Welcome to Week 2, Day 1 of the EBOOST Fitness Holiday Challenge!
How did your first week of this challenge go? It is important, to be honest with yourself and see if there are areas in which you can improve. If you think there may be something(s), write them down and hold yourself accountable this week!
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Each week we are challenging you to focus on your health and fitness for all 7 days each week, including five days of workouts, one full rest day, and one active rest day. This is by no means a strict plan you need to follow. If you have a current workout routine that you are loving feel free to keep at it because you can still participate in our challenge with the chance to win prizes by posting your images on Instagram and tagging @EBOOST, #eboost, and #fitnessholidaychallenge. Each post is an entry into a chance at winning one of our prizes–Apple Watch Nike+ Series 4, EBOOST gift cards and more! To see the full list of prizes, please check out our Fitness Holiday Challenge Overview blog post.
What you will need:
access to a gym will be easiest but you can do these exercises at home with household objects or a set of dumbbells too.
Make each day your masterpiece. – John Wooden
Day 1: Upper Body + Abs
Pull-Up
Target: Lats, Chest, Biceps, Back, Core
- Find a bar that is a couple feet taller than you. You should be able to reach your arms up and not quite be able to grab the bar from standing on the ground.
- Jump up and grab the bar. Hold the bar in an overgrip position with your hands out a bit wider than shoulder width.
- Brace your core, keeping your core nice and tight and pull yourself up until your chest reaches the bar.
- Lower until your arms are straight again.
- 3 Sets of 5-15 repetitions with a 30-second rest between sets.
Modification: Jumping Pull-ups, Chin Ups, or Chin over bar pull-ups.
Challenge yourself: Weight Pull-ups or Muscle Ups
Burpees
Target: Your Whole Body
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your weight in your heels.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body into a squat.
- Place your hands on the floor directly in front of, and just inside, your feet.
- Shifting your weight into your hands jump your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a plank position.
- Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels like that of your plank position.
- Lower your chest down to the ground as if you were doing a push-up.
- Then press your body back up into a plank position while trying to keep your body straight.
- Jump your feet back so that they land just outside of your hands.
- Reach your arms overhead, explosively jump up into the air and clap your hands.
- Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.
- 3 Sets of 15 repetitions with a one-minute rest between sets.
Modification: Instead of jumping your feet back into the plank position, walk your feet back, drop to your knees for your push-up and then walk your feet back to the squat position. You can eliminate the jump too.
Challenge yourself: Perform all 45 repetitions without the rests in between.
Barbell High Pull
Target: Traps, Shoulders, Triceps, and Arms
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a barbell (you can use a kettlebell or dumbells too or whatever you have around the house that is a challenging weight) with a narrow overhand grip and arms straight in front of you but touching your body.
- Keeping your chest up and core braced, pull the bar upwards towards your face, leading with your elbows until your elbows can’t go any higher.
- Hold for a moment and then lower it back to the start.
- 3 Sets of 15 repetitions with a 30-second rest between sets.
Modification: Do the exercise without any weight in your hands.
Challenge yourself: Change this exercise into a Sumo Deadlift High Pull.
Overhead Tricep Extensions
Target: Triceps and Shoulders
- Stand tall holding keeping your hips and ribs tucked in hold a heavier dumbbell in your hands over your head, keeping your arms straight.
- Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows pointing up, lower the weights behind your head by keeping your elbows glued to your ears.
- Then return to the start.
- 3 Sets of 15 repetitions with a 30-second rest between sets.
Modification: Dips or Kneeling Tricep Extensions
Challenge yourself: Heavy Single Arm Tricep Extensions
Hanging Leg Raises
Target: Arms & Abs
- Head back to your pull-up bar and hang from it with a shoulder width overhand grip.
- The legs should be straight down with the pelvis rolled slightly backward.
- Now exhale and begin to raise your legs while keeping them straight and engaging your abs until your torso makes a 90-degree angle with the legs.
- Then slowly lower your legs back down to starting position and you inhale.
- 3 Sets of 10 repetitions with a one-minute rest between sets.
Modification: Tuck in your Knees or perform sit-ups instead.
Challenge yourself: Perform the leg raises on a dip bar or place a dumbbell between your feet.
Body Saw
Target: Abs, Shoulders and Core
- Start face down on the floor resting on your toes and knees, like in a low plank position.
- With a flat back, use your elbows to pull your body forward, then press with your feet to come back to your starting position.
- This completes one rep.
- 3 sets of 20 repetitions with a one-minute rest between sets.
Modification: Drop down to your knees or perform fewer reps.
Challenge Yourself: Hold yourself in a plank for one minute before performing the body saw.
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