Do you need a increase in your fitness motivation?

Engage in Smart Play today!

To perform smart play follow three (3) simple rules:

1. Exercises must be easy to understand:  Be able to explain each exercise in 30 seconds or less.
2. The duration of each exercise must take only 90 seconds to 2 minutes to complete:  High intensity and short duration exercises combat boredom.
3. Perform a light-moderate warm-up for 5 to 10 minutes before an intense exercise circuit.

Play “Roll the Dice”

The Game

• Grab two (2) dice.  Each number on (each side of) the die represents one of the six exercises below (or you may choose your own exercises).  Roll one die at a time.  The first roll determines which exercise to perform, and the second roll denotes the number of repetitions.
• Perform the following exercises with kettlebells for a fun variation, however you may choose to use traditional weights instead.  Whether you use kettlebells or dumbbells, try to maintain a weight amount in the 75% to 85% range of your one-rep maximum for each exercise.

Single Arm Squat and Press

• Stand with one kettle bell in right hand, resting against shoulder.
• Squat so thighs are parallel to floor.
• Stand up, and extend right arm to press kettlebell overhead.
• Lower kettlebell to shoulder.
• Repeat exercise on left side.

Push-Up with Plank Row

• Start in a plank position (arms extended and body in  a straight line from head to heels) with a kettlebell in each hand.
• Slowly bend arms (maintaining alignment and elbows close to body) until chest is nearly level with wrists.
• Push-up, extending arms.
• When arms are fully extended, lift the right kettlebell until the right elbow passes the torso.
• Lower and push-up again, and repeat exercise on the left side.
• Regression:  Avoid push-up, and only perform plank row.

Bent Over Reverse Fly

• Stand with a kettlebell in each hand.
• Bend forward at hips until torso is almost parallel to the floor with arms beneath shoulders.
• Squeeze shoulder blades together and depress shoulders.
• Maintaining a slight bend at elbows, raise arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
• Lower arms, and repeat exercise.

Turkish Get-Up

• Lie on back with one kettlebell in right hand with right arm extended above and right knee bent (with foot flat on floor).
• Rise up, keeping right arm extended and coming up onto left elbow.
• Extend left arm, rising up almost into a seated position.
• Push down into left arm and right foot while bringing hips off floor, with left leg extended in front.
• Thread left foot under body and place left knee on ground.
• Push up from left arm and move body around to come to a kneeling position on left knee and right foot.  You are facing forward with kettlebell still raised overhead.
• Push off of right foot to come to a standing position.
• Reverse the steps back to starting position to complete one repetition.
• Perform on other side, reversing arm and leg movements.

V Twist

• Sit on floor with back straight, legs in front, knees bent, and feet on floor.
• Hold a kettlebell (or medicine ball or dumbbell) with both hands.
• Turn torso to rotate the kettlebell (or medicine ball or dumbbell) from side to side, lightly touching the floor on each side.
• Each left-right rotation is one repetition.

Reverse Lunge

• Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart and one kettlebell in right hand, held at shoulder height.
• Step way back with right foot, lowering right knee to the floor and bending right leg so left thigh is parallel to the floor; avoid left knee moving past toes.
• Keep chest up and eyes facing straight ahead.  Shoulder aligned with hips.
• Push up to standing position using left leg.
• Switch arms, holding kettlebell in left hand at shoulder height.
• Repeat, stepping back with left foot.

Reference:

Fiske, B. (2014). The Power of Play. The Training Edge, Spring, 26-27. Retrieved from http://thetrainingedgemagazine.com/issues/NASM-Training-Edge-Spring-2014.pdf.