Anytime Total-Body and Core Workout

Modified Dead Bug

• Begin lying on your back with your knees over hips, bent at 90 degrees, and your elbows over your shoulders, bent to 90 degrees.
• Drop your left arm, bringing your left hand next to your face and toward the ground, as you drop your right foot to hover over the ground.
• Then bring your knee back in toward your chest and your left elbow back above your shoulder.
• Alternate sides.

Weighted Hip-Thrust Bridge

• Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and your heels under your knees. Hold a dumbbell or dumbbells on your hipbones.
• Push your heels into the floor as you squeeze your glutes and lift the top of your hips up toward the ceiling.
• Release and lower your hips back to the ground.

Incline Push-Up on Bench

• Start in an incline prone position with your hands on a bench wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
• Lower your chest to elbow height, and then push the bench away from you to return to the starting position.

Quadruped Hover With Shoulder Tap

• Begin in a quadruped position with your hands under your shoulders and your toes on the ground, knees under your hips.
• Brace your core and bring your knees to hover off the ground.
• Bring your right hand up to tap your left shoulder. Place it back on the ground. Bring your left hand up to tap your right shoulder. Place it down and repeat, alternating hands.
• Don’t rotate through your core. Keep your hips square to the ground.

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

• Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell upside down in front of your face, elbows in line with your shoulders.
• Descend into a full squat with your thighs parallel to the ground.
• Press through your heels to return to stand. Repeat.

Zottman Curl

• Stand with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Perform a biceps curl. At the top, turn the dumbbells so your wrists face the floor.
• Reverse-curl the dumbbells down to your sides.
• At the bottom, rotate the dumbbells back up and repeat.

Dumbbell Triceps Kickback

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells at your sides.
• Step your right foot back and lean forward over your left leg, bending your left knee and placing your gaze about 3 feet in front of your body.
• Bring your elbows up toward the ceiling, then straighten your arms to kick the dumbbells straight back.
• Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells to your shoulders and repeat, kicking them back and bringing them forward, squeezing your elbows in and keeping them high.

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

• Stand with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells in your hands.
• Step your right foot back into a reverse lunge, dropping your knee toward the floor. Press through your front heel to stand.
• Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge, then drive through your front heel to return to stand. Repeat, alternating legs. (Lunge on each side to complete one rep.)

Modified Clamshell

• Lie on your side with both knees touching and your hips and knees at 90 degrees.
• Bring your right hand in front of you to rest on the ground, and support your head with your left arm.
• Open your top knee toward the ceiling, keeping your feet glued together. Bring your knee back down and repeat, opening and closing your knees.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Partial Sit-Up

• Begin lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and your knees bent. Place your palms on the ground at your sides.
• Lift your chest toward the ceiling and reach your hands forward to bring your shoulder blades off the ground.
• Come as far off the ground as you can, then lower. Repeat.

Bicycle Crunch

• Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and your arms behind your head.
• Curl up, bringing your right elbow and shoulder across your body. At the same time, raise your left knee to meet your right elbow.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. (Crunch both sides to complete one rep.)

Plank Hold and Rock

• Begin in an extended plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your toes on the ground, hip-width apart.
• Hold this position and think one long line from head to heels. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to keep your hips parallel to the ground.
• Shift your weight forward, then rock back, keeping your core tight and with control.

Superman Swim

• Lie facedown in a supine position with your arms extended overhead and the tops of your feet on the ground.
• Lift your arms, chest and feet off the ground. Hold and then bring your arms out to your sides still suspended.
• Return them straight overhead and lower. That’s one rep. Repeat.

Side Plank With Hip Dip

• Begin on your left side with your left forearm on the ground in front, your left elbow under your shoulder and your left leg extended, foot on the ground.
• Place your right foot on the ground in front of your left foot and bring your right arm straight up to the ceiling, stacking your right hand over your shoulder.
• Dip your hips down toward the ground, then press them up to the ceiling. Repeat and then switch sides.

Windmill Stretch

• Stand with your feet wide in a straddle position, arms by your sides.
• Reach your arms out to form a T.
• Hinge from your hips to reach for your right ankle with your left hand, twisting through your torso as your right hand reaches for the ceiling.
• Return to stand and repeat on the opposite side.

Standing Glute Stretch

• Stand with your feet under your hips.
• Bring your right ankle up to rest on your left thigh just above your knee, and sink your hips back and down to sit as low as you can until you feel a stretch in your left glute.
• Hold and then switch sides.

Standing Quad Stretch

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips, hands by your sides.
• Bring your right foot up behind you and grab the top of your right foot with your right hand.
• Push your knees together as you hold the stretch.
• Release and repeat on other side.

Standing Hamstring Stretch

• Stand with your feet under your hips, arms by your sides.
• Step your right foot slightly forward, pressing your heel into the ground and your toes to the sky.
• Hinge forward from your hips to reach for your toes.
• Hold and then switch legs.

Lunge Stretch With Reach

• Stand with your feet under your hips, arms by your sides.
• Step your right foot forward to come into a low lunge.
• Reach your hands up to the sky, and then tilt to your right to feel a stretch in the side of your body.
• Return to start and repeat on the opposite side.

Seated Triceps Stretch

• Sit on the floor cross-legged or in a comfortable position.
• Bring your right arm up and overhead, bending at the elbow and placing your right hand on your upper back.
• Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull until you feel a stretch in the back of your arm.
• Release and repeat on the opposite side.

Seated Biceps Stretch

• Sit on the floor cross-legged or in a comfortable position.
• Reach your right arm directly out in front of you and rotate so your palm faces the ceiling.
• Grab your right fingers with your left hand and pull them down and in toward your body to feel a stretch in the top of your arm.
• Release and repeat on your other arm.

Seated Adductor Stretch

• Sit on the floor and bring your feet together so your knees fall out like a butterfly.
• Press down on your knees with your hands and keep your spine tall.

Walk-the-Dog Stretch

• Come into a Downward Dog position with your feet hip-width apart, your hands under your shoulders and your hips up to the ceiling like an inverted V.
• Begin to pedal your feet by pressing your left heel toward the ground, then right.

Hip Windshield Wiper

• Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands behind you for support.
• Shift your knees, dropping them to your right side and rotating through your hips.
• Bring your knees back to center, then drop them to the left.
• Continue, rotating your knees side to side.

Child’s Pose to Cobra

• Start on your hands and knees with your feet together and your knees apart.
• Walk your hands out in front of you and bend at your hips until your head comfortably touches the floor. Press your hips toward your feet and your chest toward the floor.
• Hold the stretch, then walk your hands forward to come into a prone position.
• Bring your hands next to your chest, elbows bent and the tops of your feet facing the floor.
• Push through your hands as you lift your chest up, bending slightly through your back, and stretch your abdominals. Your head can come back slightly.
• Hold and then release back down and sit your hips back to Child’s Pose.

Seated Meditation

• Sit in a comfortable position, legs crossed in front of you and hands resting on your knees.
• Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose for a few beats, then release the breath.
• Repeat, allowing your heart rate to slow.

Relaxation Pose

• Stretch both legs out, lengthen your arms by your sides with your palms up, and relax your shoulders, eyes and jaw.
• Take a few deep breaths and rest completely and fully into the floor.

“Anytime Total-Body and Core Workout” model Benedict Meneses is a Master Trainer at 24 Hour Fitness Torrance Del Amo Super Sport in Southern California. He took time out of his busy schedule to answer these burning questions from 24Life.

24Life: Why did you become a personal trainer?

BM: I became a personal trainer because growing up, my coaches—whether it was basketball, baseball or jujitsu—impacted my life and I wanted to pay it forward.

24Life: Favorite and least favorite workout move?

BM: My favorite workout move is probably box jumps, or jumps, vertical jumps in general. My least favorite is balancing.

24Life: Finish the sentence “When I’m not working out, I am…”

BM: I’m usually hanging out with my family and doing fun things outside.

24Life: Your favorite fit tip?

BM: It’s never all or nothing; it’s some or more. Nothing should never be an option.

24Life: Your power/pump-up song?

BM: Nipsey Hussle’s “Hussle and Motivate.”

24Life: Favorite memory as a trainer, so far?

BM: Just about a year-and-a-half ago my client Pauline could barely stand up for more than two minutes without her lower back hurting. After going to the doctor and getting cleared, we started working together. Now she can do multiple pull-ups. She can knock out 15 push-ups. We even have this little drill where she will be in the middle of a session and I say “fire drill,” and she gets on the floor and knocks out 10 quick push-ups. She could barely hold herself up in a plank for more than 10 seconds, and now she’s doing push-ups.

24Life: What’s one thing you wish every client knew about getting ready for summer?

BM: I like to tell my clients that, one, they’re going to definitely have to move more. Two, stay hydrated. And three, a lot of people know what to do. You probably know that the double cheeseburger is not going to be better than a chicken salad. So you know what to do; it’s time to do what you know.