Trainer Emily Skye’s 5 Key Workout Moves for Summer Confidence
If you love #fitstagram, you’ve probably encountered Emily Skye before. One of the things we absolutely love about the Reebok trainer — aside from her super tough and inspirational total-body workout demos — is that she’s totally body positive. Instead of focusing on losing weight fast, her whole program is designed around getting strong and feeling your best — whatever that happens to mean for you. She shared her challenging but totally beginner-friendly circuit workout with us, which only consists of five moves. Summer confidence, here we come!
Here’s how it works: Do each move for 30 seconds, and then take a 30 second rest, then repeat for a total of five rounds. It doesn’t require any equipment, so you can do it anywhere — even in your bedroom or your office. “All you need is a positive attitude and desire to get fit and strong,” she says.
1. Spiderman Climber: “This is a great move because it incorporates so many elements into one move,” Skye explains. “It’s a fantastic core strength builder, as well as being a great fat burning cardio move.”
2. Reverse Lunge: Instead of stepping forward into a lunge, this move has you stepping backward from a standing starting position. “Remember with this move to keep your back straight, your head in a neutral position and your stomach tight,” Skye advises. “When lunging backward, try to focus on squeezing through your glutes to get that extra little burn.”
3. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift: Start standing on one foot with a slightly bent knee. Then hinge forward at the hips, reaching your opposite hand to the floor. Then, return to the starting position, keeping your knee and back in the same position. Switch sides halfway through.
“This is a fantastic move for your glutes and hamstrings, as well as developing an overall strong posterior chain,” notes Skye. In other words, it can help make the whole back side of your body stronger. “Focus on correct technique with this move, as it takes a little coordination to do it properly. Once you get the hang of it, it’ll become one of your favorite booty moves, I can assure you!”
4. Chair Tricep Dip: You’ve probably seen this move before, and that’s because it’s a *good* one. “Keep your back straight and your stomach tight, and try and position your butt slightly away from the chair,” says Skye. “You can adjust your feet in front of you, depending on how challenging you want to make it. The further away from your body your feet are, the more challenging the move will be.” Prepare to feel the burn.
5. Butterfly Kicks: This last move is for your abs, and all we can say is oof. Start with your legs around six inches off the ground, slowly lift one leg up, and then alternate to the other, in a scissor-like motion. “Concentrate on your breathing during this move, because it is the last move in the circuit, so by now you’ll probably be a little puffed,” says Skye. “Make sure you suck your stomach in, and try and keep your lower back flat on the mat. If you feel your lower back coming away from the ground, stop yourself and readjust your position.”
What’s your go-to quick workout? Tell us about it @BritandCo!
(Photos via Emily Skye)