If you're coming off an Event this weekend, you may want an active recovery day. A gentle bodyweight workout helps flush out potential soreness from over-exertion. Even if you didn't have an Event though, an active recovery day workout keeps you feeling fresh while giving your body a chance to heal up after a week of hard workouts. Punishing our bodies every day leaves us in a deficit, and the best way to come back stronger is to go easy at least once a week.
This workout is BODYWEIGHT ONLY. Drop the temptation to add weights or make this harder than it needs to be.
WHAT EXERCISES DO I NEED TO KNOW?
GLUTE BRIDGES Begin by laying on your back, knees bent with your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips up off the floor to create a diagonal line from your knees to your shoulders. Be careful not to arch your back or to force all your weight into your shoulders and neck. Hold for a 3 count and then touch your glutes quickly back to the ground before lifting again. TIP: Lift your toes off the floor and balance on your heels for more reliance on your glutes and hamstrings instead of your quads.
SINGLE LEG DEADLIFTS - BODYWEIGHT Begin by standing with feet about hip-width apart, the back tall and straight, and the knees slightly bent. Push the hips backwards and start to lift the left foot off the ground. Keep the back straight while straightening the leg directly behind the body. Continue leaning forward to a comfortable distance, and then stand up by squeezing the right glute and tilting the right hip down towards the floor while swinging the left leg down towards the floor. Alternate legs. Hands can be held out as needed for balance.
BIRD DOGS Begin on all fours, your back flat in table-top position. Make sure your hands are stacked under your shoulders. With your neck in alignment with your spine, lift your left leg up as you bring your straight right arm up to balance for a 3-count and then return to the floor for one rep. Alternate leg/arm raises for the full rep count.
DEAD BUGS This abdominal exercise begins on your back, knees bent in supine table-top position. Straighten the opposite leg and the opposite arm, reaching them out to the walls of the room, feeling your core engage. Hold for a 3-count before bringing them back to center and performing the movement on the opposite sides.
BICYCLE ABS Begin on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Engage your abs as you lift both feet off the floor, bending your knees as if you're riding a bicycle. Bring opposite elbow to opposite knee.
WORLD'S GREATEST STRETCH Begin in a lunge position. As you go down, straighten and lengthen your back right leg, and slowly bring your right hand to the floor, palm even with your left foot. Twist to the sky, looking up past your hand.
FIGURE 4 STRETCH Begin by standing. (Hold onto a wall for support if you need to for the next step.) Cross your left leg over your right knee, making sure to sit your ankle into your quad muscle above your knee, creating a figure 4. Sit down into the stretch and hold.
CROSSOVER IT BAND STRETCH Begin by standing tall, feet hip-width apart. Step your right leg across and behind your left, reaching your right arm up and bend slightly, feeling a slight stretch along your left torso. Keep your back knee straight.
WORKOUT
3 x Rounds
- 10 x Glute Bridges
- 10 x Single-Leg Deadlifts - Left
- 10 x Bodyweight (Air) Squats
- 10 x Single-Leg Deadlifts - Right
- 10 x Bird Dogs
- 10 x Dead Bugs
- 10 x Bodyweight Push-ups
- 10 x Bicycle Abs
FINISHER
Set your timer and don't rush through these. If you've got time, do two rounds of these. If you're not actively stretching every time you work out, make a commitment to at least do these at the end of each day.
- :30 seconds World's Greatest Stretch - Right
- :30 seconds World's Greatest Stretch - Left
- :30 seconds Figure 4 Stretch (Standing) - Right
- :30 seconds Figure 4 Stretch (Standing) - Left
- :30 seconds Crossover IT Band Stretch - Right
- :30 seconds Crossover IT Band Stretch - Left
