted straight up in the air. Thrust your hips towards the ceiling, engaging your glutes and hamstring to lift body into an inclined position. Lower hips down until they’re just a couple inches off the ground and repeat.

2-MINUTE JUMP ROPE

5-MINUTE AMRAP—UPPER BODY

10 Push Ups: I did triceps pushups, keeping my elbows locked in tight next to my sides as I lowered down. Halfway through the second round, I needed to modify and do the pushups from my knees—I’m getting stronger but still
10 Superman Lifts: Lay on your stomach, arms overhead. Lift arms, chest and legs off the ground, squeezing those glutes and back muscles. Hold for a second, then lower slightly (but not all the way down to the ground) before repeating.
5 Kettlebell Clean ‘n Press (Each Side): With feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, bend knees and bring kettlebell from a straight-arm hanging position to closely held by the center of your chest with arm bent. From there, straighten legs as you extend your arm skyward. Reverse the moves to bring yourself back to starting position. Try to keep the kettlebell towards the center of your body throughout this move. When done correctly, this isn’t just an upper-body workout, but great for your core.

2-MINUTE JUMP ROPE

5-MINUTE AMRAP—CORE

10 Full-Body Crunches: Start laying on your back, arms overhead, core engaged, legs straight and hovering off the ground. Crunch your chest up as you bring your knees in towards your chest, wrapping your arms loosely around your knees. Extend everything back out, lowering down into starting position.
10 Side Plank Lifts (Each Side): Start in a side plank position. Lower your hips towards the ground, and then lift upwards, crunching into an arch passed your original straight plank position. Continue lowering and raising.
10 Hip Dip Planks (Alternating): Start in an elbow plank position. Keeping shoulders level, twist your torso to lower your right hip to the floor. Return to plank position and then twist the other way, lowering your right hip to the floor.

2-MINUTE JUMP ROPE

WEARING | leggings & sports bra c/o Reebok / tank: LF / sneakers: Nike

Filed Under: AMRAP, Full Body, Jump Rope, Workouts

30-Minute Bodyweight AMRAP Workout

March 24, 2014 by Nicole 63 Comments

It’s time for the fourth and final weekly workout challenge giveaway—where has the month gone?? These AMRAP posts have been so fun for me because it’s the first time I’ve been able to gauge how many people actually do all these silly workouts I post every week. Most people don’t feel compelled to comment on my posts each and every time they try something from P&I (I know I wouldn’t haha), so for all I know, I’ve just been making pretty tutorials to decorate Pinterest boards with these past two years. I’ve LOVED reading all the comments from readers who tried the workouts this month.

You know the drill by now, but I’ll just reiterate that everyone who completes this workout by Sunday evening will be able to enter to win this week’s prize package. It doesn’t matter how many rounds you get through–everyone has an equal chance of winner. I’ll post the giveaway entry post later today–get excited, it’s a big one!

30-Minute Bodyweight AMRAP Workout

Set a timer for 30 minutes and complete as many rounds of the following circuit as possible.

10 Jump Lunge to Mountain Climbers: Start in a lunge position and jump up, landing with opposite leg in front, back in a lunge position. Place hands flat on ground and do a mountain climber set (one on each side) so that the same foot ends up in front. Stand back up into lunge position. That’s one rep.
10 Breakdance Planks (each side): Start in a plank position. Step your right foot up and out to the side. Bring your left foot across your body, in between your right hand and right foot. Lift your right hand into the air as you twist your body, thrusting your hips up towards the ceiling as you shift your weight onto that left hand. Think of the motion as weaving your left foot through the right side. Reverse the motion back into a plank position. See the exercise in action HERE if you’re reading this like whaaat is this chick talking about (it’s a tough one to explain!).
20 Alternating Sumo Squat Jump Leg Lifts: Squat down, legs wide apart and butt back. Jump up, landing back in starting position. Shift your weight to your left leg and kick your right leg straight out to the side, staying low the hold time. Return to starting position. Repeat, only lifting left leg after your next jump squat.
20 Leg Lifts to Butt Lifts: Laying on your back with hands under your bum for support, lift legs off so that they’re hovering off the ground. Lift them up, perpendicular to the ground (keeping them straight the whole time) and then lift your butt off the ground, thrusting your feet up towards the ceiling. Lower butt to ground, and then lower legs back down to starting hovering position.

WEARING | top: Lululemon // leggings: Nike // sneakers: c/o PUMA

I got through 7 and a half rounds. Seven full rounds and was just about to start the sumo jump squats in the 8th when the timer went off. By the end my quads were on fire! See if you can beat my time!

Filed Under: AMRAP, Bodyweight, Full Body, Workouts