Olympic-Style 'Slimnastics' Workout Fuses Yoga & Cardio
By Fitness Expert Nikki Glor for GalTime.com
The Olympic gymnasts are leaping across our screens this month, so what better time than now to try Slimnastics, the fusion of yoga, cardio plyometrics, and gymnastics?
Here is your first interval from my new book and DVD "The Slimnastics Workout" to put into your workout routine this week. Yoga strengthening tones and calms your mind, while the plyometric cardio intervals blast away fat and boost your metabolism. These moves too challenging?
My book tells you how to start from scratch to GET IN SHAPE for Slimnastics as well!
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Interval One:
Warrior 1:
Stand at the front of your mat in mountain pose. Step the right leg back about the length of one of your legs. Heel is down and toes are angled 45 degrees toward the front right corner of the mat. Bending the front left knee, the quad should ideally be parallel with the floor. Both hips are aiming at pointing straight ahead to the front of the mat as the arms reach up towards the sky. Engage both legs and push into the outside (pinky toe blade) of foot. And look toward the horizon past the front of your mat.
Warrior 2:
From Warrior 1, lower and open the arms to the right side of the mat, while opening hips at the same time in the same direction. Arms should be at shoulder level reaching forward and back, palms facing down. Engage the left inner thigh to push the left knee back to the left corner of the mat and behind you to keep the knee over the ankle and work your muscles.
Reverse (Peaceful) Warrior:
Keeping the left knee bent and quad parallel to the floor, flip the right palm up toward the sky and then raise your arm up as well so the palm now faces behind you. Lower the back right hand to gently rest on your back right thigh or allow it to float just above the leg. Enjoy the side stretch along your left ribs and you lift up through that left hand while grounding down into both feet.
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Transition: Windmill the arms to frame your front foot on the matt and step back to down dog. Either perform a "vinyasa" (flow) into plank-pushup, up dog and down dog again, or move right into Warrior 1 on the other side by sweeping right foot forward between the hands and lifting arms to the sky.
Repeat Warrior 1,2 and Reverse warrior on the opposite side.
Cardio Interval - X jump to Split jumps:
Stepping off the mat sets the scene for cheerleading inspired moves like X and split jumps.
Perform 3 squats in fast succession counting 1,2,3. On the "and," jump into the air using your leg muscles and punching the hands to the sky. Land on "four. Repeat." I- squat/stand, 2- squat/stand, 3- squat/stand, and- jump, 4- land." Make it advanced: turn the X into a toe touch (pictured).
Recover with 5 sunflowers:
Stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart towards the long edge of your mat. Bend the knees so that the knees line up over the ankles and open the arms out to the sides and sweep them towards the floor. Straighten the legs to standing and sweep the arms overhead. Bend knees again at 90 degrees and sweep the arms down towards the floor hinging at the hips.
Picture your fingertips drawing the edges of a sunflower and repeat 8 times to let the heart rate slow down and catch your breath.
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