Workout Wednesday: New Year's Fat Blaster

Happy New Year all! SOOO I've been looking forward to the New Year with great anticipation! This marks a new chapter in married life for Micah and I as he has completed his biotechnology degree and I plan to start working on a degree in nutrition. :-) Call me a nut, but I actually enjoyed college for the most part. I've always secretly wanted to be a fitness model...lol, and today I'm the model for all of the pics in this workout. (Just a little 411 for those of you who've never met me in person.) A little tangent before I go into the tutorial for the workout: I'm so thankful that I've had people to spend Christmas and New Year's with. There are many people who spent both these holidays alone, and I realize how blessed I am to have wonderful friends and family to spend both of these days with!
Today's workout consists of the tabata method, and will knock out those problems areas, and count as a little cardio. So set your timers, and push through this one. It's tough, but it's over with in only 12 minutes if you push through it.

 Knee-ups:

Jump Rope: hop as quickly as possible. Focus on small skips. If you don't have a rope, pretend you do.

Reverse Crunches: Use your muscles, not momentum. Your lift at the top won't be a large movement at first.

 Side Traveling Squats: Beginners, don't squat as low, and use a chair. Squat halfway, then reach right leg to the side. Stay low and bring left foot in same direction. Squat down lower, then stand halfway. Continue in the same direction, but during the next round, travel the opposite way. Use your best judgement on squat depth.

Glute Bridges: Heels must be pressed into the floor with feet about hip-width apart. Squeeze your glutes and pause at the top.

Dolphin - Shoulder Plank: Squeeze your shoulder blades through the movement. If you have weak shoulders, swap this for another shoulder exercise.

 Oh and last but not least, here's the cute little graphic. If you like this workout, feel free to pin it!

 Some advice: During squats, you know your limits and what is safe for your knees, so you know how low you can go. Use your glutes, it takes stress off your knees. You should be squeezing your glutes during bridges also. During jump rope, keep your knees slightly bent, and really pull your lower abs in during reverse crunches, and dolphin planks.

Enjoy this one, it's tough!

Disclaimer: Although I'm a fitness professional, not all workouts are suitable for everyone. Please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise/fitness regimen.