WHEN I RETURNED home from The Biggest Loser campus, I knew that I needed to find a trainer who could pick up where Jillian Michaels had left off, and thankfully, I found that and more in Margie Marshall. Margie helped me to remain focused and confident while I worked to shed those last few pounds. Not only did she motivate me physically, but she also encouraged me to grow spiritually. Margie is still my trainer today, and when I decided to add this section of sample workouts to the book, I knew she would be the perfect person to contribute.
Read through each of the workouts that follow, and then select the one that seems most doable for you today. Over time you’ll want to give each of them a shot, I assure you. Margie doesn’t mess around: The options that follow will rock your world!
To keep up with Margie’s goings-on, I encourage you to check her out online at spidergirlfitness.com. Oh, and to sort out how many calories you’re burning during each of these workouts, visit calorieking.com and click on Resources & Tools > Interactive Tools (on the drop-down menu) > Exercise Calories. With specificity I can’t offer here, their estimates factor in the duration of your exercise, your gender and your current weight, height and age. Fantastic!
This high-intensity, low-impact workout will kick every last ounce of stress out of your system. For all moves, use your knee as a fulcrum and kick through your heel instead of leading with pointed toe. Execute all kicks using one leg—thus achieving full burnout on that side—before switching to the other.
Repeat all kicks fifteen times; thirty for advanced.
Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent and your arms bent at the elbow and pulled up alongside your face, with fists balled (you’ll look like a boxer). Step your right foot back slightly, then kick out in front of you as high as you can, but no higher than your waist. Return to starting position. (For left-side burnout, you’ll execute the same motion using your left leg.)
Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, and your arms bent at the elbow and pulled up alongside your face, with fists balled. Kick your right leg to the side as high as you can, but no higher than your waist. (For left-side burnout, you’ll execute using left leg.)
Note: Keep your eyes on a side-facing target when kicking to the side.
Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, and your arms bent at the elbow and pulled up alongside your face, with fists balled. Leaning forward from the waist and looking behind you as you move, kick your right leg back as high as you can, but no higher than your waist. (For left-side burnout, you’ll execute using left leg.)
Note: Look behind you when kicking backward.
Begin in forward lunge position (page 211). Come out of lunge position and then using the opposite knee as a fulcrum, immediately kick forward with the leg that is in front of you, as high as you can. Your other leg should be slightly bent at the knee.
Note: Be sure your knee stays behind your ankle when in a lunge.
Begin in a squat position, with feet hip-width distance apart and knees slightly bent. Be sure your knees stay well behind your toes (you should be able to look down and see all of your shoelaces while in squat position. If you can’t, stick out your butt further and rotate your hips backward until you can.) Ball your fists, bend your elbows, and pull your arms up alongside your face. Kick your right leg to the side as high as you can, but no higher than your waist. Return to squatting position and repeat. (For left-side burnout, execute using left leg.)
Note: Stay in your squat position throughout this entire series. Also, shift your weight to the ball of the opposing foot as you rise into your kick.
Stand with your feet together. Bend the right leg and lift it up, so it makes a ninety-degree angle with the floor. From this starting position, take the raised right leg and kick it back behind you into an extended-leg position as you simultaneously lean your torso forward (so you are no longer standing straight up but bent slightly forward at the waist). As you return to starting position, immediately raise up the left leg into high-knee position, giving the entire rep something of a hobbyhorse motion. (For left-side burnout, execute by kicking left leg back and doing a right-side high knee.)
Maximize your playground time with this fun and energizing routine!
Designate a “starting line” and place a bucket or shoe box for each person participating a few feet apart on that line. Give you and your child (or a friend, if your kids are occupied) five tennis balls each and sixty seconds to hide them under the slide, in the crook of a tree limb, behind a fence post, etc. Return to your designated starting point and yell “Go!” Race each other to see who can find the most balls—one ball at a time before heading back—and place them in his or her bucket the fastest.
You may need to adapt the following suggestions, taking into consideration your playground’s specific equipment, the number of people who are at the playground that day and the weather. (For instance, the slide-run isn’t recommended when the sky is pouring rain.)
Find two swings that are adjacent to each other. With one hand positioned on each seat, ease yourself down into bent-arm plank position (about five to ten minutes) until your body forms a straight line that is at a forty-five-degree angle to the ground. Using a push-up motion, straighten your arms and lift your body away from the swings, and then return to bent-arm plank. Repeat twenty times.
This move is best executed on a straight slide, not a curled one.
Using the sides of the slide for balance, run up the slide and walk yourself back down backward, completing twenty reps in a row. For added intensity, find side-by-side slides and race your child.
Sit down on the bench and scoot all the way forward. Keeping your elbows bent and your hands placed on the bench and as close to your body as possible, ease your legs out until they are straight in front of you. Dip your rear toward the ground twenty times, keeping your back as close to the bench as possible. For added intensity, raise a leg for five reps and then switch legs for the next five reps.
Find a park bench near where your child is playing. Step up on the bench and step back down twenty times; switch to the other leg. For added intensity, when stepping up with right foot, swing left leg into a side leg raise before stepping back down. Repeat with the other side.
Climb up to the monkey-bars launching pad. With your feet thrust out in front of you on the launching pad and with straight legs, grab the side bars with both hands. Keeping your legs straight, pull yourself toward the bars with both arms, in a chin-up motion. Allow your arms to straighten as you descend to the starting position. Repeat twenty times.
Note: Find a friend to spot you during this exercise.
If your playground has half-height concrete steps (like risers), position yourself on the bottom step and then jump with both feet to the next step up. Jump back down to the starting step. Repeat sequence for one minute, jumping up and back down as quickly as you can.
Note: If your area doesn’t have half-height steps, simply jump rapid-fire while standing in place for one full minute.
Invented by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan, this simple, straightforward interval routine builds both stamina and strength. Each interval includes twenty seconds of exercise followed by ten seconds of rest. One routine lasts four minutes and includes eight intervals of one and only one specific exercise.
1. To begin, select one exercise from the list below to include in your Tabata Routine. (See glossary that follows this section for definitions of each.)
| Burpees | Squat Jumps |
| Commando Crawls | Squat Thrusts |
| Jump-Ins | Standard Push-ups |
| Knee-Tuck Jumps | Table Makers |
| Military Push-ups | Triceps Dips |
| Rock Star Hops | Vertical Jumps |
| Skip Jumps | Wide-Arm Push-ups |
| Speed Skaters |
2. Next, follow the two-step process below, eight times in a row: For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible. For ten seconds, rest.
That’s it! Two simple steps. Seems easy, right? Not!
The next time you sit down to catch your favorite show, instead of fast-forwarding through the commercial breaks, exercise your way through them. Each commercial lasts roughly thirty seconds, and most commercial breaks include four or five commercials. Take your pick from the exercises listed here to complete during each thirty-second interval, and by the end of American Idol you’ll have a much fitter physique!
Below, you’ll find some plank exercises. Plank is one of the most effective abs exercises out there because it’s impossible to cheat while doing it! Plus, you can do fewer plank-holds than traditional sit-ups and see twice the results. Who doesn’t love that?
To get into plank, assume a prone position on the floor and keep your feet together with the balls of your feet on the floor. Place your hands shoulder-width apart underneath your shoulders. Tighten your abs and glutes, and don’t arch or dip your back—you should be as straight as a plank. Several variations are below, to keep the exercise interesting and challenging.
Hold yourself in plank position, forearms resting on the floor. Remember to keep your neck in neutral position, neither tucking your chin, nor raising your chin into the air.
Hold yourself in plank position, arms straight and neck in neutral position.
Begin by lying on your right side with elbow on floor under shoulder and hips and feet stacked. Push hips up, forming straight line from head to heels. Extend left arm above shoulder, then bring left arm under body, rotating upper body to the right. Hold for one count and repeat. Switch to left side after ten reps. Alternate sides to fill the time allotted.
Begin in straight-arm plank position. Lower yourself to the bottom of a push-up, where your elbows are bent and tucked into your sides, your upper body and knees remain off the floor and your neck is in neutral position. Work to descend low enough for your nose to touch the floor. Hold for three counts and then raise yourself back to straight-arm plank. Hold for three counts and then lower once again to the bottom of a push-up. Repeat.
Begin in a straight-arm plank position with feet together and the balls of your feet on the floor. Place your hands shoulder-width apart underneath your shoulders, and focus your eyes on a spot six to eight inches in front of your body’s position. Lower your torso to the ground until your arms form a ninety-degree angle and then raise yourself using your arms. Breathe out as you push. Repeat.
Begin by lying on the floor with legs outstretched in front of you and hands positioned beside each hip. Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs into the air. Begin “pedaling” forward in the air in slow, sweeping motions, keeping your abdominal muscles tight and remembering to breathe. Pumping legs in alternating fashion away from your chest, complete twenty “rotations” and then rest for ten seconds. Repeat to fill time allotted. For added intensity, keep arms raised straight above your head.
Begin by lying on the floor with legs outstretched in front of you and hands positioned beside each hip. Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs into the air. Begin “pedaling” backward in the air in slow, sweeping motions, keeping your abdominal muscles tight and remembering to breathe. Pumping legs in alternating fashion toward your chest, complete twenty “rotations” and then rest for ten seconds. Repeat to fill time allotted. For added intensity, keep arms raised straight above your head.
Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Step forward with one leg, landing heel-first in front of you. Your knee should be at a ninety-degree angle. Hold for one count, and then pushing off of your heel, return to starting position. Alternate legs to fill time allotted.
Note: Remember to keep hands on hips and be sure your knee stays behind your toes as you lunge.
Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Step backward with one leg, landing toe-first behind you. The opposite knee should be at a ninety-degree angle. Hold for one count, and then pushing off of your toe, return to starting position. Alternate legs to fill time allotted.
Note: Remember to keep hands on hips and be sure your knee stays behind your toes on leg that is bent.
Starting with feet together, bend over and place your hands on the floor. In one fluid motion, raise your arms straight in front of you toward the ceiling, making sure that your biceps are beside your ears and sit down on an imaginary chair. Your knees should not go beyond your toes. Keep your neck and back straight like a launching pad and your thighs parallel to the floor. Hold for the allotted time.
If you’re up for a real killer of a workout, give this one a try—a favorite go-to exercise of athletes of all kinds. Buy an inexpensive stopwatch, and time yourself—do thirty seconds of the first exercise, and thirty seconds of the second, as follows.
This thirty-minute high-intensity, high-impact monster will hit every major muscle group, as well as provide a massive cardio burn. It helps to have a friend with a stopwatch calling out each cue on a minute-by-minute basis. Complete it at your own risk!
See glossary that follows this section for descriptions of these exercises.
| Minute 1: | Slow Jog | Slow Jog |
| Minute 2: | Jumping Jacks* | Push-ups* |
| Minute 3: | Run | Run |
| Minute 4: | Knee-tuck Jumps | Vertical Jumps |
| Minute 5: | Run | Run |
| Minute 6: | Straight-Arm Plank Holds | Side-to-Side Lunge |
| Minute 7: | Run | Run |
| Minute 8: | Front Kick (Right) | Up-down Planks |
| Minute 9: | Run | Run |
| Minute 10: | Front Kick (Left) | Scissor Lunge |
| Minute 11: | Slow Jog | Slow Jog |
| Minute 12: | One Leg Hop (Right) | Squat Jumps* |
| Minute 13: | Run | Run |
| Minute 14: | One Leg Hop (Left) | Superman Holds (legs together) |
| Minute 15: | Run | Run |
| Minute 16: | Triceps Push-ups | Walking Lunge |
| Minute 17: | Run | Run |
| Minute 18: | Crab Forward | Crab Backward |
| Minute 19: | Run | Run |
| Minute 20: | Butt-Kick Jog in Place* | Mountain Climbers* |
| Minute 21: | Slow Jog | Slow Jog |
| Minute 22: | Helicopter Right | Helicopter Left |
| Minute 23: | Run | Run |
| Minute 24: | Right-side Kick | Left-side Kick |
| Minute 25: | Run | Run |
| Minute 26: | High Knees | High Knees |
| Minute 27: | Burpees | Jumping Jacks* |
| Minute 28: | Run | Run |
| Minute 29: | Straight-Arm Plank | Side-to-Side Lunge |
| Minute 30: | Slow Jog | Slow Jog |
*See chart beginning on page 196 for modified version of this exercise.
Be sure you’re exercising at the proper level, based on your target heart rate. As a rule of thumb your target heart rate is 220 minus your age. The American Heart Association suggests that “when starting an exercise program, aim at the lowest part of your target zone (50 percent) during the first few weeks. Gradually build up to the higher part of your target zone (75 percent). After six months or more of regular workouts, you may be able to exercise comfortably at up to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.” A great way to keep tabs on how your pumper is pumping is by purchasing a wristwatch-style heart rate monitor.28
Set the microwave timer for five minutes and clean your bathroom as fast as you can, making sure you break a sweat while doing it. For an added challenge, set the timer for another five minutes as you speed-vacuum the carpets and speed-sweep the floors. Crank up the tunes if you need a boost to your heart rate.
If you’re a busy stay-at-home mom like me, then you know that daily exercise can sometimes seem an impossible feat. On those days when life tries to get in the way of a good workout, I turn my normal chores into a stress-busting, muscle-building routine. Let the following suggestions fuel your creativity as you think through a few “everygirl exercises” of your own.
Don’t sit while you talk on the phone; instead, pace back and forth in your living room or kitchen.
While standing at your sink washing dishes, do leg lifts to the side for fifty counts and then to the back for fifty counts. Switch legs. For a real challenge, work your way up to two hundred counts to the side and two hundred counts to the back on each leg. Your leg muscles will be exhausted, but your dishes will be ultraclean!
In the time it takes to brush your teeth, you can do fifty bent-knee leg raises to the back per leg. To execute, stand tall with both feet together. Using the countertop to balance yourself, stand on one leg and pull the opposite foot perpendicularly toward the standing leg’s ankle. Keeping your weight on your standing leg, lift the opposite foot behind you until you feel your glute muscle contract. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. If you’re a thorough toothbrusher, you should be able to complete about fifty reps per leg in the time it takes you to tend to this chore. Your teeth—and your butt—will look better as a result.
While folding clothes, separate clean clothes into piles—one pile for underwear, one for socks, one for towels, etc. Place one pile in front of you on the couch or an ottoman and assume a squat position, making sure that your knees stay behind your toes. Fold the entire pile of clothes while in your squat and then stand up and rest your legs for thirty seconds. Repeat with the next pile until all of your laundry is folded.
If you find yourself sitting behind the wheel of a car all day long, turn those commutes into a glute-burner. As you drive, squeeze your buttocks together and hold for one count before releasing the muscles. Repeat to exhaustion, which might mean five hundred or even one thousand contractions. Sure, you won’t be able to get out of your car to get the mail upon returning home, but that’s what kids are for, right?
Note: If your responsibilities cause you to sit in front of a computer instead of a steering wheel all day, these exercises are equally effective when executed from a desk chair.
The next time you find yourself waiting in an airport terminal for the flight that seems terminally delayed, find a blank wall and have a seat. With ankles and knees together, lower yourself along the wall until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle. Work to stay in that position for a full minute before standing up and resting. Repeat until your legs shake. For an added challenge, lift one leg off the floor for ten seconds while in your wall squat and then switch legs.
Lunge in place while in line at the grocery store. People will eye you suspiciously, but rest assured, they’re just jealous that you have the confidence to risk looking like a fool and the determination to exercise even when errands vie for your time.
Burpee Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back, while simultaneously lowering yourself into a push-up. Immediately return your feet to the squat position, while simultaneously pushing up with your arms. Leap up as high as possible, hands toward the ceiling and then return to the squat position.
Commando Crawl Start in bent-arm plank position, with forearms resting on the floor. Using your elbows, your inner thighs and your kneecaps, “walk” yourself forward as quickly as you can. Remember to keep your butt as low as possible as you move.
Crab Backward Sit flat on the ground with your legs in front of you, bent at the knees and weight on your heels. Place your hands behind each hip, fingers pointing toward your toes. Lift yourself off the ground with the strength of your arms so that your butt is hovering over the ground. Lift your left leg and extend it so that you are balanced on your right leg and your hands. From this “crab” position, move yourself backward by alternating your legs and arms. Remember to look over your shoulder so that you don’t run into anything!
Crab Forward Sit flat on the ground with your legs in front of you, bent at the knees and weight on your heels. Place your hands behind each hip, fingers pointing toward your toes. Lift yourself off the ground with the strength of your arms so that your butt is hovering over the ground. Lift your left leg and extend it so that you are balanced on your right leg and your hands. From this “crab” position, move yourself forward by alternating your legs and arms.
Helicopter Left Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up into the ceiling at a ninety-degree angle (so that you resemble a sideways L). Tuck your hands just under your lower back to protect it. Circle your legs gently to the left about ten to fifteen degrees, using your oblique (side stomach) muscles, before returning to starting position. Be sure not to pick up your right hip during the rotations.
Helicopter Right Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up into the ceiling at a ninety-degree angle (so that you resemble a sideways L). Tuck your hands just under your lower back to protect it. Circle your legs gently to the right about ten to fifteen degrees, using your oblique (side stomach) muscles, before returning to starting position. Be sure not to pick up your left hip during the rotations.
High Knees Stand with both feet together and place elbows in an L-shape by your side with palms facing the ground. Start running in place, getting your knees as high as possible. Touch your open-face palms with your knees as you go, if possible.
Jump-In Begin by sitting on the ground with your legs outstretched in front of you. Place your hands beside your hips, flat on the ground. Raise your butt off of the floor, which will place you in a reverse-straight-arm plank position. With swift motions, pull your knees up toward your chest and your feet as close to your butt as possible, and then thrust your legs back to a straight position. Repeat.
Knee-Tuck Jump Begin in standing position with feet together and arms at a ninety-degree angle by your side. In one fluid movement, and without adjusting your arms, jump into the air while bringing both knees up to your hands.
Note: Remember to jump from your toes and to land on your toes to avoid knee strain.
Military Push-up Begin in straight-arm plank position. Position your hands so that they are directly beneath your chest. Lower yourself into a push-up, making sure that your elbows brush the sides of your body as you descend. Raise back up to straight-arm plank position and repeat.
Moving Mountain Climbers Stand with your arms by your side and your feet together. Bend down and put your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and your feet behind you so that your legs are extended, the balls of your feet are on the ground, and you are parallel to the floor. This position is called straight-arm plank. From this position, move one knee to your chest and then as you move that leg back to straight-arm plank, move the other knee to your chest in something of a running-in-place motion. As you do this, simultaneously walk yourself forward with your hands for an added cardio burst. Continue the knee-to-chest movement as quickly as possible, alternating legs each time.
Rock Star Hop Begin in standing position with feet together and arms by your side. In one fluid motion, jump into the air, raise your arms above your head and kick your butt with both heels. Land on your toes and repeat.
Scissor Lunges Begin in a lunge position, your right knee bent and in front of you, your left leg extended behind you. Be careful to keep the knee directly over your heel (don’t extend knee past your toes). From this position, jump up and switch legs so that your left leg is in front of you and your right leg is behind you in a lunge. Continue alternating lunges in this quick way, paying careful attention to your form.
Side-to-Side Lunge Stand with feet together and hands at your side. Step your right leg away from your left and squat down on the right leg. Your left leg should be extended. Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.
Skip Jump Begin in standing position with feet together and arms by your side. In one fluid motion, begin skipping forward, exaggerating the skip by raising the lifted knee and lifted arm as high as possible. Work to increase your vertical height with each skip.
Speed Skater Begin in standing position with feet shoulder-width apart. Using a lateral movement, jump from side to side, landing on one leg and swinging forward the opposite arm. Keep your body low to the ground and knees bent the entire time. Work to increase the distance of your lateral jump each time.
Squat Jump Begin in standing position with feet shoulder-width apart and arms hanging by your side. Bend down into squat position, making sure your toes stay in front of your knees. As you rise from the squat, jump into the air as high as possible. Return to squat and repeat.
Squat Thrust Begin in standing position with feet together and arms by your side. Bend down and put your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and assume a tuck position. From your tuck position, throw your feet behind you so that you wind up in a straight-arm plank. In one swift motion pull your feet back into a tuck. Repeat.
Standard Push-up Begin in a straight-arm plank position with feet together and the balls of your feet on the floor. Place your hands shoulder-width apart underneath your shoulders, and focus your eyes on a spot six to eight inches in front of your body’s position. Lower your torso to the ground until your arms form a ninety-degree angle and then raise yourself using your arms. Breathe out as you push. Repeat.
Straight-Arm Plank Holds Hold yourself in plank position for as long as you can with arms straight and neck in neutral position.
Superman Hold Lie face down on the ground. Squeeze your inner thighs together so that your legs are touching. From this prone position, lift your legs and arms at the same time, so that you look like Superman in flight. Hold for ten seconds before taking a two-second break. Then repeat. This is a great way to strengthen your back muscles!
Table Maker Sit flat on the ground with your legs in front of you, bent at the knees and with your weight on your heels. Straighten your back as though you’re sitting against a wall and place your hands beside you, behind each hip, fingers pointing toward your toes. Press with your hands as you simultaneously raise your hips toward the ceiling and place your feet flat on the ground. Squeeze your buttocks tightly and push the soles of your feet into the ground. At the top of the exercise, your knees and shoulders should make a ninety-degree angle with your body. Without your buttocks touching the ground, descend into a dip and then swing yourself back up so that your chest, abs and hips form a table. Repeat.
Triceps Dip Begin by sitting on a chair with your legs bent at a ninety-degree angle. Scoot all the way forward on the seat. Keeping your elbows bent and your hands as close to your body as possible, ease your legs out until they are straight in front of you. Dip your rear toward the floor twenty times, keeping your back as close to the chair as possible. For added intensity, raise one leg straight out in front of you with foot flexed and hold in the air for five reps, then switch legs for the next five reps.
Triceps Push-ups Start in straight-arm plank position, as though you are about to do a standard push-up. Instead of keeping elbows out to the side, bring elbows toward your rib cage so that as you descend into the push-up they will graze the sides of your body. Also, before you begin your push-up descent, be sure to rotate the inside of your elbows (not the bony part) so that they are facing forward instead of facing each other.
Up-Down Plank Start in straight-arm plank position, arms straight and neck in neutral position. Move down to bent-arm plank position, forearms resting on the floor. Repeat, alternating straight-arm and bent-arm plank. (If this move is too challenging with both arms moving simultaneously, modify by moving one arm at a time so that you move in a right-left-right-left progression from straight-arm to bent-arm plank and back again.)
Vertical Jump Begin in a standing position with feet together and hands by your side. In one fluid motion, jump into the air, reaching for the ceiling with straight arms thrust above your head. Land on your toes and repeat.
Walking Lunges Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Step forward with one leg, landing heel-first in front of you. Your knee should be at a ninety-degree angle and stay well behind your toes. Hold for one count and then step forward with the other leg so that it’s now at a ninety-degree angle. Continue walking forward with alternating lunges.
Wide-Arm Push-up Begin in a straight-arm plank position with feet together and the balls of your feet on the floor. Place your hands on the floor, about 50 percent wider apart than shoulder-width, and focus your eyes on a spot six to eight inches in front of your body’s position. Lower your torso to the ground until your arms form a ninety-degree angle and then raise yourself using your arms. Breathe out as you push. Repeat.
