Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Best Holiday Workout to Look Great in That Little Black Dress

By Kristi Molinaro | December 7, 2012 10:04am

NEW YORK — Looking good for your holiday festivities is tricky. Between all the shopping, decorating, and baking it can be difficult to find time for your workouts. On top of that, the seasonal food and drinks that pop up all over make getting to the gym all that much more crucial.

But no one wants to put on a beautiful cocktail dress only to see a roll of back fat!

To get ready to show off a strong shoulder and back in your little black dress, follow this quick workout that can be done with one simple set of dumbbells.

It works your back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps and abdominals, and burns a lot of fat because of the interval format.

The entire set should take about 15-20 minutes:

1. Walk out, push-ups, walk back 25 reps

Stand straight up with your feet together.

Soften your knees and bring your hands to the floor near your feet. Walk your hands out one at a time until you reach a full plank. Lower down into a wide grip pushup and then push back up to the plank. Walk your hands quickly back to your feet and stand all the way back up. Repeat this 25 times. You can go to your knees for the pushup to make it a bit easier.

2. Push-ups eight reps

Stay on the ground in a challenging position. Do eight pushups either in a plank position or drop your knees if necessary.

3. Walk out, pushup, walk back 15 reps

4. Push-ups eight reps

5. Walk out, push-up, walk back 10 reps

On the last repetition, go down to your elbows and hold a regular plank, making sure to keep your hips in the same plane as your shoulders. Hold this as long as you can maintain good form.

6. Jumping jacks with dumbbells - 25 reps

Take two light to medium-weight dumbbells in your hands and do jumping jacks as your press weights overhead.

7. Left arm bent-over row 25 reps

Place both weights in your left hand and step your right foot in front of your left. Tilt your upper body over, roll your shoulders back and bring the weights up towards your left hip, pulling your left elbow toward the ceiling.

8. Jumping jacks with dumbbells 15 reps

Do regular jumping jacks with a dumbbell in each hand.

9. Right arm bent-over row - 25 reps

Place both weights in your right hand the right arm since that got left out. Place both weights in your right hand and step your left foot out in front. Tilt your upper body over, roll your shoulders back and bring the weights up towards your left hip, pulling your right elbow toward the ceiling.

10. Squats with dumbbells – 25 reps

Take one weight in each hand and squat back into your heels, on the way up press the weights overhead. Repeat, adding a jump if you would like to make it more challenging.

11. Overhead triceps extension 25 reps

Criss-cross the dumbbells and bring them over your head. Keep the elbows near your ears as you bend the elbows and lower the weight behind your head. Straighten back up. Repeat.

12. Squat with dumbbells 15 reps

With one weight in each hand, try to add a jump as you come up. Repeat.

13. Biceps curls 25 reps

Keeping one weight in each hand, bring your arms slightly in front your body, curl your wrists in and roll your shoulders back. Bend your elbows and bring weights up toward your shoulder and then fully extend arms down.

14.  Crunches with weights — 50 reps

Go down to the floor on a mat. Take one weight in each hand and lay back on the mat. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Crunch your upper body off the floor about halfway up, pressing the right arm with the weight toward the left knee, lower back down and then crunch your upper body back off the floor and press the left arm with the weight toward the right knee.