22-Minute Whole Physique Sculpt

Equipment: elevated surface, optional barrier object, weighted objects
Format: Elimination rounds (round 1: 9 moves 0:30 each, round 2: 6 moves 0:45 each, round 3: 4 moves 1:00 each)

1. Burpees

• Begin standing at the top of your mat with your core braced and chest upright.
• Bend your knees, plant your hands on the mat, and jump your feet back into a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over wrists, braced core, back flat and neutral gaze (not looking up or down).
• Bend your arms and lower yourself toward the mat for a push-up while keeping your shoulders away from your ears. Be mindful that your hips and torso are moving in one line.
• Maintaining a braced core and flat back, push yourself back up to the starting position.
• Jump your feet back up to your hands and drive through the heels to stand or jump.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: For low impact, remove jumps and step your feet out and in.
• Complete the push-ups with your knees on the mat or complete the entire sequence with your hands planted on an elevated surface (bench/couch/chair) instead of the mat.

2. Skullcrushers

• With a weighted object in each hand, begin lying on your back with your knees bent, feet planted, and core braced so that your lower back is making contact with the mat.
• Extend your arms up overhead, then lower your arms straight back to about a 45 degree angle: this is your starting position.
• Bend the elbows to about 90 degrees, lowering the weighted objects toward or behind your head. Keep your elbows hugging in towards each other as you bend, not allowing them to open out to the side.
• Power through your triceps to straighten your arms and repeat for allotted time.

3. Bicycle Crunches

• Begin lying on your back with your legs bent, knees over your hips, and hands behind your head without pulling your head forward.
• Contract your abdominals by bringing your chest forward and rotating at the torso to bring your right elbow to your left knee, simultaneously extending your right leg.
• Slowly and gently lower yourself back toward the ground and repeat with your left elbow to right knee and extended left leg.
• Be sure your lower back stays in gentle contact with the mat throughout this movement.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Instead of extending the opposite leg, keep both legs bent and tap your toes to the mat.

4. Lateral Barrier Jumps

• Place a yoga block (or any other barrier-type object) in the middle of your mat and stand on the far left side of the mat with your knees bent.
• Power through your feet to explode over the barrier to the right (use your arms to propel you).
• Land lightly with a braced core and evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot while allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb force. Your knees should be in line with your toes as you set up to jump back to the left.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Make this low impact by taking out the jump and step one foot at a time over the barrier, coming into a squat on the other side. Keep your core braced and your chest elevated, and drive through the heels to stand. Repeat step over and squat for allotted time.

5. Walking Plank

• Begin in a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over your wrists, core braced, neutral gaze (not looking up or down) and a flat back.
• Being mindful of maintaining a flat back and reducing the shifting of your pelvis, lower your left elbow down to the mat, followed by your right so that you end in an elbow plank position.
• Plant your right palm back on the mat, followed by your left palm; you are now back in your tall plank position.
• Continue this sequence, alternating which side lowers and lifts first, continuing to check in on a braced core, neutral gaze, and flat back throughout this exercise.
• MOD: Perform this either with your knees down on the mat or with your hands on an elevated surface.

6. Single Leg Squat to Box L

• Begin standing in front of an elevated surface no taller than knee height with your core braced, chest upright, and feet hip width apart.
• Keeping your hips level, lift your right foot off of the mat and sit back to the elevated surface.
• Driving through your left heel – but with your whole foot planted – come back to standing.
• Be mindful that your left knee is tracking in line with your toes and you are maintaining an upright chest.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Practice this move near a wall to hold on to and help with balance.
• MOD 2: Practice a squat to box with both feet planted.

6. Single Leg Squat to Box R

• Begin standing in front of an elevated surface no taller than knee height with your core braced, chest upright, and feet hip width apart.
• Keeping your hips level, lift your left foot off of the mat and sit back to the elevated surface.
• Driving through your right heel – but with your whole foot planted – come back to standing.
• Be mindful that your right knee is tracking in line with your toes and you are maintaining an upright chest.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Practice this move near a wall to hold on to and help with balance.
• MOD 2: Practice a squat to box with both feet planted.

7. Triceps Dips

• Sit on the edge of your elevated surface (like a chair, ottoman, couch, or bench) with your hands beside your hips, gripping the edge of the surface with your fingers facing forward.
• Walk your feet forward until your hips are slightly ahead of the bench – your legs can be bent or straight.
• With your shoulders over your wrists, elbows slightly rotating in towards each other (to engage your lats), and core braced, bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor with control until your upper arms and forearms form 90-degree angles. Pause at the bottom of the movement.
• Squeeze your triceps to straighten your elbows back to the starting position. Be mindful that you are not locking out your elbows at the top.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Perform triceps extensions:
• Begin in a kneeling position with core braced and shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall).
• Hold one weighted object overhead with both hands (or two lighter weighted objects in both hands) so that your arms are straight overhead.
• Slowly lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows, being mindful of not letting the elbows flare out too much.
• Once your forearms move beyond parallel to the floor, bring the weight back up to the starting position and repeat.
• Your upper arms should remain in place throughout the movement so that your elbows aren’t moving too far forward or backward.

8. Sumo Squat Jumps

• Begin by standing with your feet wider than hip distance, allowing your feet to turn out naturally.
• Brace your core and send your hips back, keeping your chest up tall (don’t bend forward), weight back in your heels and knees actively tracking in line with your toes.
• Drive through your heels to jump from the sumo squat position, landing as quietly as you can.
• Be mindful of continuing to track your knees out, keep your chest up, and core braced as you move through this exercise.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Remove the jump and perform sumo squats by driving through the heels to stand.

9. Rotating Planks

• Begin in a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over your wrists, core braced, neutral gaze (not looking up or down) and a flat back.
• Shift your weight to your left palm as you rotate into a side plank position with hips stacked and driving towards the ceiling, reaching your right arm towards the sky and being mindful of not collapsing in your left shoulder.
• Rotate back to center and repeat on the other side.
• Continue alternating sides for allotted time, being mindful of keeping your hips from lifting or sagging as you transition between left and right rotations.
• MOD: Perform this exercise on your fists or elbows and/or drop your bottom knee to the mat as you rotate to each side.