Pumps & Iron

5-Minute Bodyweight Pyramid Workout

May 14, 2018 by Nicole 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Hyatt Place. All opinions—as always—are my own.

Today I’m sharing another workout from my Workout Wednesday series with Hyatt Place Hotels. Like the other nine workouts I created, these are perfect to do while traveling. They don’t require much space (although Hyatt Place rooms are actually very spacious!) nor do they require much if any equipment.

This bodyweight pyramid workout is truly no-excuses, as it can be done in just 5 minutes. That being said, if you have more time to workout, rest 30-60 seconds after you complete the pyramid and then repeat it 2-4 times.

5-Minute Bodyweight Pyramid Workout

There are five exercises in this workout. You’ll do each for 40 seconds then each for 20 seconds. The goal is to not rest during the 5 minutes.

As with all workouts, make sure you’re properly warmed up beforehand and always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed.

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

Bear Plank Jacks – Starting in a high plank position, hop your feet out wide and back to center. Then jump your feet forward, landing in a hovering tabletop position with knees stacked under hips. Hop back out to plank and repeat.
Side Lunge Hops (right) – Step to the right, sliding hips back as you bend into a side lunge on that right leg. Push off the right foot to come back up to center, bringing the right knee into your chest as you hop up off the left foot. Land and step wide back into your lunge.
Side Lunge Hops (left)
Bird Dog – Start in a tabletop position on the balls of your feet with knees under hips, hovering a couple inches off the floor (to modify, keep knees on floor). From here, extend right arm and left leg out straight. Bring back to center and repeat on other side.
Squat Jump to Jack – Staying low in a squat, hop your feet in narrow and then out wide. Do a squat jump, landing back low.

I’ll share one more of these workouts on my blog and YouTube channel, but to get all 10 workouts, check out Hyatt Place on Facebook and Instagram.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Bodyweight, Full Body, Pyramid, Video, Workouts

Burpee Challenge Workout

May 7, 2018 by Nicole 4 Comments

Hope you all had a fun weekend! Joe was out of town for a bachelor party and I absolutely relished in having the apartment to myself for a few days (lol). No Joe = clean apartment and the ability to watch all the trashy reality tv shows my little heart desires without judgement. Southern Charm came highly recommended by the Friday afternoon class I taught in Southie so I binged the first two seasons this weekend and honestly I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without having Patricia in my life. Whitney’s mom is EVERYTHING!! Also I could write a 50-page dissertation analyzing Kathryn and I know I haven’t even hit the tip of the iceberg (I’ve only seen the first two seasons so don’t spoil anything for me!!). Big shoutout for the recommendation—officially my new guilty please!

Anyway. Now that I’ve admitted to watching two entire seasons of reality tv over the weekend …

Burpee Challenge Workout

For this workout, you’ll build a burpee variation over the course of two minutes. Every 30 seconds, you add on a movement. After the two minute push, rest 30 seconds before moving onto the next burpee variation. Repeat the circuit of three burpees twice. No equipment needed!

As with all workouts, make sure you’re properly warmed up beforehand and always listen to your body, stopping or modifying as needed.

Workout Breakdown

Go to 1:39 in the above video to see a preview of each exercise in action.

1. Plank Jack Burpees

—Plank Hold
——Plank Jacks
———Plank Jump Jacks
————Plank Jack Burpees

2. Squat Jack Burpees

—Squat Hold
——Squat Jacks
———Squat Jump Jacks
————Squat Jack Burpees

3. Superman Burpees

—Superman Hold
——Superman Push Ups
———Superman Get Ups
————Superman Burpees

WEARING | Outdoor Voices leggings // Crane & Lion tank // Nike sneakers

I know any workout with the word “burpee” in it sounds like torture but I think you’ll be surprised how quickly this one goes! No equipment needed so it’s a great option if you’re traveling or short on space.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Bodyweight, Full Body, Video, Workouts

Running + Strength Training Lower Body Workout

April 23, 2018 by Nicole Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE. All opinions—as always!—are my own.

Today I have a workout that mixes running with bodyweight tabatas and weighted exercises. It’s a great one if you’re looking to target lower body. For the running intervals, you can use a treadmill or take it outside since it’s (FINALLY) feeling like Spring—hallelujah!!

For this workout, I’m wearing the Cavu from HOKA ONE ONE’s Fly Collection. It was made with versatility in mind, and the three styles in the collection are cushioned enough for long runs while remaining sleek for every day wear. I went with the Cavu because it’s a little lower and lighter than the Mach and Elevon. I also love its simple look—when it comes to sneakers that I’ll wear every day, I’m all about a sleek black shoe.

These sneakers are super comfortable. There’s significant padding (they’ll add an inch to your height!) and their PROFLY™ responsive cushioning is softer in the heel for shock absorption and firmer in the forefoot for propulsion. So for running, I find them really comfy and love that they’re lightweight even with the thicker sole.

I don’t necessarily identify myself as “a runner”. It’s been a long time since I’ve run long distances, and I typically incorporate short(er) runs in with other strength exercises. That’s why the Fly Collection was a good fit for me. Yes, they’re running sneakers, but I can wear them in other types of workouts as well and definitely while teaching!

I put them through today’s lower body workout that mixes mile-long runs with bodyweight tabatas and weighted exercises. You can learn more about the Cavu and other styles in the Fly Collection over at the HOKA site.

Running + Strength Training Lower Body Workout

Here’s the breakdown of this workout:

Run 1 mile – steady, easy run
Complete the 10-minute strength sequence: tabata + weighted exercises
Run 1 mile – intervals: do 30 seconds of a push pace (a hard run, just shy of a sprint) and 30 seconds of jogging
Complete the 10-minute strength sequence: tabata + weighted exercises
Run 1 mile – steady run, try to beat your time from the first mile

For the tabata, you’ll alternate between two bodyweight exercises. The interval structure is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. For the weight work, do each exercise for 30 seconds, moving one to the next and repeating the circuit twice.

You’ll just need a set of dumbbells (and a treadmill if doing it inside). Go with a medium-heavy set of weights.