Step by Step

Prior to Kaya, it was a little tough to understand how priorities can take over your workout routines. Now I get it! Over the last year  and a half I have been working on developing short but effective training routines to keep us in shape without jeopardizing our other priorities.

Those who have trained with me would already know, it is never the number of minutes you spend on the treadmill that helps you get stronger, it is the layout of your routines, your form and of course the moves. Over the next few weeks, I will share with you some of the routines that I follow. Please make sure to comment on my post if you have any detailed questions on those routines so that I can help you do it right even if I am not there with you in person.

For this blog, my focus will be your heart - having it beat hard AND strong!

I love being able to use what's already around us to work out. Given that I live in the city, one thing that I have constant access is set of stairs. No matter what neighborhood I have been, I always manage to find a set of stairs that I can play with. As a result, I have built a 15 minute routine around them. Even if you don't have this luxury, as long as you have 10 or more step stairs you can still use this routine to strengthen you heart. What I have here is a 200-step stairs with multiple landings. I treat each landing as the start of my new move. Once I reach to the top, I run around the block to get back to the bottom of the stairs so that I can repeat everything one more time. My routine can easily be done without the running part and with only one set of stairs.

Here is my routine:

Move 1: side one leg jumps RIGHT - face towards left, be on your right leg, jump up step by step (try not to hold on to the railing)

Move 2: side one leg jumps LEFT - face towards right, be on your left leg, jump up step by step (try not to hold on to the railing)

Move 3: moving pushups - put your hands on the fourth step, do one pushup, jump your feet to the second step and move your hands 2 steps higher, continue until you are at the top

Move 4: skipping squat jump - start with a quarter squat, jump to the second step holding the squat, keep skipping a step all the way to the top making sure that your squat is held

Move 5: jumping planks - put your hands on the fourth step holding a hand plank, jump your feet to the second step, jump you feet back down to start, jump your feet to the third step, move your hands three steps higher, keep moving until the end

Move 6: uneven jumps RIGHT - face towards left, put right foot on the first step and left foot on the floor, jump both feet to the next step (left foot to step 1, right foot to step 2), keep your body centered between legs, go all the way to the top

Move 7: uneven jumps LEFT - face towards right, put left foot on the first step and right foot on the floor, jump both feet to the next step (right foot to step 1, left foot to step 2), keep your body centered between legs, go all the way to the top

Move 8: kickbacks - step by step run up with brining your heels to your butt

Move 9: knees up - step by step run up with bringing your knees up towards your chest

Move 10: quick jump - feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, jump to the next step, move as fast and controlled as you can

Move 11: moving dips - sit on the second step, feet on the ground, move your butt off the step, do one dip, without sitting back jump you feet to the first step and move your hands to the third step, repeat the dip and the jump all the way to the top

Once you do all 11 moves, repeat everything one more time. If you only have one set of stairs, after each move run down and do the next move.

Now, are you ready to give it a try? At the end you will deserve a huge HiFive!

Comment below if you have any questions.