Hi Everyone!
Today’s Workout combo starts with a workout for your Tush & Thighs and finishes with a quick workout for your Arms and Back. You can complete each workout once, or repeat them for a longer/more intense workout.
I like the flexibility of keeping each round of the workout short because you can always make time to fit at least one round of a quick workout into your day.
The first workout is focused on your lower half. Having strong glutes is more important than just having a nice and shapely backside. Your glutes help maintain your pelvic and postural alignment. So having a toned tush benefits more than just the fit of your jeans! Your glutes are the largest and strongest muscles of your body. That means that having a muscular lower body can help increase your metabolism. It will also help you make gains in your strength and athleticism. Strong legs provide support for your knees, and ankles, increasing stability, and decreasing your risk of falls and injury as you age. Are you ready to workout your butt, and reap the benefits? Did I mention that a strong, round butt, also looks great? 😉
The second workout is focused on your arms and back. You will need dumbbells and a chair or bench. Select a weight that is challenging for you, but still allows you to complete all repetitions with proper form.
I have also posted today’s Bonus Challenge Move on Instagram: @BenderFitness. I am doing a March Movement Challenge where I will post a different bonus move every day. Today’s move is a Plank Crunch Burpee.
This weekend I will also be posting a pregnancy update. I feel like my belly is suddenly growing by leaps and bounds, and I want to update everyone on how that is affecting my workouts.
Have fun with today’s workout combo!
Melissa
Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps
1. Lunge Hop (right)
2. Lunge Hop (left)
3. Squat Jump
4. Hip Thrust
5. Side Plank Hip Drop (right)
6. Side Plank Hip Drop (left)
7. Side Frog Mountain Climber
8. Leg Series (right)
9. Leg Series (left)
10. Bird Dog Heel Press
Repeat 1-3X
Repeat 1-5X
- Bicep Curl to Press
- Row-Right
- Row-Left
- Arm Extension
- Shoulder Press to Tricep Drop
Thank you for you workouts! I just came across your site and love them!
Melissa, you look healthy and fantastic! I have found that the growing belly gets in the way of what the mind wants to do! At 32 week pg, my burpees are extremely slow and I’m finding I can’t squat “wide” enough to leave room for my belly. My husband gets a good chuckle 🙂 I look forward to getting back into pre-pregnancy shape with you. I was able to get abs back rather quickly after both of my kids by following your workouts. You are wonderful and have been a blessing to us all!!!!!
Dear Melissa, Thank you again for the great workouts!
I haven’t had time to write and thank you for sharing your interview with us, so thank you for that too. I actually have a question that is (sort of ) relate to the interview. If I’m not mistaken, you said in the interview that at some point you thought that you were just unable to do pull-ups, but eventually you succeeded.
Well, I am at the moment having the problem that, for some reason, I am just unable to do a pull-up, even if I really would like to. I have muscles and I am reasonably fit (by far NOT as fit as you, but have been active all my life and have been following you blog and doing your workouts since 2012 and just love your workouts!). By the weights on the barbell and on the dumbbells that I use, my husband is absolutely sure that I should be able to do pull-ups, when it comes to have enough muscles (although I think that I should either increase my muscles or to loose some weight), but in the end I just can’t do full pull-ups.
I know that you have posted, at some point, a video for training for pull-ups, but I can’t find it at the moment. I know you have a lot on you schedule, but if you would find the time and would like to share your tips on how to develop oneself to succeeded in pull-ups (for absolutely beginners), I would be at most grateful.
You can definitely do it! A lot of times it comes down to form and just getting used to the movement. Here is a video tutorial I posted: https://www.benderfitness.com/2013/03/building-up-to-a-pull-upincreasing-my-pull-up-reps.html
You can start with negatives & bent arm hangs. You can also build with a supported pull-up (either help from a friend, machine, or place one foot lightly on a chair), and slowly build up until you are using your full strength. I hope this helps! Let me know when you get it & if you have any more questions!
Love to see your workouts !
the boy is going to a tough mommy…blessings!
Thank you for your reply and encouragement Melissa!
Actually I do have an additional question, after just checking out your tutorial for pull-ups: would chin-ups be “easier” to start than pull-ups? But help to build up for pull-ups too? Also maybe a dip stand (if only I had one) would be helpful in building up for proper pull-ups…what do you think?
It will help! Chin ups use more biceps and accessory muscles. Pull-ups focus on the Lats. It would absolutely help to include both types as you learn to isolate your lats. When you do the pull-ups focus on keeping your shoulders down and away from your ears, and as you bend your arms focus on moving your shoulders blades down your back, and in toward each other. Same thing during the chin-ups. 🙂
A dip station will also help. I like Reverse Pushups on the dip station to build to pull-ups, as well as bent arm hangs, but there are a lot of other options too. 🙂