Unilateral Workout: Oxygen Inspired

If there is one magazine I am so excited to get every month, it is Oxygen! I have been a subscriber for almost 2 years now and it is my absolute favorite. The great workouts, recipes, smoothie options, and articles never disappoint. I actually get sad, when I come to the end. I am also a huge fan of their models. They are strong, fit, and great motivation!

In their November 2010 issue, I found a new workout that I tried out yesterday at the gym and it was nice switch up and totally worth sharing with all of you in hopes that you will try it out sometime this week or weekend. 🙂 Before hitting the gym though, I had to fuel up with a big bowl of oats. Yesterday’s combination was:

• 1/2 cup of Quaker Oats,
• 1/2 cup  of pumpkin,
• 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
• 1 TB of good old Almond Butter.

 

Your Unilateral Workout:

• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
• Dumbbell Triceps Extension
• Overhead Dumbbell Press
• Standing Dumbbell Curl
• Single-Leg Stability Ball Curl
• Split Squat with Bench

*I did this as a circuit performing 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, while taking a 2 minute rest between each circuit. I’m glad I did it as a circuit, because I was crunched for time and was able to complete this in 30 minutes. My heart rate was up, I was sweating, and my muscles were tired. That = Great Workout in my book! :)*

Unilateral training is very important for building symmetry, decreasing the chance of injury, increasing your balance, and strengthening your core. All wonderful things! My suggestions would be to do some of these moves on a stability ball, to really challenge yourself and try to do this once a week for a couple weeks. Let me know if you see any changes on your non-dominant side. 😉

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions. I love hearing from you!

What is your “go-to” magazine for health and fitness? And why?