Your Goal
Exercise every other day for 50 to 75 minutes each session, completing cardio and strength training in the same session. You might also try a gentle yoga flow on your rest days to stretch and relax your mind.
Cardio
Go for a 20-minute interval walk/run using this formula. Once again, your final distance should be further than last week, even as you continue to practice mantra meditation:
- Two-minute walk at medium pace
- Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- One-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- One-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- One-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
- Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
- One-minute walk at medium pace
Bodyweight Exercises
This week, you'll modify the exercises to continue to challenge your muscles, then add a couple new moves during the weight-training segment.
- Crunches: Do 25 reps of a tabletop crunch, 25 reps on each side of a bicycle crunch with hold, then 25 tabletop crunches to complete the set. At the end of each set of 25, add 10 small, tight pulses.
- Superman: Do one to two reps, holding for one minute each.
- Plank: Do three reps, holding for one minute each. (For increased difficulty, try a plank with knee tap.)
- Bridge: Do three reps, holding for one minute each. Add 10 small pulses at the top of the move before lowering back to the ground.
- Push-ups: Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Beginners should start with a knee push-up to get the form right.
- Squats: Do three sets of 10 to 20 reps, followed by a 30-second hold at the end of each set.
- Triceps dips: Do three sets of 20 reps each.
- Dumbbell lunge: Using a set of light dumbbells, alternate lunges for a total of 40 reps, 20 on each side.
Weight Training
You'll need one set of light dumbbells (two to four pounds) and one set of heavy dumbbells (five to 10 pounds). Do one to two sets of 15 reps of each move, with a 30-second rest between sets. Alternate between heavy weight exercises and light weight exercises — such as a set of chest presses, followed by a set of reverse flys — to increase the difficulty.