Get Twice as Toned in Half the Time

By Lucy Danziger and the staff at SELF
Jan 31, 2012


Who has hours a day to exercise? Not you! That’s why we asked trainer extraordinaire Jillian Michaels for a fast, do-it-all plan. Michaels knows something about time management: She juggles two TV gigs (The Doctors and Dr. Phil), started a clothing line for K-Swiss and runs her JillianMichaels.com weight loss empire. So when we asked her for a quickie workout, she created one she’d do herself.
Michael’s once-and-done routine combines toning and cardio—no weights, no treadmill. The best part? It takes only 16 minutes, start to finish. Ready, set, slim!

The Magic 8 Moves

They tighten everywhere (each move enlists multiple muscle groups) and you won’t get bored or plateau. Do the moves back-to-back and you can check cardio off your list, too—your heart will thump as much as if you were jogging or climbing stairs. Translation: Mega calorie burn is in the bag.

All you need is a can-do attitude! Perform as many reps of each move as possible for 1 minute, then go to the next without resting. Repeat the sequence once, for a total of 16 minutes. Do the workout three or four times weekly, and jot down reps to chart success. Don’t wait another second—begin now!

UP AND OVER

Works: Shoulders, triceps, biceps, back, abs, butt, thighs, hamstrings
Assume an inverted-V position but with knees bent. Keeping arms straight and heels lifted, walk feet out to side just beyond right hand (as shown, left). With arms locked, knees bent and legs together throughout, hop legs up (as shown, right) and over to opposite side of mat. Then spring to other side of mat for one rep. Continue alternating sides for one minute.

JUMP KICK

Works: abs, butt, thighs
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Raise right knee so thigh is parallel to ground, hands in loose fists near chin. Engage abs to stabilize as you hop onto right leg, kicking left leg forward (as shown); finish with left leg up, knee bent, thigh parallel to ground. Repeat kick on opposite side for 1 rep. Continue, alternating sides, for one minute.

ABS SPRAWL

Works: abs, back, thighs
Sit with back at a 45-degree angle, knees bent, feet 6 inches off ground, holding knees with both hands to start. Hold for two seconds, then release knees, extending legs and arms (as shown) for two seconds. Return to start for one rep. Continue for one minute.

READY, SET, GO

Works: butt, thighs, hamstrings
Stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot in front of right. Crouch until left thigh is parallel to ground, left heel on ground, right leg extended with heel lifted. Rest chest on left thigh; place fingertips on either side of foot (as shown, left). Keeping fingertips on ground, tap right toes to left heel (as shown, right), then back to start for one rep. Quickly drive right leg in and out for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat for 30 seconds.

PLANK PUNCH

Works: shoulders, arms, chest, back, abs, butt
Start in plank position with wrists directly beneath shoulders. Engage abs to hold plank as you punch right arm forward (as shown); return to plank. Repeat with left arm for one rep. Continue, alternating sides quickly, for one minute.

POP-UP

Works: shoulders, chest, abs, butt, thighs
Start in plank position, body aligned from head to heels. In one explosive movement, push off ground, landing on feet, knees slightly bent, right foot behind left, arms at shoulder level, elbows slightly bent (as shown). Return to start for one rep. Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat for 30 seconds.

LATERAL BURPEE

Works: shoulders, back, abs, butt, thighs
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Jump up (as shown, left), then crouch, placing hands on floor under shoulders (as shown, center). Jump feet out to left side (as shown, right). Hop feet back to center, then jump straight up and return to crouch position. Repeat on opposite side for one rep. Continue, alternating sides, for one minute.

DRAGGING DOG

Works: shoulders, triceps, chest, back, abs, thighs
Lie facedown with arms extended overhead. Drive through toes, and press palms into ground as you bend elbows and drag upper body and hips off ground, coming into Upward Dog (as shown). Reverse sliding motion to return to start for one rep. Continue for one minute.
Sign up for our Jump Start Diet now and get an exclusive Jillian Michaels workout video. Plus, you’ll have access to cool tools to help you slim down, including a daily meal plan, food and workout logs, grocery list, database of extra recipes and a calorie counter. Follow the plan and you can shed 8 pounds in just one month.
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Let Jillian Michaels train you! Sign up for our Jumpstart Diet Plan and start losing 2 pounds a week!