Michelle Bridges: 5 ways to shred, get toned faster and stay fit

Michelle Bridges reveals the exercises you should bin and replace with better ones. These five will spice up your workout.

The warmer weather is right around the corner, which means it’s time for a bit of spring cleaning.

I’m not talking about decluttering your cupboards and wiping down the skirting boards – though this is a great idea as well – I’m talking about freshening up your fitness routine.

It’s time to bin those not-so-great exercises and replace them with better ones.

I don’t like to say that there are any “bad exercises”. I believe it comes down to a number of other factors that can make the exercise “bad” such as technique and posture.

There are definitely exercises you can spice up to make them more beneficial for your health and fitness journey this spring. Let’s dive into them!

Replace Shallow Heavy Squats with Box Hold Squats

I’m a big believer in the squat. It’s one of the most versatile exercises, as long as they’re done right.

If you feel like your squats aren’t deep enough or are lacking technique, try doing a box hold squat, which is when you perform a squat with a chair or a bench. Take your feet shoulder width apart and go down as close to the chair/bench as possible.

Make sure your chest stays lifted, your shoulders are down and your abdominal muscles are pulled in.

This is a great variation of the squat as it targets so many areas in the lower body. The benefit of adding a bench or chair to your squats allows you to become aware of your squat depth and perform better.

Michelle Bridges says banish floppy and sloppy exercises from your routine.

Replace Side-on Deadlifts with Basic Deadlifts

Side-on deadlifts can be so poorly done – that’s why the form here is super important.

Try adding in basic deadlifts to your routine. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and hold the barbell/dumbbells just outside your legs.

Bring your hips forward and lift the bar, all while maintaining a flat back. Lower the bar down, then repeat.

Make sure you keep those shoulders down and your core nice and strong. You really want to make sure that your glutes and hamstrings are doing all the work here. No curved, slouchy backs please!

Replace Floppy Push Ups with Brace Push Ups

Floppy push ups can cause serious damage to your lower back and shoulders.

There are no benefits here if your technique isn’t on point and you have a curved back. You’ll just be doing a bad exercise which will leave you in pain.

Try replacing a floppy push up with a brace push up where you engage your core. Start by coming down as if you were doing a normal push up, but let your hands hover to the side of you as your stomach touches the mat (see inset pic). Bring your shoulders down and brace your body. Keep those abs and thighs tight and power up into a push up position. This kind of push up is a great way to get a good range of movement and intensity into your workout.

Michelle Bridges shows how to release your hands in the Brace Push Ups.

Replace A-Frame Planks with Full Body Planks

Sometimes when I see people doing an A-frame plank, their bodies curve like they’re a banana.

Worse is when they end up in a downward dog position. The downward dog is great when you’re warming up or cooling down, but if your plank is looking more like a yoga pose, you’re doing it wrong.

Next time you’re doing a plank, try to do a Full Body Plank. Keep that core engaged, raise your body up so it’s in a straight line and try to hold for at least 30 seconds or as long as you can hold the position in its correct form.

Michelle Bridges in a full body plank.

Replace Sloppy Twists with Lower Body Rotations

No sloppy twists here! Lower body rotations aren’t only a great stretch, but they’re a great exercise for your abdominal muscles.

Make sure you’re keeping that core nice and tight as you go from left to right, with your knees and ankles glued together. The slower the better, for both the movement and breathing.

So there you have it – five exercises to spring clean from your routine, and five moves to add in. Stop and take a good look at your technique, form and tempo.

Try slowing down a bit and really focus on those muscle groups and the exercises you’re doing. Once you start concentrating on the form, the intensity of the exercise should increase and I guarantee you’ll get a lot more out of your workout this spring.

* The next round of Michelle Bridges’ 12WBT Program kicks off on Monday, September 5.

Visit 12wbt.com to join.

Originally published as Michelle Bridges: 5 ways to shred, get toned faster and stay fit