Olympic Inspired Workout

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of post lately, I've been quite the busy bee. Before I start, let me just preface this post by saying that I am fully aware that the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games have been over for 2+ weeks now and I realize that this post comes a little late. Moving on......

I love, love, love watching sports. The Olympics are always my favorite time of year (during the years that they occur) and so when they start, I'm pretty much glued to the TV. This year I even downloaded the NBC Olympics app on my iPhone. I think we can all agree that the Olympics are a good thing. They bring people around the world together to aim for a common goal, and even those that don't reach their goals can still be happy and celebrate for their fellow athletes'/coaches' athletic success. Aside from just being a uniting event, the Olympics also, for me at least, are extremely motivating. Whenever I watch the Olympic athletes competing in their events and rocking their sports, I automatically get the urge to get up and do something. In fact, I think that watching the Olympics this year even made two weeks of my marathon training go better.

Now, on to the superficial part of this post. Can we take a minute to talk about how pretty much every olympian has a freaking beautiful body? I mean, six pack abs, hugely muscular thighs and legs, seriously toned arms. Who wouldn't want a body like that? Seeing these people's bodies alone motivates me to go workout. So in celebration of the not so recently passed Winter Olympics, I give you my original, Olympic-inspired workout. Try it out and let me know what you think! :)

I intended to have tutorial pictures but my little camera broke. :/

The Breakdown:

Set an interval timer for 24 rounds of 30 seconds of work. Rest for one minute between each completed circuit (all eight moves). Keep track of how many reps you get through in each round and try to beat that number the next time you try the workout!

1. Speed Skaters:  Start in squat position with knees at 90 degrees. Jump to the left landing as softly as possible on left leg, using arms to get momentum. Jump to the right, landing softly on right leg. That's one rep. Continue to jump from one leg to the other, trying to maintain as much balance as you can without putting your other foot on the ground between jumps.
2. Skeleton Plank Pikes: Get in pushup position, arms straight, back and butt flat, body in a straight line. Move your weight to your arms, using your abs to pull your legs feet off the ground, creating an upside down V with your body. Using your core muscles, kick your legs up into the air, keeping your knees as straight as possible. Return to start. That's one rep.
3. Luge Supine Plank: Sit straight up, legs together and extended. Place your hands by your butt, just outside your hips. Using your core, lift your legs, butt and hips off the floor, extending your body in a straight line and keeping your weight in your hands and heels. This should look like a plank only instead of facing the floor, you will be facing the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. 
4. Ice Dance Jumping Lunges w/ Twist: From standing, go into a lunge, right leg forward, both knees at 90 without back leg touching the floor. Push off into a jump and while in the air, use your core muscles to twist 180 degrees to the left. Land in a lunge with left leg forward and right leg back, both knees at 90. Repeat, only this time twisting to the right and landing in a lunge w/ right leg forward. That's one rep.
5. Half-pipe Box Jumps: Stand next to a gym box with your left side facing the box. (Don't face the box head on). Jump laterally to left, landing softly and quietly on top of the box. Jump off the box laterally to the left so that your right side is now facing the box and repeat. That's one rep.
6. BOSU Ball Snowboarders: Put a BOSU ball ball-side down, flat-side up. Stand on the flat part and center yourself so that you are balanced in a squat position with legs hip width apart. Using you legs and engaging your core, begin to transfer your weight onto your right leg. Quickly switch your weight to left leg. Keep moving your weight from leg to leg as quickly as possible, tipping the BOSU ball to the side that your weight is on. Hold your hands together in front of your face. Do this for 30 second to a minute.
7. Ski Jump Burpees: From standing, jump back into a pushup position. Do a push up then quickly jump your knees to your chest, feet between you hands. Keeping arms at your side, use your legs to jump yourself up and forward. As you land, jump back immediately into pushup position and repeat. Each time you land back into pushup position is one rep.
8. Figure Skating Fliers: Using two 5-20lb. dumbbells, go into your best arabesque, balancing on your left leg, keeping a soft bend in your knee and letting your arms hang with one dumbbell in each. Using your back and arms, lift your arms out to the side, as if you are flying, maintaining your balance on your left leg. Return your arms to start. This is one rep. Do 10 then switch legs and start over.

Give it a go and let me know what you think! I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's your favorite Winter Olympic sport?