Ball, bell & burpee for the LBD

It’s that time of the year when all your workouts should be customised, so you can look your dazzling best in that  LBD (little black dress). Whether you want to flaunt your long, lean legs, or dare to bare your back, follow this workout routine, as you begin your countdown. Here are a few steps to get you in shape for the New Year’s Eve bash.

— Prasad is master trainer, Zen Sports and Fitness.

Bicycle Crunch

• Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and keep your hand behind your head and interlock your fingers.
• Slowly, lift your knee to about 45-degree angle and squeeze your abdomen before you lift your leg up.
• At first, go through a bicycle pedal motion and later on, alternatively, touch your elbows to the opposite knee as you twist back and forth.
• Perform these in sets of 20 repititions each side, followed by 30 seconds of skipping.

Note: Contract your core muscles while lying flat on the floor and breath evenly throughout the exercise. Finish every step with 30 seconds skipping. Follow a high protein, low carbs diet.

Burpees

• Begin in a standing position with the feet shoulder width apart and lower your body into a squat position and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Keep your hands firmly on the ground by taking support from the ground and kick your feet back as though you are in a push-up position.
• Lower your chest to do a push-up. Bring your chest back up and pull your feet back to the original position.
• Stand up and then jump into the air while raising your arms over your head and repeat the same.
• Do a set of 16 repititions, followed by 30 seconds of skipping.

Note: Jump up into the air as high as you can.

Medicine Ball Side Throw

• Grab a medicine ball and stand with the wall to your right with feet hip-width apart. Hold the ball with both hands on the hip of the leg opposite the wall.
• Shift your weight to the leg with the ball on the hip. Rotate your body 90 degrees as you release the ball from hip level towards the wall.
• As you rotate your body, you will want to shift your weight to the leg closest to the wall. Catch the ball as it bounces back and perform 16 repititions each side.

Clean and Press with empty Barbel

• Stand straight with your feet spread shoulder-width apart. Keeping the back bent flat at the knees and hips so that you can grab the bar with your arms fully extended with a pronated grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. The bar should be close to the shins in the standing position.
• Begin to pull the bar by extending your knees. Move your hips forward and raise the shoulders at the same rate while keeping the angle of the back constant; continue to lift the bar straight up while keeping it close to your body. Guide the bar, shrugging your shoulders using momentum to pull the bar as high as possible. At maximum elevation, you should start to pull yourself under the bar, descending into a squatting position as you pull down.
• As the bar hits terminal height, rotate your elbows around and under the bar. Rack the bar across the front of the shoulders while keeping the torso erect. Stand  holding the bar in the clean position.
• Without moving your feet, press the bar overhead as you exhale. Lower the bar and perform 16 repititions.