The 10-Minute Wall Workout That Helps Remove Flab From Your Arms, Abs, and Legs

This total body wall workout is perfect for sneaking in a quick routine at home, in the office, or even when you’re on the road. All you need is a wall, a workout mat or towel, and 10 minutes.

Shorter, high-intensity workouts like HIIT and circuit training are proven to burn more fat and to increase fitness levels. So to get the full benefits of a cardio circuit, complete each exercise back to back with no resting between. At the end, take a quick breather for 30 seconds, and repeat the circuit. In just 10 minutes, this wall workout will sculpt your glutes, thighs, abs, shoulders, and arms while getting your heart rate up to give you a quick cardio blast. If you have extra time and want to kick it up a notch, this circuit can be repeated up to 5 times.

10-Minute HIIT Wall Workout

• Repeat circuit 1X
• 30 seconds rest between rounds

Wall Sit | 60 sec

1. Stand with your back against the wall and feet hip-width distance apart.
2. Walk your feet out about a foot and a half. Keeping your back on the wall, slide down into a squat position. Make sure you keep a 90-degree bend in the knees, with the knees stacked above the ankles.
3. Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Keep your belly engaged and your torso upright. Hold this position for one minute.

Tip: Make sure to keep the core engaged and to keep the knees in line with the toes for the entire minute. If you have light dumbbells handy, you can hold them in each hand to make this exercise even more challenging.

Leg Curls | 15 reps

1. Kneel down on your hands and knees, facing away from the wall. Place both of your feet against the bottom of the wall so that your toes are still touching the ground.
2. Keeping your hands on the floor, walk them slightly wider than shoulder-width distance. Bend your elbow to bring your upper body into a pushup position.Then, with your hands on the floor, bend your elbows, landing your upper body in a push-up position.
3. On an exhale, use the strength of your upper body to push the ground away, using your hamstrings and core to pull you upright, lifting your upper body.
4. Keep your shoulders in line with your hips as you use your hamstrings and core to slowly drop back into the starting position, catching yourself back in that push-up position.

Booty Bridge | 15 reps per side

1. Lie face up on a mat or towel, bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle, and place your foot on the wall.
2. Extend your left leg straight towards the ceiling and place your hands down alongside the body, with your palms pressing into the mat.
3. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, press down through your hands and lift your hips high, reaching your left foot up towards the ceiling.
4. Pause for a moment to contract your glutes, then inhale and lower your hips back down to the starting position. Continue to lift your hips up and down for 15 reps. Switch sides.

Tricep Push-ups | 15 reps

1. Place your hands and forearms on the wall a few inches lower than shoulder height. Forearms should be parallel to one another.
2. Walk your feet away from the wall until your body forms a straight line. On an exhale, press through both hands to lift your forearms off the wall and to straighten your arms.
3. Inhale to slowly lower yourself back to down to your forearms. Make sure to keep your abs and glutes engaged the entire time to keep from hinging at the hips as you press up and down. Repeat for 15 reps.

Tip: To modify this exercise, walk the hands higher up the wall. To make it more challenging, lower your hand position closer to the floor and walk your feet back.

Mountain Climbers | 60 sec

1. Start in a high plank position with your feet at the base of the wall.
2. Begin to walk your feet up the wall until they are in line with your shoulders. Draw the right knee in towards your chest as you keep your left foot pressing firmly into the wall.
3. Pause for a second to draw your belly up and in, and then place the right foot back on the wall.
4. Pressing your right foot firmly into the wall, begin to draw the left knee into your chest. Pause for a second to draw the belly up and in and then place the left foot back on the wall. Continue alternating for 60 seconds.

Tip: Make sure to keep the shoulders stacked over the wrists. If you begin to feel low back strain, modify by walking your feet back down the wall and keeping your toes on the floor.

Remember to keep each exercise nice and controlled, and complete each exercise back to back for maximum cardiovascular effort. After you finish the entire circuit, take a short water break for 30 seconds, then repeat whole circuit one more time for a 10-minute wall workout.

The Best Snacks to Eat Before Running

Whether you are running for a work out or a competition, choosing the right snack can affect how you feel during your run. A light pre-run snack could help you maintain your energy level and keep hunger at bay. The duration and intensity of your run influences how much you should eat and when.

Pre-workout Meal & Snacking Guidelines

Ideally, you should consume a large meal three to four hours before you run. This will give your body ample time to digest the protein and fats in the food. Eating too much may cause stomach cramping and sluggishness, while eating too little may cause a lack of energy to sustain your run throughout the course. Snacking before exercise can help keep your blood sugar up and prevent hunger pangs, although it is unlikely to give you much of an energy boost.

Whole-grain Bagel, Peanut Butter and Banana

A whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and banana is one snack option. The banana and bagel provide carbs while the peanut butter contains protein and healthy fats. The peanut butter also helps lower the glycemic index of the snack; this means the sugar in it gets slowly released into your bloodstream, which will help you maintain your blood sugar level and energy throughout your run. Keep the snack light by using half a bagel, half a banana and two teaspoons of natural peanut butter.

Greek Yogurt and Blueberries

Greek yogurt is a creamy, tasty treat that packs a nutritional punch. When compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt has about twice the protein, less sodium and less sugar. The blueberries, which improve the flavor of the plain yogurt, contain carbs that helps replenish your glycogen stores. Use frozen berries or purchase locally produced fruits.

Fruit Smoothie

A fruit smoothie is a snack that goes down in a few seconds. It’s got carbs, vitamins and other nutrients, plus it is highly digestible if you pick the right fruits. The natural sugar content provides a fast-energy release, which is best for sprints or a short-running course. Blend a mix of lower glycemic index fruits such as strawberries and cherries with higher glycemic index fruits such as banana and watermelon. Accompany the fruit smoothie with a handful of almonds for protein, if desired.

5 Crunches Alternatives to Get Your Abs Ready For The Beach

If your weight room sessions these days consist of you plodding through the exact same regimen that consists of the exact same sequence of exercises that you cooked up way back in high school, here is your chance to incorporate some badly-needed variety in your life. Today: CRUNCHES. Here's how to get the abs of your dreams, according to a few of our favorite trainers.

Idalis Velazquez: Hollow body crunch

The hollow body position involves bracing your abs and creating total-body tension, which is a more effective way and functional way of training your abs than traditional crunches. Start by laying out flat on the mat, and, while keeping your lower back on the floor, tuck in your ribs and raise your shoulders and legs off the exercise mat at the same time. Imagine pulling your belly button into your spine. Hold for one second, and then bring your knees and elbows together, holding that position for an additional second. Aim to complete 3 sets of 10-20 repetitions.

Ben Booker: Hanging knee raises.

Hanging on a pull-up bar, arms straight, and raise your knees high as you can towards your chin. Don’t swing—controlling the motion like this recruits the obliques and other stabilizer muscles, which demands tremendous core strength. For additional variety, add a twist at the top of the motion, or if you dare, try to get your toes all the day to the bar.

Jay Cardiello: Knee presses.

Try an isometric exercise for a change of pace in your core routine. Lay flat on floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your shins off the ground and parallel to floor. Place your palms on top of knees, and press into your knees as hard as possible, while also driving your knees upwards toward your chin. Keep your lower back flat on floor, and imagine pressing your stomach up towards the ceiling. Maintain the position for 30 seconds, and then release.

Gideon Akande: Reverse crunch.

Most people mentally check out after just a few crunches, but reversing the motion is a great way to refocus your attention. Start on your back with your knees bent in a sit-up position. Glue your heels to your butt and lift your hips over your head. The challenge, though, is returning to the starting position as slowly as you can. The only way that happens is to engage the lower abs and maintaining control throughout the movement, like so.

Alexia Clark: Medicine ball engaged crunch.

Lay on your back and squeeze a medicine ball between your forearm and your thigh. Use your core to hold the ball in place while keeping your leg at a 90 degree angle, as demonstrated here. Raise the opposite leg up and down, performing 15-20 reps on each side. This exercise requires your core to do multiple things at once, maximizing calorie burn and promoting extreme muscle confusion.

Why Exercising Outdors Is Betters For You Than The Gym

Spring is full of endless sunny days and weather that’s just warm enough to work up a sweat outdoors without feeling like you’re going to suffer from a heat stroke.

Not only does it feel great to work out outside, but there are also tons of other health benefits.

Here’s why you should take your workout outside for the next few months:

1. We work harder.

When we work out indoors, we set our own pace, and we only work out for a limited amount of time.

However, according to one study, people who took their work out outdoors did at least 30 minutes more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week than those who only did it inside.

This allows you to burn more calories throughout the week, which leads to weight loss and muscle building.

The participants who exercised outdoors also reported feeling healthier overall.

By allowing our body to experience various terrains, hills and locations, this strengthens our muscles and joints, causing them to be less susceptible to injuries and keeping them in top-notch shape.

2. Being outside lowers depression.

According to a recent study, people who frequented the park had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and were more social, compared to those who visited green spaces less frequently.

Being outdoors and interacting with nature can be calming for a lot of people, and exercising in a park could benefit you in more ways than one.

3. It could prevent cancer.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, when we breathe in fresh air, we breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects.

Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities that help plants fight disease.

When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number of white blood cells in our bodies.

These white blood cells kill tumor and virus infected cells.

So, just being outside and simply breathing for a few minutes each day can help protect ourselves against cancer.

4. Nature helps us focus.

Throughout the day, we often have a million things going on that need our attention. Focusing on any one task can be difficult.

However, spending time in nature allows our mind to wander, as we explore plants, water, birds, trees and wildlife.

Doing this allows us to give the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to focus better when we need to, and it also helps renew our patience.

5. It saves us money.

Spending time outside is free.

All we need is a good pair of shoes, and we’re ready to go.

Step outside your door and go for a run. Head to the nearest park and go for a walk.

Why use precious gas money and drive to an expensive gym just to work out on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike?

Save money by utilizing the great outdoors as your gym. That way, you won’t convince yourself working out can’t fit into your budget.

6. It’s more fun.

Once we take our workout outdoors, the possibilities are endless!

We can go running, road biking, golfing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and more.

Soaking up beautiful views and refreshing air simply isn’t possible when you’re cooped up inside of a gym.

Not only that, but working out outside is both mentally and physically challenging. So, it utilizes both your mind and body, the ultimate type of workout.

So whether we’re biking, running or taking that workout video to the park, the benefits are astounding.

Utilize the best resource we all have access to: nature. Soak up some Vitamin D to feel happier, healthier and more focused.

What more could we ask for? I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be spending less time inside and more time outside this season.

Why Coffee Can Actually Make Your Workout Better

If you’re a Starbucks lover who needs a little motivation to get back to that Zumba class, we are here to provide good news that’s just as sweet as your latte.

It turns out coffee can boost your workouts, so the next time you head to Planet Fitness, make sure you have a nice cup of Joe beforehand.

Look at science gifting us with fantastic findings! This is totally a practice we can all get behind. Let’s be honest — does the treadmill really seem that inviting sans coffee?

Not that you’d need any further convincing before trying out this method for yourself, but, just in case, we’re here to provide.

According to The New York Times, caffeine makes it easier for your muscles to burn fat (score!). It increases alertness, which in turn makes that round on the elliptical seem less grueling.

As delighted as scientists were to discover this, some used to believe there is a catch — it only works if you give up coffee some time beforehand.

OK, OK, stop hyperventilating and listen to what Dr. Bruno Gualano, a professor of physiology and nutrition at the University of São Paulo, has to say. He identifies himself as a “good Brazilian” who loves a cup of Joe, so he is totally in the know.

To see if this frightening theory was true, Dr. Gualano gathered a group of 40 male cyclists for a study. After extensive questioning, riders were divided into groups — low, moderate, and high caffeine consumers. They all received caffeine pills that boosted their performance.

Dr. Gualano concluded that the workout results were the same for all consumers — light, moderate, or heavy.

He provided The Times with very promising news and said, “No matter the habitual caffeine intake in the diet, acute caffeine supplementation can improve performance.”

However, he did mention that results might vary for women.

In honor of Dr. Gualano’s findings, I’ll go treat myself to a cappuccino… but Planet Fitness is kind of far away from my apartment, and it’s raining out, so I’ll save that whole pesky exercise thing for another day and just stick to getting my coffee.

6 Triceps Exercises to Tone Your Arms For Beach Season

Yes, biceps curls are great for making you feel like a low-level action hero, but you're a wily gym veteran, so you know that the key to super-swole arms is the triceps. In honor of the suns-out-guns-out season that is nearly upon us, we asked some fitness pros for a few new triceps exercises to try instead of the old, reliable EZ bar skullcrusher. The names may not be as cool, but the workout will be just as good.

Idalis Velazquez: Dumbbell skullcrusher. Stick with the same exercise, but use dumbbells instead. This variation requires each arm to work independently of the other. The fact that dumbbells are harder to control than an EZ bar provides an additional challenge to your muscles (so yes, this means you should use less weight!). You can also experiment with different grips on the dumbbell, which affects how the triceps are recruited.

Robin Arzon: Incline single-arm dumbbell skullcrusher. Using an incline bench recruits core muscles to help develop balance, while focusing on single-arm movements addresses any imbalances that may have arisen on either side.

Jay Cardiello: Crisscross push-ups. Begin in a push-up position, but with your arms crisscrossed. Your right hand should be directly under your left shoulder, with your left hand slightly behind your right shoulder. To check your positioning, lower yourself to the floor until your forearms rest flat on the ground — your right hand will be in front of your left elbow, and your left hand will be behind your right elbow. Press through your palms and raise your body back into a push-up position. Repeat as many times as possible for 30 seconds.

Ben Booker: Single-arm cable push-downs and pull-downs. Skullcrushers are great for working the triceps, but I see many people performing them incorrectly due to shoddy elbow placement or poor shoulder mobility. Try single-arm cable push-downs and pull-downs instead. Switching up the positioning of your grip during cable work targets a different part of that magical triceps horseshoe.

Gideon Akande: Bear plank push-up. It’s as nasty as it sounds. Assume a bear hold position, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, like so. Lift your knees one inch off of the ground, and then perform a push-up in that position. Keeping the elbows close to the body will smoke the shoulders and ignite the triceps. Besides, this looks way cooler than regular skull crushers.

Alexia Clark: Standing rotation triceps extension. Start with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and your palms facing each other, holding dumbbells. Keeping your arms at that degree angle, rotate your arms so that your elbows are pointing straight up to the air and your biceps are by your ears. From this position, straighten your arms to perform a tricep extension, as shown here. Rotate your arms back down to a 90-degree angle at chest level and repeat. The rotation helps develop shoulder mobility, and standing while doing the extension engages the deeper end of your triceps.

The Workout You Need to Do If You Sit All Day

It’s no surprise that sitting all day does some undesirable things to our bodies. Research has linked excessive sitting with an elevated risk for health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Of course that doesn’t mean you’ll get heart disease just because you have a desk job—but sitting isn’t doing your body any favors.

Sitting all day can also impact us physically. Sitting for long periods of time, especially with poor posture, makes your hip flexors tight, which causes the glutes (butt muscles) to lengthen to compensate. Over time, this compromises the ability of the gluteal muscles to activate properly, leading to a condition called gluteal amnesia, AKA dead butt syndrome. When your glutes can't do their job, other muscles in your body have to work harder, which ultimately can overwork them, leading to poor body alignment and aches. Tight hip flexors also make it harder for your pelvis to rotate properly—inhibited mobility in this area can cause compression and pain in the lower back, physical therapist Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., and co-founder of Bespoke Treatments Physical Therapy in New York City, tells SELF.

If you spend most of your time sitting, there is some good news. While it is true that sitting for most of the day isn’t healthy, there are some ways you can help undo the damage, Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., founder of TS Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. For starters, Tamir recommends standing up for at least 30 to 40 minutes a day. “A standing desk is also a good option as it will help you become more aware of your posture and engage your core muscles,” he says.

In addition, doing certain exercises when you’re off the clock can also make a huge difference, especially ones that focus on strengthening the posterior (back) part of your body—like your back, glutes, and hamstrings—while stretching the anterior (front) muscles such as your hip flexors, pelvis, and chest. This helps counteract the tightness that ensues when you're in a seated position, plus strengthens the muscles that we need for good posture (read: to be strong enough to simply sit upright and stand up straight).

We asked Tamir to put together a great workout that can help undo some of the negative effects of sitting all day. “These exercises are designed to strengthen the core, work the posterior muscles of the body, engage the legs, and help with proper pelvic and spinal alignment,” he says. “Together, these moves help to offset the imbalances associated with long periods of sitting.”

So what are you waiting for? Hop up off your butt and try this routine STAT.

Repeat the below circuit three times.

1. Dead Bug — 20 reps, alternating

“This exercise focuses on the stabilizer muscles of the core such as the transverse abdominus,” explains Tamir. “So much of posture starts with the core and this move gives you feedback from the floor” on how to use these muscles properly so your body is aligned.

• Lie on your back with your arms at shoulder level raised toward the ceiling. Bring your legs up into tabletop position (knees bent 90 degrees and stacked over your hips).
• Slowly extend your right leg out straight, while simultaneously dropping your left arm overhead. Keep both a few inches from the ground.
• Bring your arm and leg back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, extending your left leg and your right arm. That's one rep. Continue alternating for 20 reps total.

2. Plank — 30 seconds

“Here you’re working the full body, especially the core muscles,” says Tamir. “It’s important to focus on having good pelvic alignment and not rounding the back," he notes. Planks can help to both strengthen the core and improve pelvic orientation.

• Get on all fours with your toes on the ground shoulder-width apart. Place your forearms flat on the floor in front of you with your elbows directly below your shoulders.
• Keep your core tight so your body is in a straight line from head to toe.
• Squeeze your thighs and butt.
• Keep your neck and spine in a comfortable, neutral position. (Tip: Try aiming your chin about six inches in front of your body.)
• Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Single-Leg Bridges — 12 reps each leg

“Single-leg bridges are great to help engage the gluteus maximus (the largest glute muscle) plus the core and hamstrings,” says Tamir. Keep these bridges slow and controlled. Focus on really using your glutes to do the movement.

• Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor about a foot or so away from your butt. Rest your arms at your sides on the floor.
• Lift your right leg in the air toward the ceiling, keeping your foot flexed.
• Push through your left foot to lift your glutes, hips, and back off the ground.
• Slowly lower back down, keeping your right leg in the air.
• Repeat for 12 reps, then switch legs.

4. Kettlebell Deadlifts — 15 reps

"Deadlifts primarily work the glutes, hamstrings, core, lats, and traps,” says Tamir. Strengthening these posterior muscles helps to reverse the poor posture that tends to befall those of us who sit all day. “When performed correctly, without too much weight and keeping the back in a safe position, deadlifts are one of the most useful exercises to improve posture.”

• Stand with a kettlebell on the floor between your legs. (If you don't have a kettlebell, try one of these deadlift variations using dumbbells.)
• Keeping your back flat the entire time, hinge at your hips to push your butt back and bend slightly at the knees to pick up the kettlebell.
• Straighten your legs as you pull the kettlebell up to hip level, locking your hips out at top.
• Slowly lower the kettlebell back down to tap the floor, reversing the hip-hinge movement you used to pick up the kettlebell, then immediately repeat.
• Perform 15 reps.

5. Bent-Over Row — 15 reps each arm

“With this exercise, you’re working back and shoulder muscles including the rhomboids, traps, lats, and rear deltoids. You're even working the core because of the bent-over position,” explains Tamir. “A lot of posture flaws can be attributed to an imbalance of strength between the chest and the back, with the chest being more dominant. Rows can help balance that out.”

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and hinge slightly at your hips so that your torso is leaning forward.
• Keeping your body in this position, row the dumbbell up to chest level, keeping your elbow toward your side.
• In a controlled motion, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
• Repeat for 15 reps, then switch arms.

6. Goblet Squats — 15 reps

“This exercise primarily works the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles,” explains Tamir. “When sitting for long periods of time, our hips tend to get tight because they are in a shortened position. Doing squats gets us to sit back in our hips, past the range of motion that we’re used to when sitting at a desk."

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Holding a kettlebell with both hands at your chest (you can also use a dumbbell).
• Bend at your knees and hips to lower your butt toward the ground, as if you're sitting in a chair.
• Go as low as you can, then push through heels to stand back up. Make sure your knees don't go past your ankles.
• Repeat for 15 reps.