Primally Inspired Real food, Natural Remedies, Holistic Living
Tuesday Training: Couples or Partners Workout Routine with Core/Ab Emphasis
Okay please forgive me for being a major cheeseball and doing a couples/partner workout just in time for Valentine’s Day, but I can’t help myself.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day (spending $75 on roses when they normally sell for $15?! Um, no thank you), but when you have a workout partner this cute, it’s hard not to want to do a Valentine’s Day workout 🙂
Plus a recent survey by Strategy One said that 80% of people are more likely to stick with a workout if they have a partner join them.
Even if that partner isn’t your sweetie, having a friend to workout with is always more fun. You can motivate each other to try new workouts, cheer each other on to crank out that one extra rep, and push each other when you don’t feel like working out.
The workout below is a great total body workout with extra emphasis on strengthening all parts of the core and abs. It’s a fun one to do with a partner, but you can also do it by yourself (see modifications under the pictures). You will need a medicine ball for this workout.
For those wondering about the big white blob on my partner’s hand, he recently crushed and broke his hand. And yes, I am still making him workout 😉
Total Body Workout with Core/Abs Emphasis For (or without) a Partner
Make sure to warm up for a few minutes (light jogging in place, arm circles, leg kicks, etc.) and then cool down/stretch at the end. There are easier modifications for each exercise in the picture descriptions, as well as modifications for doing this workout without a partner.
10 Squat Throws (each person throws 10 times)
10 Pushups with Side High Five (5 right side high fives and 5 left side high fives) If you and your partner are advanced, double the pushups to 20.
20 Seated Oblique Twists with Medicine Ball
20 Curl Ups with Medicine Ball Pass
10 Partner Leg Throw Down Reverse Crunches
Rest and Repeat 2X
Grab a medicine ball and stand facing your partner, about 6 feet away from each other. The person with the medicine ball squats down. Keep your back straight, legs parallel to the ground, and chest up. As the person with the medicine ball is coming up from the squat, toss the medicine ball in the air to the other person. The other partner catches the medicine ball and squats down. Keep squatting and tossing it back and forth for the prescribed reps.
If you do not have a partner: Squat down and throw the medicine ball up in the air over your head. Catch it, squat back down.
Get in a pushup position, arms length away from each other. Do a pushup. Keep your body straight from your ankles to your head. Come back up to pushup position. Lift your arm out to the side and do a side high five with your partner. Keep your core braced and do not rotate your torso as you are giving the side high five. This is a difficult move, so if you cannot do it, do a modified version on your knees. Repeat for the prescribed reps and then switch sides with your partner and do the prescribed reps on the other side. If you and your partner are exceptionally fit, do 10 pushups per side for a total of 20 pushups.
If you do not have a partner: Do the same as above, except you will not be high fiving a partner. Just high five the air 🙂 If it’s too hard, get on your knees as you perform the exercise.
Sit with your partner beside you a little less than arms length away. Bend your knees and lean back to a 45 degree angle. Lift your feet off the floor if possible. If that is too hard, keep your feet on the floor. Holding a medicine ball, twist to your partner and hand them the medicine ball. You and your partner will both twist to the oppostite side. As you come back and twist to your partner, your partner will hand you the ball. Keep twisting and handing each other the ball for the prescribed number of reps.
If you do not have a partner: Just do oblique twists, holding the medicine ball and twisting from side to side.
Sit facing your partner, knees bent, feet on the floor. One person can have their feet on top of their partner’s feet. Both members lie back and keep your arms stretched behind your head. Keeping your arms straight, curl up and hand the ball to your partner. Keep doing curl ups and handing the medicine ball off to each other for the prescribed number of reps. 20 is a lot, so take breaks if needed and do as many as you can.
If you do not have a partner: Do curlups with a medcine ball. Instead of handing the ball to a partner, reach the ball in the air.
Have one partner stand up and the other partner lie down with their hands around their partners ankles. Lift your legs up. Your knees should move towards your chest as you lift your hips and lower back off the floor. Your partner will push your legs down. Lower your legs down as far as you can go without touching the floor. Do the prescribed reps and then switch positions with your partner. To make this more challenging: hold a dumbbell between your shoes as you perform the exercise.
If you do not have a partner: Do reverse crunches without having a leg throw down.
