Hi. My name is Andrea Cha Cha. I own and run Addicted 2 Fitness. I am a fully qualified fitness trainer, nutritional advisor and sports masseuse. I love soca carnivals and the Caribbean Culture so creating this Carnival Workout plan for She Soca was great for me and we now pass it on to you.

You don’t necessarily need gym equipment around you to workout effectively. Look around the house for items you can lift to tone your body, water bottles, a chair… even a baby!  Lifting a weight, even body weight, can speed up  your metabolism and aid weight loss more than doing an hour of cardio exercise without weights.

This is part 1 of a 3 part carnival workout for you to follow 3-4 times a week.  The only thing you need is motivation, willpower and drive.  Post messages/comments on here or on She:Soca Facebook Page if you feel you’re flagging or if you have any questions and She Soca will be there to inspire and push you towards your goal.

WARM UP

This is the easy part – just put on your favourite soca mix cd and jam for 8-10 minutes.  Alternatively you can jog on the spot for a minute, then jog with high knees for a minute and keep alternating until you get to 10 minutes.  Another option is to skip for 10 minutes.  Skipping is a great overall body workout which will effectively warm up all your muscles.

NOW FOR THE WORKOUT!

For Part 1, I would advise to use your dining room chair as part of your equipment – it will ease you into Part 2 and 3.  Also grab two 2litre bottles of water (not to drink – these will be your weights).  Remember to hold in your abs as though you are wearing a corset throughout the whole exercise programme.  When you do these exercises try to do them in front of a mirror so you can check you have the correct form.

Rest for 1 minute between each exercise

1. Mountain climbers – (you can use a chair or you can do this on the floor)
Face the chair and lower yourself down so you are leaning on the seat with your arms straight and feet on the ground.  Your body is in a straight  from your head to your feet like you are doing the plank.  Bring your knee in towards your chest as though you are climbing up a ladder and then alternate the legs.  Count to 30 out loud.

2. Press ups on chair
Stay in the same position as exercise 1 with your face facing the chair or the floor.  Hands directly underneath your shoulders. Legs are straight or an alternative is to go onto your knees.  Still maintaining a straight line from your head to your knees or feet.  Lower your body down while bending your elbows  until your chest is hovering above the chair/floor then push up through your palms until your arms are straight again.  Repeat x 10

3. Squats (with a chair if you have one)
Start seated in a chair with your feet on the floor hip distance apart. Back straight, abs pulled in and arms straight in front for balance. Keep looking straight ahead so your back is straight. Start to move forward to get up from the chair while keeping your arms straight out. (No cheating now, don’t use your hands on the chair to push you off!) Push down through your heels to get up into a standing position. After you have stood up lower back down onto the seat slowly using the same technique. Weight in heels – stomach in tight – arms straight out – head up. When you get comfortable with that try not to sit down but just hover a couple centimetres from the seat so that your thighs are parallel with the floor and then push through the heels to stand up again. Repeat x 15

4. Squat thrust and stand up
Same starting position as exercise 1 and 2 but this time jump both legs in so they are closer to your body then jump out with both legs straight to the plank position   Keep the naval pulled in tight to protect the back.  Once the legs are back then stand up.  Repeat x 10

5. Walking lunges
Make sure you have enough room to walk around.  Hold the water bottles (or weights if you have any) in each hand keeping the arms straight down by your side.  Take a big step in front with your right leg then lower yourself into a lunge.  Make sure your left hip is directly above your left knee which is hovering above the floor.  You should have a 90 degree angle in both legs.  Then take a big step with the left leg and lower yourself down.  Keep walking around your room.  Repeat x 15 each leg

6. Squat with a kick out
Back to squats (you can never do enough squats!)  Ensure you have room around you.  Take yourself down into a deep squatso your thighs are parallel to the floow – remember hold your stomach in – and while you are pushing up through your heels to get you to standing position kick one leg as high as you can in front of you while twisting your waist and reaching your opposite hand to touch your knee/shin or for the very flexible your toes! Swap legs – Repeat x 15 each leg

7. Bicep curls / Lateral raise
Grab your water bottles.  Sit on a chair or you can stand.  Arms are straight down while keeping your elbows into your body.  Bend your arms up so your hands are near your shoulders keeping the elbows touching your waist and then slowly lower your arms again.  Remember to breathe out when your lifting and breathe in when you are returning to your starting position.  Alternate this with lateral raises.  Arms down by your side (starting position).  Keeping them straight, take them out to the side laterally until you reach shoulder height then back again.  Repeat x 15.

8. Shoulder press
Grab your water bottles, make sure your back is flat against the back of the chair and navel is pulled in tight.  Bring your elbows to the side of your body, shoulder height then push your arms up above your head so they are straight, breathing out as you lift your arms up.  Then lower your arms back to starting position while breathing in. Repeat x 15

9. Tricep dips
Remain seated on the chair then slowly edge yourbum off the chair with the weight in your arms behind you still leaning on the chair.  Fingers pointing towards you.  Bum hovering above the floor with elbows bent.  Push through your palms so your arms are straight.  Then slowly lower so your arms are bent again.  Repeat x 10

10.  The plank
Hold the plank on your elbows either on the chair or on the floor for 1 minute.  Keep pulling in your belly button towards your spine.  Pushing into the floor with your elbows.  Keeping your body straight from your head to your feet or your knees if you are kneeling.  Focus.  You can do this!

You might notice you are doing many ab exercises but your stomach isn’t going down. The secret is to breathe out on the exertion. So when crunching up and exerting you need to breathe out all the air in your lungs then breathe in as you are going back to your starting position. Make a noise as you breathe out. This avoids the firm abs but bloated look. This also applies to lifting weights as well always breathe out when you are exerting (i.e. lifting the weight).

Go through the workout again this time pushing yourself and adding more reps until you can’t perform a rep.  Each time you perform this workout it will get easier so challenge yourself by either reducing the rest time between each exercise or increasing the reps.

Don’t forget to stretch out afterwards.  Have fun and good luck!

Look out for the next instalment, Carnival Workout Plan Part 2!  #carnivalbody #addicted2fitness