Weight Loss: Abs Diet Travel Workout  

• Warm up for 5 minutes. Two options:

Jump rope. If you're a novice jumper, do as many jumps as you can, then swing the rope alongside you as you hop up and down. Keep at it until you're warm (or until you've tripped on the rope and find yourself face-planted on the floor). If the ceiling in your room isn't high enough, try a stairwell landing.

Do jumping jacks. Just like in gym class. Start slowly and build up speed as your body loosens up.

• Perform the exercises in a circuit—one after the other with little or no rest in between. At the end of each circuit, rest 2 minutes, then start the next one. Do eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and work up to three circuits.

• The exercises have three levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. When you can do three circuits of 12 repetitions of any exercise, move up to the next level.

• You can make the workout harder—and give yourself a better cardiovascular boost—by jumping rope or doing jumping jacks during the 2 minutes between circuits.

• Do this workout two or three times a week, with at least 1 day between workouts. You can take a brisk walk or run on your days off.


HOW TO TRAIN ON THE ROAD
These exercises all employ your body weight for resistance. You can't beat the convenience, but producing results can become a problem once your body grows accustomed to the exercises. So as you get better at them, slow down your movements. That will increase the amount of time your muscles are under tension, which will lead to greater muscle gains.

1. Wide-arm pushup
Beginner: Place your hands about 5 inches beyond shoulder-width apart. Take 2 full seconds to lower yourself, pause a second, then push back up in 1 second.

Intermediate: Same as above, but take 4 seconds to lower yourself.

Advanced: Put your feet on a chair or bed.

2. Wall squat
Beginner: Lean against a wall, with your feet about 2 feet away from it, shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hold for 10 seconds. Bend deeper and hold 10 seconds. Continue until you've hit five different positions, the last position as low as you can go.

Intermediate: Hold each position 15 to 20 seconds.

Advanced: Hold each position 30 seconds.3. Chinup
Beginner: Set the pullup bar in a door frame. Stand on a chair, grasp the bar with a shoulder-width, underhand grip, and pull yourself up. You can push with your legs, but try to make your upper body do most of the work. Take 6 to 10 seconds to lower yourself.

Intermediate: Do regular chinups without the chair.

Advanced: Same as above, but hold for 1 second at the top, and take 4 seconds to lower.

4. Reverse lunge
Beginner: Stand with your feet together, and step backward with your left foot, lowering your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees and your left knee nearly touches the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Finish all the repetitions with your left leg, then repeat the entire set with your right leg.

Intermediate/Advanced: Take 2 full seconds to lower your body, pause for 2 seconds, then push yourself back to the starting position.

5. Reverse pushup
Beginner: Place the bar in a doorway at waist level. Lie under the bar and grasp it with an underhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your body straight and pull your chest to the bar.

Intermediate: Change to an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.

Advanced: Same as intermediate, but put your feet up on a chair.

6. Bridge
Beginner/Intermediate: Lie facedown on the floor, then bring your body up and balance on your forearms and toes, with your body forming a straight line. Pull your abdominal muscles in, trying to bring your belly button back to your spine. Work up to holding the position 30 seconds.

Advanced: Get into pushup position, with your weight on your hands and toes. Slowly lift your left hand and right foot off the floor until they're in a straight line with your torso. Hold for 1 second, carefully lower your arm and leg, and repeat on the other side. Try for five or six repetitions on each side.

7. Chair dip
Beginner: Rest your hands on a chair seat, with your legs out in front. Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

Intermediate: Put your feet up on another chair.

Advanced: Take 3 seconds to lower your body, pause for 1 second, then take 3 seconds to push back up to the starting position.

8. Crunch
Beginner: Lie flat on your back with your feet up in the air and your knees bent. Lift your head and shoulders, then slowly return to the starting position.

Intermediate: Place your feet flat on the floor and pull your body up into a full situp.

Advanced: Do full situps, but pause halfway up for 1 second. Then pause halfway down for 1 second.

1. Prev:Abs Diet: Chest Muscle-Building  
2. Next:Weight Loss Success Stories: Workout Buddy