12-Minute Full Body Sculpt Home Workout

Format:
30 seconds each move (increase to 0:45 – 1:00 if you can, and if you have more time)
3 Rounds
If you start to lose form or get tired, switch to one of the modifications to complete the interval, then move on to the next.

1. Cross Body Reverse Lunge Touches

• This is a great warm up move that gets your upper body moving, activates your core, and fires up the glutes, hamstrings and quads.
• Step your right foot back behind you coming into a reverse lunge as you bring your right hand down to touch your left foot. Keep your head up and chest lifting and watch that your left knee stays in line with your left foot and the knee doesn’t go beyond the toe.
• Jump, or quickly step to switch to a left reverse lunge, bringing your left hand down to touch your right foot this time. Continue to alternate sides.
• MODIFY: Slow this down if you’re noticing any difficulty with this move. Come into slower alternating reverse lunges. Hold the wall beside you for support. Do not go too deeply into the lunge, only drop down to a point at which you can balance.

2. Bridge Lift Sliders

• You can do this with paper plates, cardboard squares, towels, old frisbees, or even just your shoes – pick the appropriate slide for the surface you’re on, but you can do it on virtually any surface. You can see me kicking up dust as I slide a piece of cardboard on the dirt – which was freaking hard!!
• Lay on your back, hands at your sides feet straight out in front of you resting on your slide. Draw your feet in towards your butt, driving your hips up to the sky as you squeeze your glutes. This move is challenging, it’s effective and you want to go slow and really focus on each squeeze.
• Really focus on your core and glutes as you lift up, and drag those heels in. The less resistance you have on the surface you’re on, the easier this will be.
• MODIFY: A great place to start is to bring the heels in and out without lifting the hips. Try that first. If you’re having trouble with your back or with the slides, you can also do bridge lifts which are a great glute exercise. Drive your heels down as you raise and lower your hips, squeezing your glutes each time. 

3. High to Low Double Jacks

• How many ways can I get you to do something that looks like a Burpee? lol. I’m not going to stop trying.
• Start with two fast jumping jacks. Drop down, plant your hands below your shoulders and jump your feet back.
• Hold a strong plank with your body – core engaged, back NOT arching or sagging – keep your head in neutral (don’t look down) and jump your feet out and in twice.
• Jump back to your hands and jump up to 2 more jumping jacks. Repeat.
• MODIFY: As you start to get tired, step back to your plank rather than jumping back. Take out the plank jack and hold plank for 2 counts if you need a break, or hold a kneeling plank. If jumping jacks aren’t an option for you, perform 2 body squats, then come down to a kneeling or full plank. 

4. Knee Sliders

• Get those sliders out again! Come into a tall plank, holding a strong core – back not arched, head and neck in neutral and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
• Slide your knees toward your chest, keeping your hips low – not lifting. As you start to get tired they will lift up, and that’s okay – but try to keep them down to really target your lower abdominals. Initiate this movement from your lower abs – your hip flexors may want to take over, but if you fire up your core and really focus on each pull in, you can help your body activate the right muscles more effectively.
• MODIFY: You can modify this move with mountain climbers, which are an awesome exercise that will eliminate the sliding challenge. If your wrists bother you in plank, come onto soft fist or hold some light dumbbells. Another great lower abdominal move that will get you off your hands is to flip onto your back and bend your knees. Keeping your lower back pressed into the ground (it must stay there the entire time), bring your knees up, then lower down – just touching your toes to the floor and raise up again.

5. Low Side Shuffle Kicks

• We all need to do more lateral movement! This combo move targets your obliques (side abdominals), deep core stabilizers and glutes.
• Get down low into a crouch and stay light on your feet as you take two quick steps to the right. Plant your left foot and drive through your right hip as you kick up and forward with the right leg.
• When you land, drop down again and take two quick steps to the left, planting your right foot and kicking with your left foot.
• You can do a front kick, side kick, roundhouse kick or whatever feels good to you – just keep yourself moving and try to stay low in your shuffles.
• MODIFY: Come into a reverse lunge with your right foot behind you, then as you come up, drive forward with your right knee. Repeat on the left. Hold onto the wall for support as needed. You can also try this move more slowly to the left and right, and only kick as high as you’re comfortable. It’s not easy to balance on one leg and kick high – which is why practicing it helps develop strength in your stabilizing muscles. Hold onto a wall for support and practice leaning to the side and kicking. Drive with your knee to see how that feels, and then try kicking with your full leg. 

6. Pike Push Ups

• Want sexy shoulders? Pike push ups are super effective. Come into plank, with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and a strong core.
• Push your butt up into a downward dog and take a couple small steps in toward your hands to get in a comfortable position.
• Begin to do push-ups in this position. Keep your head and neck neutral and try not to arch your back. It will curve naturally, but hold a strong core.
• The more vertical your body is, the more challenging these become. Step your feet back as you get tired and need a little break.
• MODIFY: Like I was saying, these get harder as we get more vertical. You can also do them on your knees. Begin in a kneeling plank, then press your hips back, elongating the space between your hands and shoulders. Press up and down in this position.