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    This 15-Minute Full-Body Workout Is Perfect For Beginners

    If you’re looking to challenge your entire body — I’m talking legs, butt, core and arms — in minimal time, I’ve totally got you with a 15-minute full-body workout that’s perfect for beginners and experienced exercisers alike. This routine features compound movements that combine more than one exercise, so you’re really going to get a lot of bang for your fitness buck.

    Time: 15 minutes

    Equipment: Dumbbells

    Good for: Total body

    Instructions: Complete the reps as indicated, then immediately continue to the next exercise. Once you’ve finished all five moves, repeat the circuit from the beginning. Do a total of three rounds. To build strength, I recommend doing this routine one or two times a week and warming up with a few dynamic stretches.

    Full-Body Workout by Betina Gozo

    Squat To Overhead Press

    How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your shoulders, palms facing each other. Sit your hips back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. As you rise back up, press the weights directly overhead until your arms are completely straight, biceps by ears. Bring the weights back to your shoulders as you lower into a squat. That’s one rep. 

    Complete 15 reps, then continue to the next move.

    Full-Body Workout by Betina Gozo

    Plank Row On Knees

    How to: Place two dumbbells on the floor shoulder-width apart. Assume a kneeling-plank position, forming a straight line from your knees to your head. Grasp the dumbbells so your hands are elevated off the floor without creasing your wrists. Slowly, pull the left dumbbell to the side of your lower rib cage — your elbow should be pointed up and back. Keep your body stable as you lower the dumbbell back to the floor with control. Then repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.

    Complete 10 reps on each side, then continue to the next move.

    Full-Body Workout by Betina Gozo

    Lateral Squat With Curl

    How to: Start in straddle position with hips wider than your shoulders, feet flat, toes facing forward. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms bent, palms facing one another. While keeping the left leg straight, shift your weight over your right heel and sit your hips back until your right thigh is parallel to ground. As you lower down, extend your arms and bring the weights to frame your right knee. Drive through your right heel to push yourself back to stand, and curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side, then continue to the next move.

    RELATED: This Quick 15-Minute Morning Workout Is The Wake-Up You Need

    Full-Body Workout by Betina Gozo

    Standing Low To High

    How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart holding a single dumbbell in your hands. With control, lower the weight down and to the outside of your left knee while slightly bending at your hips and internally rotating your right knee (heel raised) so it faces toward the left. In one fluid motion, reverse the movement and continue rotating your torso to the right, pivoting your left leg inward and lifting your left heel. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side, then continue to the next move.

    Full-Body Workout by Betina Gozo

    Leg Drop With Dumbbell Above Chest

    How to: Lie on your back with a dumbbell held in between your hands and extend your arms. (Think wrists over chest NOT your face.) Lift your legs up directly over your hips. Lower your left leg down as low as you can go without your lower back arching up off the mat. Return to start, and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps, then repeat the circuit from the top.

    This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com  More

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    This Quick 15-Minute Morning Workout Is The Wake-Up You Need

    This quick 15-minute morning workout ticks a few boxes: it starts off gentle, then kicks into gear with some moves that’ll get your heart revving just enough to kick-start your day.

    And yes, working out in the morning is a great idea. “If you work out before your day distracts you, your chances of exercising regularly go way up,” says sports scientist Dr Cedric Bryant. And a.m. sweating can make you sharper all day: “Exercise enhances the secretion of neurotransmitters,” says Bryant. Neurotransmitters are the body’s mail service, sending communication throughout the body. So by enhancing this process earlier in the day makes for better, sharper focus. Wake your body up with this 15-minute morning workout routine, created by exercise physiologist Suzanne Meth.

    The 15-Minute Morning Workout

    Warm-up and cool down by jogging on the spot for two minutes. Then perform these moves, doing each for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side of your body before moving on to the next move.

    Watch one of our staffers perform this 15-minute morning workout:

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    READ MORE: This Powerful Bodyweight Workout Tones It All – Fast

    1/ Cat-cow

    Wakes up your core

    A. Get on all fours with your hands in line with your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.

    B. Inhale, lifting your head and tailbone so your spine arches slightly towards the floor.

    C. Exhale as you tuck your tailbone under, curl your back upward, and let your head hang towards the floor. That’s one rep. Do 10, moving smoothly between positions.

    2/ Split squat

    Wakes up your hips, glutes and thighs

    A. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides or hands on your hips.

    B. Step back with your left foot and sink into a lunge until your front knee is bent 90 degrees.

    C. Push back up, keeping both knees slightly bent.

    D. Continue the up-and-down movement with the left leg for 30 seconds; change legs and repeat.

    READ MORE: Sculpt A Great Butt With This Home Booty Workout

    3/ Burpee pop-ups

    Wakes up your triceps, chest, glutes, hamstrings and quads 

    A. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

    B. Squat down and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet.

    C. Jump your feet back and land in a push-up position.

    D. Do one push-up, then jump your feet back towards your hands and return to standing. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Rest for one minute, then repeat.

    4/ Leaning side plank

    Wakes up your obliques

    A. Stand with your left side a few centimetres from your bed.

    B. Bend your left elbow 90 degrees, lean towards the bed and place your forearm on the edge of the mattress, stretching your legs into a side plank position (your bed’s unstable surface will make this move super-difficult).

    C. Rest your right arm on your side. Hold the position, with legs stacked, for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

    Shake up your routine with these workouts: More

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    Consider This Yoga HIIT Workout A Total-Body Shred

    Yes, yoga HIIT exists! Like strength-training moves, it’s possible to up the ante and turn your yoga flow into a sweaty interval training session. How? By upping your pace. Yoga works particularly well for this, since each pose is meant to flow into the next, creating a pacey workout that gets your heart racing.

    Plus, every move is done without a single weight, so you’re able to use your own body weight to strengthen your muscles. But don’t be fooled: this challenging flow, while mostly bodyweight, can up your heart rate and doubles as a hybrid strength-cardio workout.

    How to do this yoga HIIT workout

    Personal Fitness Trainer Phia-Lee Rabie came up with this workout. Each move blends into a circuit that you can repeat four or five times, making up a complete total-body workout. You’ll engage your core and tone your arms and legs.

    To complete the yoga HIIT workout, do each of the five exercises for 40 seconds and take 20 seconds rest. Repeat for four or five rounds.

    Move 1

    Start in a down dog position and from there, move to plank, pulling the right knee to chest.

    Allow the right leg to move to a down dog split. From there, your right leg comes back to plank, knee to chest ending in down dog. Repeat the sequence on the left side, alternating for 40 seconds.

    READ MORE: Exactly How To Train For A Handstand Or Pull-Up, Per Experts

    Move 2

    Start in an upward-facing dog position. Jump or step to a resting squat position placing your hands on the floor.

    Jump or step to an upward-facing dog position and repeat for 40 seconds.

    Move 3

    From a down dog position, bend your knees and sit back onto your heels.

    With your right leg, step out into a low lunge keeping your left hand on the floor. With your right arm, reach up to the sky forming a straight line from one hand to the other and feel the nice stretch in your spine.

    Bring the right hand back to the ground. Step your leg back and return to the bent-knee downward-facing dog. Repeat everything on the left side, alternating for 40 seconds.

    READ MORE: This Scalable HIIT Workout Will Be Your New Go-To For All-Over Gains

    Move 4

    From a forward fold starting position, walk out on your hand to a plank.

    Lower your body to perform a push-up in a ripple-like manner with your hips first.

    Walk back to forward fold. Do one quick jump or step to plank and back.

    Keep repeating the flow for 40 seconds.

    Move 5

    Lie on your back with feet apart and arms overhead.

    Do a crunch or sit-up while lifting both legs, reaching your hands to toe-tap. Knees may bend, depending on your flexibility. Keep the rhythm for 40 seconds.

    For detailed demos of the moves, watch PT Phia-Lee do the moves here:

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    Try these workouts, too: More

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    This Scalable HIIT Workout Will Be Your New Go-To For All-Over Gains

    Looking for a low-intensity scalable HIIT workout that works for beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts? Look no further than this workout, which prioritises speed over power for all-over toning and of course, hitting those heart rate goals.

    What exactly is HIIT?

    Essentially interval training on speed, HIIT involves bursts of flat-out exertion alternating with rest periods. The best part: a workout can last anything from 30 minutes to just four.

    Added to that, a flurry of studies has shown that you get all the benefits (and more) of an hour-long steady-state workout in a fraction of the time. The catch? You have to be prepared to push yourself close to your drenched-in-sweat, heart-pounding max for the high-intensity periods. But it’s doable since your time in all-out effort lasts just 30 seconds.

    How to do this scalable HIIT workout

    Do this scalable HIIT workout two or three days a week in place of your usual cardio days (don’t skip strength training). Starting with the first exercise, complete as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Continue until you’ve finished all the exercises. That’s one circuit. Repeat three more times. Good news: you can tailor high-intensity interval training to your fitness level. Use these guidelines from trainer and group exercise instructor Rachel Vaziralli.

    Beginner:  Ratio: 1:3 (Go all out for 30 seconds; rest for 90 seconds)

    Intermediate: Ratio: 1:2 (Go all out for 30 seconds; rest for 60 seconds)

    Fit: Ratio: 1:1 (Go all out for 30 seconds; rest for 30 seconds)

    Super-Fit: Ratio: 2:1 (Go all out for 30 seconds; rest for 15 seconds)

    You’ll need: Floor space; a kettlebell (challenging, but not so heavy that you struggle to lift it).

    1. Squat Thrust

    Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Squat down to the floor and place your hands in front of your feet (A). Jump your legs back into push-up position (B), then quickly reverse the movement and stand to return to start. That’s one rep.

    READ MORE: Food, Fitness & Family: How Zinhle Masango Juggles It All

    2. Prisoner Squat

    Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands behind your head, elbows out (A). Keeping your chest up and back flat, push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor (B). Push through your heels to return to start. That’s one rep.

    READ MORE: Get A Full-Body Workout In Just 15 Minutes With Only 2 Household Items

    3. Prone Hand Touch

    Get into push-up position, your hands shoulder-width apart and your body forming a straight line from head to heels (A). Keeping your body stable and hips parallel to the floor, lift your left hand and touch your right hand (B), then return to start. Repeat with the right hand. That’s one rep. Continue alternating.

    READ MORE: Tone-Up From Head To Toe With This Killer 15-Minute Workout

    4. Alternating Kettlebell Clean

    Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a kettlebell (or dumbbell) sitting between your feet. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower and grab the weight with your right hand (A). With your back flat and core tight, stand and raise the weight to shoulder height (B). Reverse the move to return to start. Repeat with your left hand. That’s one rep. Continue alternating.

    READ MORE: 30 Plank Variations That Will Transform Your Core From A Trainer

    5. Alternating Reverse Lunge

    Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips, chest up and shoulders back (A). Keeping your upper body still and core tight, take a large step back with your right foot, then bend both knees to lower into a lunge (B). Press through your left heel to return to standing. Repeat, stepping back with your left foot. That’s one rep. Continue alternating. More

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    Tone-Up From Head To Toe With This Killer 15-Minute Workout

    This killer tone-up workout ticks a few convenient boxes. It requires zero equipment, fires up your muscles, tones and gets up your heart rate. The best part? It takes just 15 minutes of your time.

    This tone-up workout was designed with the help of exercise physiologist and fitness trainer Amy Dixon. It’s perfect for when you’re stuck somewhere with no gym access, or just want to get a workout in with little time to spare.

    How to do this tone-up workout:

    Do these moves one after another with no rest between them. When you’ve finished the last move, pause for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit twice more.

    The Tone-Up Workout

    One-Leg Squat, Floor Reach And Press

    Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.

    Bend your left knee, lifting your foot behind you.

    Squat and raise your right arm out to the side to shoulder height, then reach your left hand down across your body, touching the floor outside your right toes.

    Stand up as you lift your left hand toward the ceiling, lower your right arm to your side, and raise your left thigh to hip level in front of you.

    Lower your left leg and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15 reps.

    READ MORE: The 15 Minute Bodyweight Home Workout You Can Do On Your Couch

    Push-up Crawl

    Get in a high plank position (top of a push-up) with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.

    Lower your chest as close to the floor as you can. Holding that position, lift your right knee to the outside of your right elbow.

    Return to a high plank, then push back up to the starting position; repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15 reps.

    READ MORE: 18 Feel-Good Workouts That’ll Boost Your Mood, Stat

    Front Lunge Floor Reach And Reverse Twist

    Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.

    Lunge forward with your left leg so your right knee is nearly touching the floor and your left thigh is parallel to the floor.

    Bending forward, try to touch the floor on either side of your left foot.

    Push off your left foot; using that momentum, step forward with your right foot, shifting your weight to that foot, and swing your left leg behind you.

    As you sink backwards into a lunge, rotate your torso 45 degrees to the right. Return to standing. That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15 reps.

    READ MORE: 9 Bodyweight Exercises That Will Improve Your Mobility

    Grand Plié Squat, Reach And Jump

    Stand with your legs wide apart, toes turned out, and arms at your sides.

    Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor and you’re low enough to touch it with your fingertips.

    Immediately jump as high as you can, keeping your legs wide and extending your arms straight overhead. That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15 reps.

    Watch one of our WH staffers perform the moves:

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    The 15 Minute Bodyweight Home Workout You Can Do On Your Couch

    Forget raising the bar – put your feet up, woman! Seriously, we mean it when we say put.your.feet.up. “Lifting them onto a step or bench is the simplest way to build strength faster,” says strength and conditioning specialist Don Bahneman. Yup, you *can* sculpt a better body without lifting a dumbbell. All you need: this bodyweight home workout.

    READ MORE: 18 Feel-Good Workouts That’ll Boost Your Mood, Stat

    How Does Putting Your Feet Up Build Muscle?

    It boils down to basic physics: for upper-body exercises, this tweak changes the angle of the exercise and forces your muscles to work harder to support your body weight.

    For lower-body moves, raising your feet increases how far you have to move with every rep (aka your range of motion), which calls more muscle fibres into action. And for all moves, your core has to work harder to keep you stable and locked into position.

    The 15 Minute Bodyweight Home Workout

    Instructions: Complete the exercises in this bodyweight home workout in order. Move from one to the next without resting. Rest 45 to 60 seconds at the end of the circuit, then repeat for up to five rounds.

    Make it harder: Feeling extra fired up for your bodyweight home workout? Increase the cardio challenge by adding 30 seconds of star jumps or running in place between each move. Get the best out of your chill with this couch workout.

    READ MORE: A 4-Week Home Workout Plan To Get Fit And Strong AF

    1. Bulgarian Split Squat

    Stand about 60 centimetres in front of your couch and extend your left leg behind you, placing the top of your foot on the seat (A). Keeping your chest upright and core tight, bend both knees to lower your hips as much as you can (B). Push through your right heel to return to start. That’s one rep. Do eight to 12, then repeat on the other side.

    READ MORE: Try This 30-Minute HIIT Workout At Home For A Total-Body Burn

    2. Travelling Plank With Leg Raise

    Get into push-up position with your toes on the couch (A). Raise your right arm and rotate your torso to the right until your feet are stacked and your body forms a T. Without dropping your hips, lift your right leg (B). Hold for 20 seconds. Reverse the movement to return to start and hold for 20 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

    READ MORE: 9 Bodyweight Exercises That Will Improve Your Mobility

    3. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

    Lie on your back on the floor in front of your couch with your left heel on the edge, knee bent about 90 degrees and your right leg straight up, arms at your sides (A). Press through your left heel and raise your hips as high as possible, keeping your right foot in the air (B). Slowly lower your hips back down. That’s one rep. Do eight to 12, then repeat on the other side.

    READ MORE: 10 Best Kettlebell Core Exercises For Strong, Sculpted Abs, From A Trainer

    4. Reverse Inch Worm

    Get into push-up position with your toes on the couch (A). Bracing your core and glutes, slowly walk your hands towards the couch, lifting your hips into the air and keeping your legs as straight as possible (B). Pause, then walk your hands back out to start. Make it harder by adding a push-up here. That’s one rep. Do four to eight.

    Excerpted from the Women’s Health Little Book of 15-Minute Workouts. More

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    This No-Gym Workout Is Ideal For The Holidays

    Going away for the holidays? This travel-friendly no-gym workout routine by trainer Johno Meintjies can be done anywhere. And it does the job in just 15 minutes!

    Unlike weird carpet designs, gyms do not come standard with every hotel. So top trainer Johno Meintjies created these simple but effective workouts that you can do in any space – even small. They use only your body weight and the kind of props you would normally find in a hotel room or at home.

    The 15-minute no-gym workout

    This no-gym routine, by Meintjes, is a classic example of a travel-friendly workout. It uses only your body weight and a pair of light weights or cans to sculpt your body from top to bottom. “The most important thing about this workout is that it’s nothing new,” says Meintjes. “Everyone has done these moves, but it’s the intensity that’s the key and also getting the foundation right. If you can master the technique and then bring in the intensity with the recovery, your results will be fantastic.”

    READ MORE: Try This 30-Minute HIIT Workout At Home For A Total-Body Burn

    Do the workout

    The workout is designed into blocks, each consisting of 60 seconds’ strength work, 60 seconds’ dynamic strength work, 90 seconds’ flat-out cardio and then 30 seconds’ rest. “The recovery is important because you need to be working at maximum the whole time,” says Meintjes. The fourth and final block works differently. There are no strength moves; it’s just ninety seconds of flat-out, high-intensity cardio. “This last block is divided into divided into 30-second blasts of three different exercises,” says Meintjes. “You’ve done two of them before: squat jumps and high knees. Now we’re adding a burpee.”

    Watch a WH staff member perform the moves…

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    READ MORE: A 4-Week Home Workout Plan To Get Fit And Strong AF

    Your Moves

    BLOCK 1

    1/ Squat to Kick x 60 secondsAlternate sides each rep.2/ Running Man x 60 secondsFocus on your breathing, keep your bum down and core stable.3/ High Knees x 90 secondsGo as fast as you can.4/ Rest x 30 seconds

    BLOCK 2

    1/ Lunge Pulse x 60 secondsSo 30 seconds on one side, then switch.2/ Push-up to Fly x 60 secondsAlternate arms each rep.3/ Jump Squats x 90 secondsMaintain a wide stance. Jump as high as you can.4/ Rest x 30 seconds

    READ MORE: The 3 Stretches You Should Be Doing Daily

    BLOCK 3

    1/ Weighted Air Punch x 60 secondsHold light weights or identical cans in your hands.2/ Squat Pulse x 60 secondsKeep feet shoulder width and heels flat down.3/ Lateral, Wide, Deep Single-Leg Jump x 90 secondsIt’s a mouthful, but it’s really just jumping side to side. Make it as explosive as possible.4/ Rest x 30 seconds

    BLOCK 4

    1/ Squat Jumps x 30 seconds2/ High Knees x 30 seconds3/ Burpees x 30 seconds More

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    This Totally Explosive Workout Will Help You Burn Fat In No Time At All

    Want a shortcut to fat burning? Two words: progressive plyometrics. This total-body explosive workout from Shaun T, Insanity creator and author of T Is For Transformation, includes lots of jumping (the plyometric part) and builds in intensity (the progressive part) to give you great results fast.

    The routine gets harder as your body “wakes up” on a neuromuscular level. In other words, as you warm up and become more coordinated, you’re better prepared for the next move. Plyos (any explosive workout) spike your heart rate to burn serious kilojoules while activating your fast-twitch muscle fibres to improve strength. Because your upper- and lower-body muscles are working in tandem, your deep core muscles fire over time.

    The Workout

    Time: 15 MinutesEquipment: None

    Instructions: Do this circuit in order, performing each exercise for one minute before moving on without resting. After you’ve completed all four moves, rest for up to one minute, then repeat twice for three total sets. Let the fat-burning begin…

    READ MORE: Do This Cardio Workout At Home To Burn Cals And Boost Your Mood

    1. Back fly with alternating knee-up

    Stand, then jump your feet out slightly wider than your shoulders as you bring your arms out to the side to form 90-degree angles, squeezing your shoulder blades together (A). Hop on your left leg as you lift your right knee up to your torso; bring your elbows toward your thigh (B). Lower your leg; repeat on the other side. That’s one rep; continue alternating.

    2. Lunge with core rotation

    Start in a lunge, with your right leg bent at 90 degrees and left leg extended behind you, and place both hands next to the inside of your right foot (A). Lift your torso as you bring your hands to shoulder height and twist to the right (B). Lower your hands to return to start; repeat on the other side. That’s one rep; continue alternating.

    READ MORE: These Strength And Cross-Training Workouts Will Improve Your Running

    3. Sumo squat jump with alternating punch

    Start in a sumo squat with your feet wider than your shoulders and your toes pointed out, elbows bent and palms facing you just below your chin (A). Jump off the floor as you push your left arm directly in front of you (B), then bring your hand back toward your face to return to start. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep; continue alternating.

    4. Jump lunge to squat

    Start in a lunge with your left leg in front and knees bent at 90 degrees, elbows bent (A). Jump as you switch your arms and legs, landing in a lunge with your right foot forward (B). Jump to bring your feet parallel as you lower into a squat; touch the floor (C). Step your left foot back; repeat on the other side. That’s one rep; continue alternating.

    READ MORE: A Quick Resistance Band Arm Workout You Can Do At Home

    Excerpted from the Women’s Health Little Book of 15-Minute Workouts. More