SMILE :)

8 Minutes to a Gorgeous Upper Body

Go sleeveless in this season’s hottest blouses and dresses with this challenging upper-body workout

Colder weather may be knocking on your door sooner than you’d like to admit, but that doesn’t mean your upper-body training has to go into hibernation just because you’re putting away your tank tops. Long sleeves in this season’s jewel tones are gracing store hangers, but so too are beautiful sleeveless blouses and dresses. And the key to rocking these sexy sleeveless threads is pairing them with a strong, toned upper body.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to speed hours in the gym to achieve an eye-catching upper body. What you need is a challenging workout—one that cranks up the intensity on your muscles and eliminates every last ounce of flab. Enter Tabata training, also known as the 4-minute fat-burning workout. There’s a reason this type of high-intensity interval training is the go-to when you want to shed pounds and tone up fast—it works!


GETTING STARTED:
A Tabata workout (not including warm up and cool down) involves performing 20 seconds of high intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of active recovery. You repeat this cycle eight times, for a total of 4 minutes of very short, intense bursts of exercise. In this particular workout, you’ll complete two Tabatas, for a total of 8 minutes of high-intensity intervals.
WHAT YOU NEED:
> Dumbbells. Choose a weight that’s light enough to perform back-to-back sets, but heavy enough to take you to failure.
> A Tabata timer or stop watch.
TABATA WORKOUT:
Round 1 Back, Biceps, Shoulders*
Exercise #1: Dumbbell Row – As many as you can in 20 seconds.
Stand with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width apart and bend forward at the hips, keeping your back parallel to the floor and head up. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders. Pull the weights up and back toward your hips, concentrating on pulling with your back muscles, until your elbows are slightly above the level of your back. Pause, then lower the weights. Repeat for reps.
Active Rest: Jump on a treadmill or walk in place for 10 seconds.
Exercise #2: Overhead Shoulder Press – As many as you can in 20 seconds.
Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart, head straight, and your eyes focused forward. Grasp a pair of dumbbells using an overhand (palms down) grip and raise them to just above shoulder height. This is your starting position. Keeping your shoulders back, press your arms up overhead. Pause for a moment at the top, then return to start. Repeat for reps.
Active Rest: Jump on a treadmill or walk in place for 10 seconds.
Repeat sequence for a total of 4 minutes.
*Warm up for 5 minutes on the treadmill beforehand.
TABATA WORKOUT:
Round 2 Triceps, Chest, Core, Shoulders*
Exercise #1: Pike Walk – As many as you can in 20 seconds.
Stand with your feet together, arms at your side. Bend at the hips and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Walk your hands forward until you are in a plank position. Keeping your hands firmly planted in place, walk your feet up until they're as close to your hands as possible. Repeat.
Active Rest: Jump on a treadmill or walk in place for 10 seconds.
Exercise #2: Dip – As many as you can in 20 seconds.
Place your hands on the edge of a bench with your thumbs facing each other, and extend your legs in front of you, resting your feet on floor in front of you. Bend your elbows and lower your butt, stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Extend your elbows to come up. Repeat for reps.
Tip: To increase the intensity, use a bench or chair to elevate your feet. You can also place a weight on top your thighs.
Active Rest: Jump on a treadmill or walk in place for 10 seconds.
Repeat sequence for a total of 4 minutes.
*Cool down for 5 minutes on the treadmill afterward.
Although 8 minutes may not seem like a lot, you’ll certainly feel the burn. This form of training can be used for virtually any and every exercise. Apply this training protocol to your regular workouts every once in a while to shake things up and break through dreaded plateaus.

Hello, Gorgeous Glutes!

Amplify your assets with a simple twist on a few posterior classics. By adding easily adjustable weights to the glute exercises you’ve employed for years, you’ll go no-holds-barred on your backside.

Weighted Squat
Works: Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads
• With both weights secured together around your waist, stand with your feet wider than hip width, pointed out at 45-degree angles and hands at eye level, with upper arms parallel to floor.
• Keeping glutes tight, lower until thighs are parallel to the floor. Then rise up from the squat without locking your knees at top.
• Do 2 sets of 30 reps.



StepMill with Weighted Leg Lift
Works: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
• Grasp the support bars of a StepMill with both hands at the top step, wearing five- to seven-pound ankle weights on your ankles. With StepMill at a slow to moderate pace, begin stepping, taking every other step.
• As your front leg strikes the step, simultaneously lift trailing leg upward and flex glutes . Draw leg back to step and perform with other leg. Repeat for 60 steps (30 raises on each leg).










Fire Hydrant Side Hip Lift
Works: Outer Hips, Glutes, Core
• Assume same leg and arm position as hip lift.
• Keeping your right knee bent 90 degrees, lift your leg upward and out to your right side, flexing your glute until your right knee is at hip level.
•Bring your right knee back down without touching floor. Repeat for 2 sets of 20 repetitions each leg.
Tip: This move even works without weights. Just make sure to focus on good form.










Quadruped Hip Lift Crossover
Works: Core, Glutes
• Wearing ankle weights, place your left forearm on the floor and right palm on the floor, shoulder-width apart, with your left elbow directly under shoulder. Position your knees hip width on the mat.
• Lift your right leg up toward the ceiling, your leg slightly bent. Drop your knee downward crossing it over back of left knee without touching it to floor.
• Repeat for 2 sets of 20 reps each leg.










Bridge to Pelvic Lift
Works: Core, Glutes
• Lie on your back with feet hip width and ankles directly under knees. Hold weights at your waist, secured with your hands.
• Lift your pelvis upward into a bridge until your knees, back, and shoulders are in line. Flex glutes, hold, then return to start.
Advanced: Elevate just the balls of your feet during the bridge, remove weight, and do 20 more reps to failure.

Sexy Body Workout

Develop speed, strength, and explosive power like never before, simply by stepping outside. In this workout, Hers editor-in-chief Mona Muresan packs in a hardcore sweat session that blasts mega calories while sculpting every inch, so you can elevate all of your fitness gains.

200-Meter Power Chute Sprint
Works: Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers
• Attach a power chute to your lower back and hold it in one hand.
• Begin sprinting, then release your hold on the power chute to draw wind resistance and to get it airborne (as shown).
• Perform two 200-meter sprints with the chute, then one 100-meter sprint without it.


Rotational Sandbag Lunge
Works: Works: Obliques, Glutes, Hamstrings
• Stand with your feet together, holding a sandbag at your right hip.
• Step into a forward lunge with your left foot and simultaneously rotate the bag across your body, stopping when your left thigh is parallel to the ground.
• Lunge forward with your right leg, rotating the bag to your right hip. Do 20 walking lunges.



Lateral Walking Kettlebell Swing
Works: Shoulders, Core, Hips
• Stand with your legs slightly bent and your feet slightly wider than hip width. Hold a kettlebell with both hands at mid-thigh level.
• Perform a kettlebell swing, thrusting your hips forward and bringing the kettlebell to just above eye level. During the upswing of the kettlebell, step laterally with your left leg, bringing it alongside your right leg.
• While the kettlebell is descending, step laterally to the right with the right leg. Continue for 20 steps, then take 20 steps traveling the other direction.



Traveling Biceps/Triceps Lunge
Works: Biceps, Triceps, Core, Legs
• Stand holding dumbbells at your sides with your feet together.
• Step forward into a lunge with your left leg, simultaneously curling the dumbbells at the bottom of the lunge.
• Rise from the lunge, leaning your torso forward, and lift your right leg behind you until your thigh is parallel to the floor, head downward. Perform a triceps kickback, extending your arms alongside your torso.
• Repeat on the other side.



Traveling Sandbag Snatch
Works: Shoulders, Core, Legs
• Stand holding a sandbag with its front handles, palms in, arms extended downward, and feet slightly wider than hip width.
• Squat down, touching the bag to the ground, then explosively rise to standing and rotate the bag overhead while simultaneously bringing your left foot six inches away from your right foot.
• Step out with your right foot while rotating the sandbag back to the ground.
• Perform 10 lateral walks leading with your right leg, then 10 leading with your left leg.



Walking Spiderman Pushup
Works: Chest, Arms, Core
• Get in a pushup position with your feet shoulder width.
• Reach forward eight inches with your right arm, drawing your left foot forward eight inches, bending your knee outward. Perform a deep pushup (as shown).
• While rising from the pushup, reach forward with your left arm eight inches and draw your right leg forward eight inches. Do 20 walking pushups.



Goblet Lateral Band Walk
Works: Core, Hips
• Start in a ¾ squat position with a resistance band around the tops of your ankles and feet hip width. Hold a kettlebell away from your body at chest height, keeping your elbows bent (as shown).
• Step laterally with your left leg, then draw your right leg laterally inward without taking tension off the band.
• Keep your hips constantly engaged by keeping tension on the band, and your core engaged by keeping the kettlebell from resting on your body.
• Do 20 steps of lateral walks to the left, then another 20 steps to the right, leading with the other leg.



Traveling Shoulder-to-Shoulder Sandbag Lunge
Works: Shoulders, Arms, Core, Legs
• Stand holding a sandbag on your right shoulder. Step forward into a lunge with your left leg, keeping the sandbag on your shoulder.
• Come up to standing, pressing the bag overhead and bringing your right leg off the ground with your knee bent 90 degrees.
• Step forward with your right foot and lower the bag onto your left shoulder. Perform 20 traveling lunges.

My Little Book of Whether or Not He's Worth :)

I Will Only Date and Eventually Marry:

A man who makes me feel so excited, I can't stop myself from
wanting more.
A man who doesn't keep me guessing about his feelings and what he
wants.
A man who pursues me.
A man who sees me as the bright spot in his day.
A man who means it when he calls me baby.
A man who will forget about all the other things in his life before he
forgets about me.
A man who does what he says he's going to do.
A man who doesn't make me feel anxious, uneasy, or worse by being
in a relationship with him than I did being alone.
A man who makes an effort to be a peacemaker and bring harmony to
fights and disagreements.
A man who is not afraid of commitment and proud to call me his.
A man who makes being around him feel natural and easy.
A man who doesn't suppress his feelings to look cool or appear
uninvolved.
A man who never keeps me in the dark.
A man who never would do anything to compromise the integrity of our
relationship, or get anywhere close.
A man who can respectfully discuss issues without manipulation or
losing his temper.
A man who is strong and tough, but not a “bad boy.”
A man who doesn't make me feel ashamed, needy or “unliberated” for
wanting marriage and a family.
A man with whom a relationship would bring me closer to my
aspirations for the future.
A man who makes me feel comfortable enough to bring up sensitive
topics.
A man who loves me enough to marry me in every time zone if that's
what I wanted.
A man who doesn't need forever to realize I'm the best thing that's
ever happened to him.
A man who would move mountains to keep me.
A man who doesn't like to be without me, instead of just not wanting
to be alone.
A man who allows me to love freely, without restrictions.
A man who doesn't have to heal in the relationship, but has already
taken care of his past.
A man who makes it clear in his everyday actions that my happiness is
important to him.
A man who makes a constant attempt to love the people I hold dear,
and especially my family.
A man who does not engage in any activity to an extent in which I feel
uncomfortable.
A man who understands that there is no reason to yell at anyone ever,
unless for safety reasons.
A man who treats me just as perfectly in public and around his friends
as he does when we're alone.
A man who treats me better than I feel I deserve.
A man who never belittles me to feel superior.
A man who goes out of his way to make sure I know my worth is
infinite, that I'm smart, valuable and deserving of everything I've ever
wanted.
A man who hungers for information about me and doesn't spend our
time solely talking about himself.
A man who has the ability and desire to provide.
A man who doesn't make me feel like I have to give up anything
which I find to be essential for making life enjoyable.
A man who honors the woman I am and have the potential to
become.
A man who will always want to protect me from things that frighten me.
A man who is nice to me all the time and who is clearly a good, kind,
loving person.
A man who makes me hope that my sisters and best friends can find
someone like him.
A man who believes in love the verb, not the noun.

I will only date and marry a man who's love is profound, life-changing, healthy, uplifting, joyous, inspiring and intoxicating, because I deserve a wonderfully fulfilling life. 





"It’s very tempting when you really want to be with someone to settle for much, much less—even a vague, pathetic facsimile of less—than you would have ever imagined. Ladies, please, keep your eye on the prize. Remember always what you set out to get, and please don’t settle for less. If you can’t do it for you, do it for everyone else: [Good-for-nothing] guys are able to
exist because there are a lot of women out there who allow them to.”
- Greg Behrendt
♡