Curtis Camp

My former running partner and dear friend Karisa Curtis is working with a team to start up a new fitness concept called Work in Progress (WIP) in West Hartford, CT.  I can’t imagine a better person to get a new gym off the ground.  Karisa is an elite athlete (ran at cross-country and track at Brown and qualified for the World Triathlon Championships in Kona), and she’s also a super fun, awesome, motivating person and badass mom to two adorable little kids.  That’s a long way of saying, I’d totally trust her workout advice and personal training over almost anyone else’s.

So…I asked Karisa to put together a simple 45-50 minute workout that can easily be done at home, as I’m always looking for fitness inspiration and I’d guess you are too.   Here it is…let’s call it “Curtis Camp”…

What You’ll Need:

• Stopwatch or a timer app (an easy one for the phone is called Seconds Pro, which lets you set up the several timers you need for this workout using “Round Timer”)
• Dumbbells (10-25 lb)
• 2 small towels (washcloths)
• Exercise bands (optional, if you have them)

The Warmup:

• 5 minutes of foam rolling, if you have a foam roller
• 10 minutes of running, pedaling on a stationary bike/bike in a trainer, or a variety of dynamic lunges, stretches, and jumps or drill-like exercises (high knees, butt kicks, leg swings, fast feet, skipping, bounding, etc)

Core Workout: 5 total exercises: 50 seconds work/10 seconds rest

• High plank (hands on ground)
• High plank, drop down to low plank (elbows on ground, thumbs facing to sky), back up to high plank, alternating sides coming up
• Spiderman low plank (alternating right knee towards right elbow, left knee towards left elbow)
• Side plank (switch sides after 25 seconds)
• Glute bridge (on back, feet flat and knees up, arms at side and palms up, lift hips to sky and hold)

Ramp Up:  12 rounds of 8 seconds work/12 seconds rest

• Stationary sprints (knees up high and as fast as possible), face down on stomach for rest

Main Circuit:  5 rounds of 5 exercises, 30 seconds work/15 seconds rest (continuous)  

• Push ups (progression: can put a band around lower back for more resistance, elevate legs on a coffee table, roll a medicine ball or basketball from hand to hand in between pushup)  **drop to knees if needed
• Burpees
• Mountain climbers (option: if you have hardwood floors, put a small towel like a washcloth under each foot and alternate sliding each foot in from plank position as fast as possible)
• Hamstring curls (lie on back with towels under feet, lift hips up to sky, slide feet all the way out and all the way in without dropping hips to floor; can also use a large exercise ball instead of towels)
• Squat and press with dumbbells (rack dumbbells at shoulders facing forward like flashlights and squat all the way down so that elbows touch knees; as you come up, press dumbbells overhead)

Finisher:  8 rounds of 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest

• Jump squats (squat low, jump high; progression:  hold squat during rest)
• Never ending ladder for 4 minutes:  3, 3, 6, 6, 9, 9, 12, 12, 15, 15, etc.  alternating between doing burpees and pushups

FINISHED!

Doing this workout at full intensity takes self-discipline,  focus and commitment…but if you can make it through, this is an amazingly efficient and effective workout.  Thanks, Karisa — for the motivation and the inspiration!

What are your favorite workouts to do at home?  What keeps you going (a workout partner, music, etc)?